What to eat after your workout

Content by: Guy Lawrence

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While it is important to fuel your body with the right foods throughout the day, perhaps the most important time to pay attention to what you eat is after a workout.

Nutrition plays a role in replacing glycogen stores, preventing fatigue and recovering for future workouts. When you work out, your body burns calories, loses electrolytes through sweat and breaks down muscle tissue. It is important to refuel your body after exercise to replace the glycogen, protein and fluid lost.

What to look for

Within the 30 minutes following a workout, your body needs three things: Fluids to replace the water and electrolytes your body loses in your sweat. For each pound you lose from exercise, you need 16 to 24 ounces of fluid. Protein to repair the muscle tissue broken down during a workout and to stimulate new tissue development. Only a small amount of protein is needed after a workout to enhance glycogen replacement and provide the amino acids needed for the repair of muscle tissues. While a serious weight lifters has higher protein needs than someone running for an hour, a balance of protein with carbohydrates will help recovery.

Carbohydrates to replenish the fuel (glycogen) used by your muscles. Within 30 minutes after exercise, you need 0.5 to -0.7 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight to adequately replace the glycogen lost. For example, after 60 minutes of vigorous exercise, a 150-pound person might need as many as 75 grams of carbohydrate.

What to avoid

Fat. While fat is an important part of the diet, it slows digestion. Right after a workout, you do not want to slow the digestion of carbs and protein. Try to choose snacks and meals that are relatively low to moderate in fat content. Simple sugars and sweetened beverages, unless you are working out vigorously for more than 60 minutes. Otherwise you are just adding back empty calories that are not helping your body recover adequately.

Read the full article here.

To boost your post-workout nutrition, check out 180 Super Food.

Guy Lawrence

This article is brought to you by Guy Lawrence. Guy is a qualified fitness trainer with over 10 years of experience in the health industry. Guy worked at the UTS Fitness Centre in Sydney Australia where he specialised in exercise nutrition and obtained his Certificate in Exercise Nutrition and Certified... Read More
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