Our first blog post talks about one of my most asked questions – what (and when) to eat before you work out.

Well, today, I’ve got another one…

“What should I eat after my workout to get the best results?”

Your meals after your training are important because your muscles can run low or out on glycogen (fuel) and must be refueled.

Also, consider that the proteins in your muscles get damaged or broken down, and that’s normal.

Your food choices have a vital role as this will help speed up both the refueling and repairing processes.

The right combo of protein and carbs can help:

• Reduce the breakdown of muscle proteins
• Increase growth of muscle proteins
• Restore glycogen (fuel) to your muscles, and
• Improve your recovery.

So how much of each (especially carbs) do you need depends on the type of training you do.

Let’s start with the protein. 

Many proven studies say that eating 20 to 40 grams of protein after training helps faster recovery (more if you’re bigger, less if you’re smaller).

From there, you can estimate how many carbs to add – usually between 2 to 3 times as many grams of carbs as protein.

If you have done endurance-oriented training (like cycling, running, or a HIIT class), your muscles might be more depleted of their fuel than if you were lifting weights. That means the carb ratio intake must be high.

Here are some meal ideas you want to try:

• Oatmeal + 1 scoop of protein powder + ½ banana
• Dairy-free yogurt with fruit
• Protein shake with berries or banana
• Chicken or salmon with sweet potato
• Gluten-free bread with almond butter

TIMING is also important! For ultimate benefits, eat within 45 minutes of your workout. If that’s not possible, eat at least 2 hours prior.

I hope this helps clear up any questions or confusion.

If you want a personalized game plan on how YOU can reach your goals faster, text us at ‪(916) 235-3453‬.