What Should You Eat to Maximize Your Post-Workout Recovery?
- Kaitlyn Marie Redmore
- Sep 10, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 19, 2024
We've talked about pre-workout nutrition in a previous blog, so now let's discuss post-workout nutrition and how it could benefit you and your recovery...
Fuelling your body after a workout is just as important as fuelling your body before a workout. Pre-workout nutrition will help give you the energy to complete your training session, whereas, post-workout nutrition will help you recover from your session.
Ensuring you have a balanced meal after training will help promote recovery from your workout, stimulate muscle protein synthesis and replenish glycogen stores.
Post-workout nutrition can help you no matter where you are on your journey.
Let’s talk about some essentials of your post-workout nutrition:
Post-Workout Nutrition:
Nutrient Timing:
Ideally, you want to aim to consume your post-workout meal within a few hours of working out. Current research shows that the "anabolic window" might be wider than we originally thought. However, you may want to kickstart recovery by taking your post-workout nutrition 30-60 minutes after working out to replenish glycogen stores and give yourself an energy boost. If that timeframe is not optimal for you, my recommendation would be to try your best to consume your post-workout nutrition within about 2 hours after working out.
Prioritise Protein:
Protein is essential in your post-workout nutrition, providing your muscles with the amino acids they need to repair and grow. It helps prevent muscle breakdown that occurs during exercise and stimulates muscle protein synthesis. Aim for approximately 20-25g of high-quality protein in your post-workout meal. Some examples can include protein shakes, chicken, tuna, eggs, etc.
Include Carbohydrates:
Your body's preferred energy source is carbohydrates, when you exercise stored sources of carbohydrates (glycogen) are depleted and need to be restored. This is why including carbohydrates in your post-workout nutrition is important. Doing so will also help enhance protein muscle synthesis, promote recovery, restore energy levels and optimise hormone balance. Simple carbohydrates straight after a workout can replenish glycogen stores quickly, whereas, complex carbohydrates will help sustain energy levels and provide longer-term recovery. A combination of both post-workout can be ideal.
Add In Some Healthy Fats:
Fats are not as vital to consume as protein and carbohydrates after your workout, however, they are still very beneficial for overall health and recovery. A small amount of dietary fats could be added to your post-workout meal to help increase satiety and support overall nutrient absorption. Fats also may provide anti-inflammatory properties that aid in recovery. If consuming your post-workout nutrition close to finishing your workout, e.g. 30-45 minutes after, I would just prioritise mostly protein and carbs as fats will slow down digestion. Consuming fats works well in a proper post-workout meal around 1-2 hours after exercising.
Rehydrate and Replace Electrolytes:
Especially after an intense workout, replenishing your fluids and electrolytes is needed. Drinking enough water before, during and after training is important to keep your body balanced, no matter the intensity or duration of your workout. For those long or high-intensity sessions, consuming a drink with added electrolytes to replace sodium, potassium, and other minerals lost through sweat can be highly beneficial. Not only will you feel better for doing so, but your body will thank you for it.
Example Post-Workout Meals/Snacks:
Post-Workout Snack (Within 30-45 Minutes):
Protein shake and a banana.
Tuna and crackers.
Cottage cheese and fruit.
Post-Workout Meal (Within 2 hours):
Grilled chicken with roasted vegetables and rice.
Oatmeal, whey protein, banana, and almonds.
Egg omelette with avocado spread on whole-grain toast.
salmon with sweet potato.
Post-workout nutrition is beneficial and ideal to prioritise as soon after your workout as possible. You don't need to stress about missing the "anabolic window", just aim to refuel your body as soon as you can.
Prioritise protein and carbohydrates after your workout to stimulate protein muscle synthesis, a small amount of dietary fats can be added to your post-workout to improve satiety and overall health.
