eating after workout

katarina005

soo...how soon after a workout should you eat since your body is in recovery. I didn't eat today until like an hour or so afterward so wondering if I burned more calories since I didnt' refuel or not.

vaporhockey83

An hour after is just fine.

AllanMisner

No, you didn’t burn more calories by not eating right after.

Eating before or after a workout is really just a preference thing. Fuel your body to accomplish the things you want. Experiment with different nutrient timing to find what works best for you. Some people have to eat before a workout to have the energy to perform, others find they get better recovery if they eat after a workout. So, you may want to try a small meal before and a small meal after and see how that works. Or you can go fasted the whole way. See what works for you.

FitPhillygirl

If I'm really hungry I eat as soon as I finish my workout. There is no added benefit to waiting anyway.

kristinegift

You can eat whenever you want to. The only time you should eat within that hour window is if you've worked out for 60+ minutes. You should make sure to get some good protein at the very least to help your muscles start to repair ASAP (that first hour after an intense workout is important because your body is most receptive to absorbing protein and nutrients, or so Runners' World has often told me). Usually if I can't get some real protein in (eggs, etc.), a spoon full of peanut butter and some chocolate milk will do the trick.

katarina005

kristinegift wrote: »

You can eat whenever you want to. The only time you should eat within that hour window is if you've worked out for 60+ minutes. You should make sure to get some good protein at the very least to help your muscles start to repair ASAP (that first hour after an intense workout is important because your body is most receptive to absorbing protein and nutrients, or so Runners' World has often told me). Usually if I can't get some real protein in (eggs, etc.), a spoon full of peanut butter and some chocolate milk will do the trick.

ok that makes sense. I guess the idea is so your muscles wont start to eat themselves. I did exercise a lot, a lot of it cardio also

Willbenchforcupcakes

If I'm starving enough, I'll eat right after my last set, before I stretch and roll out, otherwise I can handle waiting up to an hour after finishing to eat. I have a ton of carbs while training so I do tend to focus on protein afterwards.

ninerbuff

kristinegift wrote: »

You can eat whenever you want to. The only time you should eat within that hour window is if you've worked out for 60+ minutes. You should make sure to get some good protein at the very least to help your muscles start to repair ASAP (that first hour after an intense workout is important because your body is most receptive to absorbing protein and nutrients, or so Runners' World has often told me). Usually if I can't get some real protein in (eggs, etc.), a spoon full of peanut butter and some chocolate milk will do the trick.

The "opportunity window" is a bit overblown though. It MAY be efficient for some elite athletes, but for general population, the benefit hasn't been shown to be measurable (study was done on athletes and not general people who exercise). For most it's going to be preference. The key is reaching the correct macros by the end of the day. Most muscle repair will happen in the next 48 hours, most in the latter.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

katarina005 wrote: »

kristinegift wrote: »

You can eat whenever you want to. The only time you should eat within that hour window is if you've worked out for 60+ minutes. You should make sure to get some good protein at the very least to help your muscles start to repair ASAP (that first hour after an intense workout is important because your body is most receptive to absorbing protein and nutrients, or so Runners' World has often told me). Usually if I can't get some real protein in (eggs, etc.), a spoon full of peanut butter and some chocolate milk will do the trick.

ok that makes sense. I guess the idea is so your muscles wont start to eat themselves. I did exercise a lot, a lot of it cardio also

It takes a large deficit, inadequate protein and long endurance workouts daily for that to really happen.
Muscles can naturally atrophy from not using them at all, but to lose muscle mass while being physically active is not something people easily do.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

katarina005

ninerbuff wrote: »

kristinegift wrote: »

You can eat whenever you want to. The only time you should eat within that hour window is if you've worked out for 60+ minutes. You should make sure to get some good protein at the very least to help your muscles start to repair ASAP (that first hour after an intense workout is important because your body is most receptive to absorbing protein and nutrients, or so Runners' World has often told me). Usually if I can't get some real protein in (eggs, etc.), a spoon full of peanut butter and some chocolate milk will do the trick.

The "opportunity window" is a bit overblown though. It MAY be efficient for some elite athletes, but for general population, the benefit hasn't been shown to be measurable (study was done on athletes and not general people who exercise). For most it's going to be preference. The key is reaching the correct macros by the end of the day. Most muscle repair will happen in the next 48 hours, most in the latter.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I don't know what correct macros means

nossmf

Macros refers to protein vs carbohydrates vs fat. All foods fall into one or more of these categories, and MFP will break down the ratios for you. Depending on your goals, different diets recommend different ratios. For example, Atkins wants very high protein and fat, very low (or completely absent) carbs. People wanting to add muscle or keep what they have while dieting need to have high protein.

I eat right after a workout simply because working out makes me hungry.

kristinegift

ninerbuff wrote: »

kristinegift wrote: »

You can eat whenever you want to. The only time you should eat within that hour window is if you've worked out for 60+ minutes. You should make sure to get some good protein at the very least to help your muscles start to repair ASAP (that first hour after an intense workout is important because your body is most receptive to absorbing protein and nutrients, or so Runners' World has often told me). Usually if I can't get some real protein in (eggs, etc.), a spoon full of peanut butter and some chocolate milk will do the trick.

The "opportunity window" is a bit overblown though. It MAY be efficient for some elite athletes, but for general population, the benefit hasn't been shown to be measurable (study was done on athletes and not general people who exercise). For most it's going to be preference. The key is reaching the correct macros by the end of the day. Most muscle repair will happen in the next 48 hours, most in the latter.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Oh come on, let me hang on to the only myth I adhere to!

My_Butt

I usually eat almost right after a workout.

AllanMisner

katarina005 wrote: »

I don't know what correct macros means

The correct macros are the mix of protein, fat and carbohydrates your body needs. You should think of food as two things: fuel to keep going and materials to build your body. The carbs and fat are fuel, protein is the building materials. Finding the right mix of food for your body and activity level is important to properly recovering from workouts and being able to go hard for the next one.

999tigger

What ninerbuff said about the window. Before I think is more important, but all depends on whether you have had some food anyway and how long your workout is. As mine tend towards the longer and I do the cardio after the weights, then I really need the food, to fuel that. Carbs because I know what it feels like when I run out of fuel and its rubbish.

After I used to eat protein, but these days just eat something or have dinner. Less fussed about the opportunity window. Also not convinced on the merits of fasted cardio.

Capt_Apollo

katarina005 wrote: »

soo...how soon after a workout should you eat since your body is in recovery. I didn't eat today until like an hour or so afterward so wondering if I burned more calories since I didnt' refuel or not.

while your body might burn a few extra calories after a workout, you want it to burn the right kind of calories. refueling within 60 minutes after a workout can trigger your body to burn some fat, instead of muscle which is an easier fuel source.

depending on your exercise, the post-exercise burn isn't all that significant. the burn from cardio ends pretty much right after you stop and cool down. the burn from strength training lasts longer after you have left the gym, but the over all burn is smaller.

katarina005

hmm. some things to think about. I always eat before I go to the gym, and I try and have some good carbs and protein which last me a little while.
I DO usually eat then when I come back home, but just wondered about this. Before I used to fast before I hit the gym in the morning b/c of the theory that existed that your body uses your fat reserve b/c you didn't eat breakfast lol. But don't do that anymore.

lulucitron

I eat within a half hour after working out

MargaretSobers

Before: Whole Wheat Toast with Sliced Banana and Cinnamon
When it comes to gearing up for workout, carbs are your gym BFF. The key is to have a mixed bag of complex and simple ones so that the release of energy during your workout is slow and steady throughout your routine. Whole-wheat toast with fruit gives you both types of carbs with the bonus of being super easy to digest. Complex carbs will keep your motor humming, while the fruit adds an extra kick of energy. For those training for a race, bananas are perfect in raising potassium levels, which drop when you sweat a lot.

After: Grilled Chicken and Mixed Vegetables
Your body is in recovery mode, so you need a nutrient dense dish. The lean protein and carbohydrates in chicken will fill you up without feeling overly bloated. Add some veggies in olive oil to keep your ticker in tip top shape.