When does my 45 mins post work out begin?

brettmillward4471

That title sounds very obvious but what I mean is:

I have to walk 1.5 miles TO the gym (and the same back).
Lets say I FINISH doing my gym at 1 pm. Now do I need to have some food and protein ideally by 1:45 pm OR because I am walking that 1.5 miles (which takes me 20 mins) it starts when I get through the door, so I have until 2:25 pm?

I always aim for the 45 mins after the actual gym session, but am I "safe" to begin that 45 min timer when I get home ?

I think I am walking at a brisk pace (4mph by iphone + samsung apps). It's just my normal walk all the time.

Thanks in advance

GottaBurnEmAll

Is there a medical reason you need food and protein in 45 minutes?

If you're thinking about muscle protein synthesis after lifting, that window is much wider than 45 minutes.

https://researchgate.net/publication/288660804_Postexercise_'window_of_potential'_for_the_stimulation_of_muscle_protein_synthesis

quiksylver296

Is this in reference to protein timing? Because there's no need to worry about that unless you are an elite athlete trying to improve 0.0001%.

cathipa

You can eat when you like. The anabolic window has been debunked. And I'm guessing there was a typo (15 miles?).

brettmillward4471

Ohhh I am a newbie beginner as you can tell.
But yes that was why I was wondering: for protein. Everywhere I saw online seems to say 45 - 60mins for the best gain post workout.

And yes I meant 1.5 miles not 15 haha my bad

janejellyroll

brettmillward4471 wrote: »

Ohhh I am a newbie beginner as you can tell.
But yes that was why I was wondering: for protein. Everywhere I saw online seems to say 45 - 60mins for the best gain post workout.

And yes I meant 1.5 miles not 15 haha my bad

Yeah, as a newbie you don't even need to worry about this. Just focus on getting sufficient protein for the day overall. You don't need to worry about a specific time for this to happen.

TavistockToad

Eat after your workout if you're hungry...

If you're not, then don't.

newhopeind

Agreed. You’re talking about competition level eating habits. And by competition I don’t mean “getting fit” or “putting on a little muscle”. I’m talking 6 month diet and fitness to go from Andy Dwyer (fat Chris Pratt) to Starlord (Greek God Chris Pratt). It’s really not necessary unless you’re planning on putting on 20-30 lbs of pure muscle.

sijomial

brettmillward4471 wrote: »

Ohhh I am a newbie beginner as you can tell.
But yes that was why I was wondering: for protein. Everywhere I saw online seems to say 45 - 60mins for the best gain post workout.

And yes I meant 1.5 miles not 15 haha my bad

Define "best"? And then define what simply getting an adequate amount of protein over the course of a day gives you and you might find the difference (if any) isn't actually significant at all.

The "anabolic window" isn't as clear cut as you think and there's lots of views from being 30 minutes to 36 hours.

If you are a competing athlete then shooting for 100% optimal makes sense, for ordinary folks it's an unnecessary complication. As it takes time to digest anyway it can make better sense to eat/drink your protein before your workout - you could simply ensure you have a decent protein source in your lunch before you leave for the gym.

Honestly though the first thing to optimise is your workout (and few people seem to do that!).