How important is eating right after a strength workout?

Lena1967

Hi,
I am trying to improve my body fat percentage as well as lose weight, so I'm doing some weight training (so far mostly with the Supreme 90Day DVDs). What I'm hearing on the DVDs and what I have read in "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" is that I should be eating (or drinking) a meal high in protein and carbs right after a strength training workout.

How essential is this? Is it more for people who are trying to become bodybuilders? Will it slow down my efforts to build muscle if I skip it?

I tend to work out in the evenings after I'm done eating for the day. I really don't want to eat that late in the evening, especially not protein that feel like it sits there in my stomach all night. Thanks for any advice.

Lena1967

Giving myself a bump - is that poor form? :blushing:

Hoping some of you experienced weightlifters can help me out. Thanks!

scottb81

Right after you workout your muscles will reabsorb nutrients at a vastly accelerated rate for about an hour or two. Its important to eat something during this time to take advantage of that. Your muscles will recover faster from the workout and be ready to go again sooner.

atjays

Even if you only have a glass of milk it is highly encouraged to have a big protein boost following lifting weights. As stated above, your bodies metabolism is high after working out for a short period of time, allowing a very high rate of muscle repair to happen. You may try 1 scoop of a protein powder mixed with milk, it will be light on your stomach but your body will love you for it. It will also cut down on a soreness you may experience the following day.

twinmom01

Protien boost is very important after lifting - lifting causes your muscle to be used and works those muscle fibers - the amino acids in protien helps to repair and strengthen the muscle...I vary what i eat based on when I do my strength workouts and really how hungry I am - sometimes I grab some jerky - other times I will have an apple with some almond butter

Acg67

The postexercise "anabolic window" is a highly misused & abused concept. Preworkout nutrition all but cancels the urgency, unless you're an endurance athlete with multiple glycogen-depleting events in a single day. Getting down to brass tacks, a relatively recent study (Power et al. 2009) showed that a 45g dose of whey protein isolate takes appx 50 minutes to cause blood AA levels to peak. Resulting insulin levels, which peaked at 40 minutes after ingestion, remained at elevations known to max out the inhibition of muscle protein breakdown (15-30 mU/L) for 120 minutes after ingestion. This dose takes 3 hours for insulin & AA levels to return to baseline from the point of ingestion. The inclusion of carbs to this dose would cause AA & insulin levels to peak higher & stay elevated above baseline even longer.

So much for the anabolic peephole & the urgency to down AAs during your weight training workout; they are already seeping into circulation (& will continue to do so after your training bout is done). Even in the event that a preworkout meal is skipped, the anabolic effect of the postworkout meal is increased as a supercompensatory response (Deldicque et al, 2010). Moving on, another recent study (Staples et al, 2010) found that a substantial dose of carbohydrate (50g maltodextrin) added to 25g whey protein was unable to further increase postexercise net muscle protein balance compared to the protein dose without carbs. Again, this is not to say that adding carbs at this point is counterproductive, but it certainly doesn't support the idea that you must get your lightning-fast postexercise carb orgy for optimal results.

To add to this... Why has the majority of longer-term research failed to show any meaningful differences in nutrient timing relative to the resistance training bout? It's likely because the body is smarter than we give it credit for. Most people don't know that as a result of a single training bout, the receptivity of muscle to protein dosing can persist for at least 24 hours: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21289204

Here's what you're not seeming to grasp: the "windows" for taking advantage of nutrient timing are not little peepholes. They're more like bay windows of a mansion. You're ignoring just how long the anabolic effects are of a typical mixed meal. Depending on the size of a meal, it takes a good 1-2 hours for circulating substrate levels to peak, and it takes a good 3-6 hours (or more) for everythng to drop back down to baseline.

You're also ignoring the fact that the anabolic effects of a meal are maxed out at much lower levels than typical meals drive insulin & amino acids up to. Furthermore, you're also ignoring the body's ability of anabolic (& fat-oxidative) supercompensation when forced to work in the absence of fuels. So, metaphorically speaking, our physiology basically has the universe mapped out and you're thinking it needs to be taught addition & subtraction.

[/quote]

Alan Aragon

Rae6503

I really like the New Rules book, but the diet section is a little "bro-science-y". I do agree that it encourages women to eat more than they usually would on a diet but no, you don't need the post workout stuff and you don't need 40% protein. 1 gram per pound of lean body mass is good. For me, this is about 20% protein.

Prefessa

ACG:

This is a revelation!!! And it explains how my sugar #'s didnt get leaps and bounds better from a low carb diet! It did get better after daily cardio and 3X week resistance training...but a low GI diet alone did not.

Do You follow this diet....A six pack gives me more confidence, then a guy in a lab coat. I actuall just printed out the original paper, it seems to suggest keeping fat and carbs separate, and that dairy protein is a bigger insulin stimulator than corn flakes. Seems to lend a bit of credibility to the food combining folks.

lisapr123

After years of cycling (hills=strength training, trust me!) I finally learned that a glass of chocolate milk afterwards does the body good. It helps me recover quickly. I don't know all the science of it, but I certainly know the difference when I skip my milk.

sdrawkcabynot

Alan Aragon is so smart that his blog makes my head hurt! lol.

Prefessa

Two Years ago I was on an assignment that required I spend 50% of my time in Holland. I got into the cycling culture there and lost 45 lbs.

There were times I didn't feel like going to a restaurant after biking, particularly because in Europe, going out to dinner is a minimum 3 hr ordeal. I used to eat something they called Quark...it was essentially blenderized cottage cheese, that they would put fruit into. I would eat this stuff after cycling for 5-6 hrs and I was ready to do it again an hour later....the best thing was I would see my BS#'s drop like a stone. By the time I left the NL my fasting BS was in the 80's....of course that was short lived because once my doctor put me on Crestor it wrecked my BS numbers and he had to increase my meds...Now I know how that "Ole Lady that Swallowed the Fly" felt!

thelovelyLIZ

I make a point to eat right after any work out, cardio or strength. You just used a bunch of energy, so it's important to return it to you body. If you don't like eating late in the evening, try a protein shake. I usually just to 1/2-1 scoop of whey mixed with cow or almond milk.

machinegunkate

bump to keep in topics. I love you guys.

MB_Positif

I agree with the scientific info above. I also do always eat or drink something with protein aftewards. Once or twice I have run to the store after the gym and I become ravenous to the point of feeling sick because I didn't stop home to eat anything or bring anything along. I highly recommend eating afterwards!

sarahbetherck

I don't know all the science behind it but whenever I have a protien shake after a particularly taxing workout (conditioning or strength, but strength in particular) I always feel better and am less sore the next day.

BigJohn82

I prefer an post workout drink with protein and maltodextrin, among amino acids and whatnot. The sugar helps shuttle nutrients to the muscles. Ill eat a meal a half hour to an hour after that.

Lena1967

Wow, thanks for all the great replies! I love this site!

Bottom line -- looks like it may well help so I will try to have at least a glass of soymilk or something (tried mixing whey powder in soymilk last night and almost gagged -- not sure me and whey powder are going to get along).

Acg: I'm not sure I understood all of your post but I looked up Alan Aragon and his site is fascinating.

Rae: Thanks for the heads-up on the "bro-science" aspect of the NROLFW book. I haven't paid that much attention to nutrition advice since back in the early 90s when fat was bad, and so it's a little hard for me to evaluate what's a good source of info.

Thanks again to all who replied.

thefuzz1290

You picked the wrong protein powder if it almost made you gag. You can get chocolate flavored, which pretty much every brand carries, and it'll taste like chocolate milk.

harebearva

The postexercise "anabolic window" is a highly misused & abused concept. Preworkout nutrition all but cancels the urgency, unless you're an endurance athlete with multiple glycogen-depleting events in a single day. Getting down to brass tacks, a relatively recent study (Power et al. 2009) showed that a 45g dose of whey protein isolate takes appx 50 minutes to cause blood AA levels to peak. Resulting insulin levels, which peaked at 40 minutes after ingestion, remained at elevations known to max out the inhibition of muscle protein breakdown (15-30 mU/L) for 120 minutes after ingestion. This dose takes 3 hours for insulin & AA levels to return to baseline from the point of ingestion. The inclusion of carbs to this dose would cause AA & insulin levels to peak higher & stay elevated above baseline even longer.

So much for the anabolic peephole & the urgency to down AAs during your weight training workout; they are already seeping into circulation (& will continue to do so after your training bout is done). Even in the event that a preworkout meal is skipped, the anabolic effect of the postworkout meal is increased as a supercompensatory response (Deldicque et al, 2010). Moving on, another recent study (Staples et al, 2010) found that a substantial dose of carbohydrate (50g maltodextrin) added to 25g whey protein was unable to further increase postexercise net muscle protein balance compared to the protein dose without carbs. Again, this is not to say that adding carbs at this point is counterproductive, but it certainly doesn't support the idea that you must get your lightning-fast postexercise carb orgy for optimal results.

To add to this... Why has the majority of longer-term research failed to show any meaningful differences in nutrient timing relative to the resistance training bout? It's likely because the body is smarter than we give it credit for. Most people don't know that as a result of a single training bout, the receptivity of muscle to protein dosing can persist for at least 24 hours: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21289204

Here's what you're not seeming to grasp: the "windows" for taking advantage of nutrient timing are not little peepholes. They're more like bay windows of a mansion. You're ignoring just how long the anabolic effects are of a typical mixed meal. Depending on the size of a meal, it takes a good 1-2 hours for circulating substrate levels to peak, and it takes a good 3-6 hours (or more) for everythng to drop back down to baseline.

You're also ignoring the fact that the anabolic effects of a meal are maxed out at much lower levels than typical meals drive insulin & amino acids up to. Furthermore, you're also ignoring the body's ability of anabolic (& fat-oxidative) supercompensation when forced to work in the absence of fuels. So, metaphorically speaking, our physiology basically has the universe mapped out and you're thinking it needs to be taught addition & subtraction.

Alan Aragon
[/quote]

^^^^ THIS ! When you get through all of the nutrition myths, you'll realize how ridiculously and needlessly over-complicated nutrition has become over the years. Here's another study (Phillips et al., 1997) that even suggests that the protein synthesis "window " could be as long as 48 hours. I haven't had a chance to investigate the validity of their findings, LOL but it's apparent that achieving your protein intake within 24 hours post workout is a safe bet!

http://portalsaudebrasil.com/artigospsb/ativfis180.pdf

Lena1967

Okay, I'm going to reveal my cluelessness and ask the PP or someone else to explain the Alan Aragon quote. It seems like it is saying

1) if you ate before your workout, you don't need to include carbs with the protein you eat after the workout.

2) you have 3-4 hours, or maybe 12 hours, to eat after a workout and still get benefits

3) but it's still a good idea to eat protein at some point after the workout

Is that correct?

Lena1967

harebeava, just saw your edit. Okay, I think I get it - I can wait until breakfast to eat the protein, right?

gp79

Try not to over think it. I will suggest you do what is convenient for you and what allows you to stay focused on your goals. If you're meeting your protein goals for the day, youre doing much better than the majority of society. As you stated, your goals are fat loss, so be sure to stay in a calorie deficit and just be patient.

Sidesteal

Okay, I'm going to reveal my cluelessness and ask the PP or someone else to explain the Alan Aragon quote. It seems like it is saying

1) if you ate before your workout, you don't need to include carbs with the protein you eat after the workout.

You really don't need to include carbs or exclude carbs based on anything physiological. You should ideally, at some point between workouts, ingest some carbs for glycogen replenishment, but considering that you are probably not working in any taxing manner twice in the same day, you shouldn't need to rush carbs in for glycogen. Whatever you eat that night, even if it's 5 hours or 8 hours or whatever, past your workout, will replenish glycogen assuming there are some carbs present.

2) you have 3-4 hours, or maybe 12 hours, to eat after a workout and still get benefits

You will get benefits regardless. Don't worry about the clock. I am assuming you aren't going to lift weights and then fast for 48 hours and then lift again. Provided your eating habits are even remotely normal, you have nothing to worry about with the timing of nutrients.

3) but it's still a good idea to eat protein at some point after the workout

At some point, yes-- you just don't need to rush them in within 30 minutes like the magazines and supplement industry will lead you to believe.

harebearva

Try not to over think it. I will suggest you do what is convenient for you and what allows you to stay focused on your goals. If you're meeting your protein goals for the day, youre doing much better than the majority of society. As you stated, your goals are fat loss, so be sure to stay in a calorie deficit and just be patient.

I agree. When your goal is to lose weight, the macronutrient breakdown MFP sets for you is most likely sufficient to help maintain muscle mass and lose weight. You won't likely gain much if any muscle when losing weight, your goal is to maintain as much muscle mass as you can while losing weight. The idea is that muscle mass requires more energy thus increasing metabolism. Here's where people go wrong. The bigger the caloric deficit the greater the chances you are losing muscle mass. muscle mass goes down as will metabolism. Losing a pound or so a week helps keep as much muscle as you can while eating in a deficit. It can sometimes be like walking a tight rope, but once you get a handle on the concept, it really makes sense. Keep at it!

smileybooliz

I'm taking a class once a week at my gym and they suggested eating a Greek yogurt with the fruit after a workout. It's high in protein and has some sugar too. I eat one of the smaller Brown Cow Greek yogurts, only 100 calories, and it seems to do the trick after I've strength trained. :happy:

thefuzz1290

There are studies that say you should and studies that say it doesn't matter....welcome to fitness science.

My theory is that if it has a chance to help, and won't hurt, why wouldn't you eat right afterwards?

leojsivad

Right after you workout your muscles will reabsorb nutrients at a vastly accelerated rate for about an hour or two. Its important to eat something during this time to take advantage of that. Your muscles will recover faster from the workout and be ready to go again sooner.

I love milk as well after workouts. I usually drink chocolate milk.

Sublog

Okay, I'm going to reveal my cluelessness and ask the PP or someone else to explain the Alan Aragon quote. It seems like it is saying

1) if you ate before your workout, you don't need to include carbs with the protein you eat after the workout.

2) you have 3-4 hours, or maybe 12 hours, to eat after a workout and still get benefits

3) but it's still a good idea to eat protein at some point after the workout

Is that correct?

Actually what it says is that meal timing is not really relevant for body composition purposes. Just eat normal, hit your macro-nutrients for the day and don't worry about timing.