eating after exercise

I work out right when I get home from work at 5:30, so I'm generally kinda hungry before I work out. After my workout, it seems like my appetite is suppressed for a little bit, but just long enough to make dinner then I'm starving! It works out well. I can't work out on a full stomach, or even when I'm not a little hungry because I get nauseous.

30 minutes following a workout is hands-down, flat-out, absolutely, irrefutably the best time to eat.
And the more natural protein, the better.

Not only should you eat at this time, you should try to get in 30-50g of protein and 30-50g of simple carbohydrates. NO FAT!

The protein is for repairing your muscles, and the carbohydrates are to replenish your blood glucose (which will be depleted after doing an anaerobic activity, like lifting) AND will cause a spike in your insulin levels. The spike in your insulin will help to move protein to your muscles faster, increasing recovery rate dramatically!

I like to fill a large bottle with 1-2 scoops of protein powder, put in 3 tbsp of Gatorade, add water, shake, and down. Tastes pretty good too!

I say eat when your body tells you to after…when you feel hungry and in need and quit when full. I think people eating just because of some rule which did not exist in the past when people were less overweight then they are now is a issue in our society today.

Agreed.

I would simply quantify that with my statement, such that IF you're hungry, eating 30 minutes after a workout is the most effective time to cater to your metabolism and most effectively utilize the nutrients in the food you are consuming.

Then again, I'm a giant meathead gorilla.

I say eat when your body tells you to after…when you feel hungry and in need and quit when full. I think people eating just because of some rule which did not exist in the past when people were less overweight then they are now is a issue in our society today.

Agreed.

I would simply quantify that with my statement, such that IF you're hungry, eating 30 minutes after a workout is the most effective time to cater to your metabolism and most effectively utilize the nutrients in the food you are consuming.

Then again, I'm a giant meathead gorilla.

LOL It is a mystery to me all of it. I live in NC and this summer was HOT! After running in 98 degrees if I ate anything before my body cooled down which seem to take a hour or more it made me sick but I would see other eat 15 to 30 mins after and it was no big deal. I guess my body respond differently to it's body temp them theirs, mine says DO NOT EAT miss or I will make you pay for it until I am cooled off. LOL I will never understand any of the chemistry just my own hunger pangs.

Your body definitely needs fuel after a workout, so that 30-60 minute window is crucial after every workout.

So if I don't eat within 30 to 60 minutes I shouldn't have worked out, right???

...Anyone who's posted...do you have ANYTHING in the way of sources to back up your statements?

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/pre-vs-post-workout-nutrition-qa.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/muscle-growth-and-pos-workout-nutrition.html

That's where I got a lot of my information regarding pre and post workout nutrition. I'd say getting enough food in that you have a decent workout, and if you decide to train fasted getting some food in within a reasonable period of time following your workout (and there's no magic number after which it's a waste either. If it takes you 32 minutes to get some food in or even *gasp 63 minutes, you'll be ok).

For the already exceptionally lean trying to get to ultra low body fat percentages and max out muscle mass, meal timing and such can have a more pronounced impact. For the average person though, just make sure you take in enough protein so that protein synthesis > protein breakdown and you'll be fine.

I'm an average person and I train in the morning. I don't need to eat before my workout unless I missed dinner the night before. Assuming I didn't eat before, I'll have my morning shake at work following my gym session. However that'll be anywhere from an hour to two hours after my workout because that's when I have time to get up and make it.

Find a routine that works for you, gives you adequate energy to have the best workout sessions possible, and is easiest to stick with. By the time you get to the point where these minute differences REALLY matter, you should have enough of a handle on what does and doesn't work for you to get it without needing advice from others.

I have followed this advice, from a distance running website, for a couple of years and it works for me:

1) You don't need to eat a lot within 30 minutes (I'm rarely hungry after working out), but you should have something. After a workout, your muscles are broken down and need a quick infusion of glycogen to start the repair (and strengthening) process. Beyond 30 minutes, the benefit is reduced. Because I'm not really hungry yet, I find standby's like chocolate milk and gels or chews work well.

2) Then try to have an actual MEAL within 2 hours, for the same reason.

Of course, "your results may vary", but these are suggestions that you will find at lots of reputable websites (mayoclinic, webmc, runnersworld, trainingpeaks, etc.). Conventional wisdom is also 4 grams of carb (mostly complex) to 1 gram of protein.

If that's really your picture, then you are clearly in better shape than I am. But I think if you took a survey of legitimate websites, you would find that a VAST majority still extol the benefits of post-exercise nutrition. We are all different, and maybe you don't notice a difference. But I do, and I'm pretty sure a lot of other people do, too.

Physique doesn't necessarily make someone an expert on nutrition, examining the quality of hte information is more important.

I'm currently looking on webmd and mayoclinic for the post workout nutrition references you alluded to and as yet haven't found any. Do you have links to them?

30 minutes following a workout is hands-down, flat-out, absolutely, irrefutably the best time to eat.
And the more natural protein, the better.

absolutely! Helps you avoid the crash and over eatting later. chocolate milk is easy and one of the best recovery options. Lately I have been doing chocolate protein, banana, skim milk and a tbsp of natural peanut butter....delicious and quick!

LOL It is a mystery to me all of it. I live in NC and this summer was HOT! After running in 98 degrees if I ate anything before my body cooled down which seem to take a hour or more it made me sick but I would see other eat 15 to 30 mins after and it was no big deal. I guess my body respond differently to it's body temp them theirs, mine says DO NOT EAT miss or I will make you pay for it until I am cooled off. LOL I will never understand any of the chemistry just my own hunger pangs.

If I'm running in 98 degree heat, someone is dead and/or I'm being shot at.