Post Workout thoughts on carbs?
keepitcroosh
Posts: 301 Member
I keep reading different things on how some things are better for you than others after your workout. Obviously protein is a must, but what about carbs? I keep hearing that its good to have it before and after.. Thoughts?
0
Replies
-
I keep reading different things on how some things are better for you than others after your workout. Obviously protein is a must, but what about carbs? I keep hearing that its good to have it before and after.. Thoughts?
Carbs pre is personal preference, carbs post would depend if you need to rapidly replenish glycogen for an upcoming event like a few hrs later, otherwise, personal preference again0 -
I've been told that the optimum post-workout nutrition should contain a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein (for reasons that aren't worth going into here). You can pay big buck for these, but oddly enough, chocolate milk is perfect for the job.0
-
im a firm believer that everything in moderation...unless you are an athlete, or running a marathon then so long as you eat a balanced diet there is really no need to go carb heavy before or after a workout...
i do know that personally, if i have two hard days in a row of both strength training and hit intensity cardio by the time that second day is over my body is craving some serious carbs and protein so i like to make a big stirfry with loads of meat and vegies and serve it on some rice or pasta (whole wheat usually, but im not against white rice)...
you do what is right for you...stay within your macros and you should be good to go!0 -
Thanks guys! I just got back from a crazy intense non-stop kickboxing workout and I feel like I could really use some carbs right now. Always whole wheat.0
-
Nutrient timing is irrelavent unless as stated above you have another event coming that is highly muscle dependant.0
-
If you partake in an intense workout, it is recommended to have fast digesting carbs/electrolytes within 30-45 mins. of finishing that workout in an effort to replenish muscle glycogen and promote muscle recovery. Many studies have been done to validate this notion.0
-
What is considered intense?If you partake in an intense workout, it is recommended to have fast digesting carbs/electrolytes within 30-45 mins. of finishing that workout in an effort to replenish muscle glycogen and promote muscle recovery. Many studies have been done to validate this notion.0 -
It depends on what you're going for to determine how the amount of carbs to protein in which you should consume. In order to properly recover from exercise for your muscles, you should eat carbs/protein within one hour. It will help recovery and muscle growth. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. And depending upon the length of the exercise and type, you will need to replenish your electrolytes. For example, running for 60 plus minutes means that you need to replenish your carbs but with the right kind. Be sure to read the labels. Fructose should be the second or third carbohydrate listed. Sucrose (dextrose), glucose, and/or maltodextrin (glucose polymers) should be listed above it. Electrolytes are also important after a workout (sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium). They are lost in sweat. Continually, you need amino acids - alanine and glutamine - protein. Ideally for long, strenuous exercises, use a sports drink or supplement with these items in it.
From Performance Nutrition for Runners: How to Fuel Your Body for Stronger Workouts, Faster Recovery, and Your Best Race Times Ever.0 -
You'll hear plenty of different opinions on this, but I believe Carbs are very important. Serious strength training is best followed by a good post workout meal which includes Carbs to replenish glycogen.0
-
What is considered intense?If you partake in an intense workout, it is recommended to have fast digesting carbs/electrolytes within 30-45 mins. of finishing that workout in an effort to replenish muscle glycogen and promote muscle recovery. Many studies have been done to validate this notion.
This is similar to the question 'how much weight should I lift?/what's considered heavy?'
It's relative, but your heart rate should be up and the weights should be heavy for you to lift when strength training and you should have a harder time keeping up a conversation when doing cardio.0 -
I do some weightlifting, and it is just a preference, but while training, I drink a sport drink for that energy when I push myself to the limit, after workout, I drink a chocolate milk: protein with enough carbs to give u back that energy spent0
-
you will go insane if you listen to all the different advice. I just listen to my body. I eat something before a workout if I feel i need the fuel. I often eat a balanced meal right after because I often feel like I need it the energy and i'm hungry.0
-
I don't touch carbs until 2 hours after a high intensity workout. (by high intensity, I mean bike sprints where you give 100%)
There is a 2 hour window where your body secretes HGH (human growth hormone) and I stick to protein only. If you were to consume sugar, the HGH stops secreting. Carbs after a workout are great for your recovery, so it really depends on what you're looking to get out of your workout.0 -
Okay sir.I don't touch carbs until 2 hours after a high intensity workout. (by high intensity, I mean bike sprints where you give 100%)
There is a 2 hour window where your body secretes HGH (human growth hormone) and I stick to protein only. If you were to consume sugar, the HGH stops secreting. Carbs after a workout are great for your recovery, so it really depends on what you're looking to get out of your workout.0 -
Carbs are good post workout if you're doing a second workout later in the day (I used to do these). But other than that, it doesn't really matter0
-
You'll hear plenty of different opinions on this, but I believe Carbs are very important. Serious strength training is best followed by a good post workout meal which includes Carbs to replenish glycogen.
Why? Do you believe you deplete glycogen in a single strength training session? According to Alan Aragon, nutritional timing within a 24 hour window is immaterial.
"Preworkout nutrition all but cancels the urgency, unless you’re an endurance athlete with multiple glycogen-depleting events in a single day."
As someone else stated, unless you have a second workout planned within a couple of hours, meal timing and frequency should be primarily driven by personal preference based on overall performance and well being. So basically, if you eat a balanced diet during the course of the day, there is no need for any "post workout meal" with any special macronutrient compostiion other than that which would hit your overall targets for the day. The nutritional timing myth dies hard.0 -
My PT has a guideline of carbs and protein before; protein for recovery after. As well as the only protein after 6 rule. You need the carbs for energy before you exercise, and you need protein after for muscle recovery. That being said it also depends on the time of the day. If you work out in the morning and then work eight hours you may need another energy boost before work.0
-
Lots of broscience coming out now.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Lots of broscience coming out now.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
You read my mind!! :drinker:0 -
I agree that you just have to listen to your body. It also depends on what else you have to do immediately afterwards IMO. I go to work at 9A and hit the gym at 5:30a. I typically have an apple or banana pre-workout, and something small immediately after, primarily protein though (small protein shake with milk) which is usually around 7:30A. I then have breakfast when I get to work at 9A. This works for me as I usually don't have the time to sit down and really have breakfast between the gym and work. This way I follow at the very least, the guidline to eat within an hour of finishing my workout.
There are so many different guidelines given on this I tend to just do what my body wants, and stay within my calories otherwise.
Good luck!0 -
You'll hear plenty of different opinions on this, but I believe Carbs are very important. Serious strength training is best followed by a good post workout meal which includes Carbs to replenish glycogen.
Why? Do you believe you deplete glycogen in a single strength training session? According to Alan Aragon, nutritional timing within a 24 hour window is immaterial.
"Preworkout nutrition all but cancels the urgency, unless you’re an endurance athlete with multiple glycogen-depleting events in a single day."
As someone else stated, unless you have a second workout planned within a couple of hours, meal timing and frequency should be primarily driven by personal preference based on overall performance and well being. So basically, if you eat a balanced diet during the course of the day, there is no need for any "post workout meal" with any special macronutrient compostiion other than that which would hit your overall targets for the day. The nutritional timing myth dies hard.
why is Aragon some god to you 24-hour window-aholics?
OP, after a workout your insulin levels are low, thus why you feel nauseous, spent, exhausted, etc, etc. A quick shot of simple carbs can help your insulin level rebound to normal levels and get you feeling better faster. Carbs post workout = very useful0 -
you will go insane if you listen to all the different advice. I just listen to my body. I eat something before a workout if I feel i need the fuel. I often eat a balanced meal right after because I often feel like I need it the energy and i'm hungry.
Yeah I would go with this.
Obviously if you are a major body builder or competing or something then there will be answers that are geared towards that. But I'd say if your body is telling you carbs then get some carbs in you
0 -
Myself I run at lunch time I eat 2 servings of steel cut oats and 1 serving 2 percent fage yogurt and lately a apple about 1 hour before (I am hungry at this time) I go running 8 miles then I eat again about 2 hours later becouse I am hungry. This seems to work great for me. I dont pay too much attention the all the ratio ect ect ect. I try to eat a balanced diet and I dont get hungry. I pay attention to my body. Every thing else seems to fall into place.0
-
Question - I saw someone indicated a mix of carbs and protein prior to working out. Does it matter which one you do? I'm going today for my 2nd weight training session so I'm pretty new to this...I'd brought some peanut butter to work to have something toward the end of the day with a few carrots pre-workout but now I'm wondering whether a mix is better. I eat lunch really early (10:30 a.m. due to work) so I think it's a good idea to do a small snack. Basically, is the peanut butter and a few carrots ok or should I do something a little different next time?
Monica0 -
Question - I saw someone indicated a mix of carbs and protein prior to working out. Does it matter which one you do? I'm going today for my 2nd weight training session so I'm pretty new to this...I'd brought some peanut butter to work to have something toward the end of the day with a few carrots pre-workout but now I'm wondering whether a mix is better. I eat lunch really early (10:30 a.m. due to work) so I think it's a good idea to do a small snack. Basically, is the peanut butter and a few carrots ok or should I do something a little different next time?
Monica
Your plan is not inherently good or bad. Peanut butter is primarily fat with slight protien and carbs and carrots are complex carbs. The question is will you hit a target of 1 grams per lb of lean body mass as is recommeded for those engaged in strength training by the end of the day? If so, it doesn't matter.0 -
You'll hear plenty of different opinions on this, but I believe Carbs are very important. Serious strength training is best followed by a good post workout meal which includes Carbs to replenish glycogen.
Why? Do you believe you deplete glycogen in a single strength training session? According to Alan Aragon, nutritional timing within a 24 hour window is immaterial.
"Preworkout nutrition all but cancels the urgency, unless you’re an endurance athlete with multiple glycogen-depleting events in a single day."
As someone else stated, unless you have a second workout planned within a couple of hours, meal timing and frequency should be primarily driven by personal preference based on overall performance and well being. So basically, if you eat a balanced diet during the course of the day, there is no need for any "post workout meal" with any special macronutrient compostiion other than that which would hit your overall targets for the day. The nutritional timing myth dies hard.
why is Aragon some god to you 24-hour window-aholics?
OP, after a workout your insulin levels are low, thus why you feel nauseous, spent, exhausted, etc, etc. A quick shot of simple carbs can help your insulin level rebound to normal levels and get you feeling better faster. Carbs post workout = very useful
Alan Aragon's creditials speak for themselves. Maybe you should educate yourself before you speak. Or do you prefer to speak from the broscience you use in most of the threads in which you post? Your credentials? Alan Aragon's? The choice is clear.
There is a lot of faulty assumption in your post. Why would insulin levels have anything to do with it? Insulin is a shuttle hormone for nutrients. Not a nutrient itself. Additionally, this would not be the case unless the person was engaging in fasted training. All trainees do not feel nauseous, spent, exausted after a workout. Even one of high intensity. If they do, then their perference and how they feel drives their nutritional timing. There are many ways to manage nutrition so this is not the case. What do you think is happening with the food they've consumed over the last 24 hours? It magically disappeared? Did muscle glycogen levels drop to zero overnight? Also, how do you account for protein also being insuligenic?
So, as I said, it is driven by personal preference and training. Most people are intelligent enough to find out what makes them feel best and gives them the best gym performance without some unessesary set of rules to follow. Maybe you should try it and them you might be able to claim "elite" results for real.0 -
You'll hear plenty of different opinions on this, but I believe Carbs are very important. Serious strength training is best followed by a good post workout meal which includes Carbs to replenish glycogen.
Why? Do you believe you deplete glycogen in a single strength training session? According to Alan Aragon, nutritional timing within a 24 hour window is immaterial.
"Preworkout nutrition all but cancels the urgency, unless you’re an endurance athlete with multiple glycogen-depleting events in a single day."
As someone else stated, unless you have a second workout planned within a couple of hours, meal timing and frequency should be primarily driven by personal preference based on overall performance and well being. So basically, if you eat a balanced diet during the course of the day, there is no need for any "post workout meal" with any special macronutrient compostiion other than that which would hit your overall targets for the day. The nutritional timing myth dies hard.
why is Aragon some god to you 24-hour window-aholics?
OP, after a workout your insulin levels are low, thus why you feel nauseous, spent, exhausted, etc, etc. A quick shot of simple carbs can help your insulin level rebound to normal levels and get you feeling better faster. Carbs post workout = very useful
Alan Aragon's creditials speak for themselves. Maybe you should educate yourself before you speak. Or do you prefer to speak from the broscience you use in most of the threads in which you post? Your credentials? Alan Aragon's? The choice is clear.
There is a lot of faulty assumption in your post. Why would insulin levels have anything to do with it? Insulin is a shuttle hormone for nutrients. Not a nutrient itself. Additionally, this would not be the case unless the person was engaging in fasted training. All trainees do not feel nauseous, spent, exausted after a workout. Even one of high intensity. If they do, then their perference and how they feel drives their nutritional timing. There are many ways to manage nutrition so this is not the case. What do you think is happening with the food they've consumed over the last 24 hours? It magically disappeared? Did muscle glycogen levels drop to zero overnight? Also, how do you account for protein also being insuligenic?
So, as I said, it is driven by personal preference and training. Most people are intelligent enough to find out what makes them feel best and gives them the best gym performance without some unessesary set of rules to follow. Maybe you should try it and them you might be able to claim "elite" results for real.
This sir, is why you're awesome.0 -
sometimes i need a carb after my workout, like a banana or chocolate soy drink because i feel dizzy or faint after im done. it helps right away.0
-
You'll hear plenty of different opinions on this, but I believe Carbs are very important. Serious strength training is best followed by a good post workout meal which includes Carbs to replenish glycogen.
Why? Do you believe you deplete glycogen in a single strength training session? According to Alan Aragon, nutritional timing within a 24 hour window is immaterial.
"Preworkout nutrition all but cancels the urgency, unless you’re an endurance athlete with multiple glycogen-depleting events in a single day."
As someone else stated, unless you have a second workout planned within a couple of hours, meal timing and frequency should be primarily driven by personal preference based on overall performance and well being. So basically, if you eat a balanced diet during the course of the day, there is no need for any "post workout meal" with any special macronutrient compostiion other than that which would hit your overall targets for the day. The nutritional timing myth dies hard.
why is Aragon some god to you 24-hour window-aholics?
OP, after a workout your insulin levels are low, thus why you feel nauseous, spent, exhausted, etc, etc. A quick shot of simple carbs can help your insulin level rebound to normal levels and get you feeling better faster. Carbs post workout = very useful
Alan Aragon's creditials speak for themselves. Maybe you should educate yourself before you speak. Or do you prefer to speak from the broscience you use in most of the threads in which you post? Your credentials? Alan Aragon's? The choice is clear.
There is a lot of faulty assumption in your post. Why would insulin levels have anything to do with it? Insulin is a shuttle hormone for nutrients. Not a nutrient itself. Additionally, this would not be the case unless the person was engaging in fasted training. All trainees do not feel nauseous, spent, exausted after a workout. Even one of high intensity. If they do, then their perference and how they feel drives their nutritional timing. There are many ways to manage nutrition so this is not the case. What do you think is happening with the food they've consumed over the last 24 hours? It magically disappeared? Did muscle glycogen levels drop to zero overnight? Also, how do you account for protein also being insuligenic?
So, as I said, it is driven by personal preference and training. Most people are intelligent enough to find out what makes them feel best and gives them the best gym performance without some unessesary set of rules to follow. Maybe you should try it and them you might be able to claim "elite" results for real.
Not sure c.reddy gets it...
0 -
My timing around workouts depend on when I'm training.
If I train in the AM, I'll take a shake with me on the train ride to work and have it before the gym, it's more convenient that way and I've found it makes me feel better during.
If I train at lunch, I'll usually fast until after my workout and break my fast with a PWO shake. Eating this way means I don't have to eat anything until dinner and can have a massive one, which makes me happy. I also find the PWO shake to be extremely beneficial since that would be the first I've eaten in 16 - 18 hours.
Both of those are personal preference though, worked out by trial and error to see what I like best. It's important that you understand the science behind it (i.e. as long as you're getting adequate nutrition overall it doesn't matter), but the beauty of it is that it shows there's not one way you HAVE to do things. You can customize it to suit your needs and preferences.
Try a couple of different styles, and stick with the one that makes you feel best.
As a side note, when you get really lean (like you're trying to get the last few pounds off to do a professional bodybuilding competition lean) the micro-mechanics of the whole thing could very well play a larger role. Until then any very tiny boost in efficiency you might see will be vastly outweighed by adherence, making going with something you like almost universally the better option. By the time you do get to that point, you should know your body well enough that you know what to do on your own.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions