Eating after Workout

I kind of wondered the same thing!

I've read this too. Apparently after a good hard workout it helps to eat something high in protein to help kick start the repair of your muscles.

I also wonder, if you drink some creatine before your workout, then be sure to drink some juices after, maybe that would be enough? Sounds like a good alternative to eating right after when you feel like you might vomit.

I don't have this problem at all. I do about 30 min of cardio at 180bpm heart rate then 5 min cool down to about 130 then do a half hour of stretching and weights. I feel like i could eat a whole garden when i'm done.


sources:
http://www.ivillage.com/how-soon-can-i-eat-after-working-out/4-n-142245
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/aa081403.htm

You are supposed to eat within an hour of completing a strength training workout, to give your muscles the required protein and carbs to repair themselves. With cardio, it is actually recommended that you refrain from eating for an hour, because you're not trying to build muscle, but simply burn fat. This is according to Men's Health magazine. I try to drink lots of water after a cardio session, but unless I'm feeling light headed, I don't eat anything.

Forget about an hour. You should comsume proteins and carbohydrates immediately following a workout, as soon as possible. You don't have to cram yourself, but after intense cardiovascular work or higher rep resistance work your body is craving anything to replenish it's glycogen stores, and will gladly take lean mass (muscle) to do it if you don't give it something else to work with.

A personal favorite of mine is a protein shake with half a banana for carbs. It can be small, and you can take your time and sip it if you must, but get SOMETHING.

Focus on low-fat foods following a workout. Most of the time I don't worry that much about how much fat I eat, but I like to avoid it right after a workout. It's normal for me to bust my butt on the weights for over an hour, then go straight to subways and cram a footlong chicken breast sub. Then I go home and take the bulk of my supplements for the day, because this is prime time to get them absorbed into the muscles.

Forget about an hour. You should consume proteins and carbohydrates immediately following a workout, as soon as possible. You don't have to cram yourself, but after intense cardiovascular work or higher rep resistance work your body is craving anything to replenish it's glycogen stores, and will gladly take lean mass (muscle) to do it if you don't give it something else to work with.

I've read the same thing so many times and thought this prospect was correct. I know I need to get protein in me for muscle recovery, but I simply can't stand the thought of food beyond water. Thanks for putting it into more perspective though, I'd hate to lose lean muscle mass, as that's my ultimate goal. I didn't realize I'd lose it. Wonder if this explains why I feel more muscle fatigue doing P90X than I expected, when my rest days comes I'm ready for it.

So would like spoonful of peanut butter alone do the trick? Or do I need more than that?

So "hungry" wasn't the correct word, sorry I could go a whole day without eating and I've never snacked during TV - probably don't sit down that long. DH always confuses me that he wants a bowl of cold cereal after dinner, lol.

Actually peanut butter is mostly fats. Granted, natural PB is a great source of good fats and some protein, but right after a workout is not the time to go for the fats. Instead, focus on carbs and proteins. You can even slide and get some simple carbs if you want. This is the ONLY time when simple carbs can be part of a health focussed diet, in my humble opinion. Now, on my day off from training I actually try to make sure I get all of my fats, and even don't mind going over. This is because fat supports hormone production which can help your muscle recouperate and repair themselves on off days. Yesterday, for example, I had natural PB in two meals and a handful of almonds, even though it was a fasting day and I only consumed a total of 1450 calories.

On training days I always focus on tons of carbs, on non-training days I always make sure to get atleast my daily allotment of fats, and every day I try to get at least 1g of protein per lb of lean mass, which for me is around 175-180. Most days, however, I consume in excess of 200g of protein.

For the average person it's actually not necessary to eat immediately following a workout. The protein/carb thing after a workout for recovery is more for athletes. If you're not training to be an athlete then just eat when you're ready. In fact for HIIT sessions I've heard athletes shouldn't eat immediately following. Anyway the bottom line is unless you are trying to be a tenth of a second faster in a race or, in your sport of choice it doesn't matter if you eat directly following a workout.

If your cardio is not too intense (ie. something you do regularly and isn't stepping up the pace in training for an event) then the only thing you need to replace is your glycogen. You can get this with a simple glass of juice or other high carbohydrate drink or food. Although, adding fructose to a post workout protein shake (for when you do weight lifting or other activity that will cause a lot of soreness) does enhance the transport of branch-chain amino acids.

For the average person it's actually not necessary to eat immediately following a workout. The protein/carb thing after a workout for recovery is more for athletes. If you're not training to be an athlete then just eat when you're ready. In fact for HIIT sessions I've heard athletes shouldn't eat immediately following. Anyway the bottom line is unless you are trying to be a tenth of a second faster in a race or, in your sport of choice it doesn't matter if you eat directly following a workout.

It's true. If you don't want results from your workout, then you don't need to worry about nutrition at all. If you don't want results, then hell, don't work out at all. Make room for those of us who actually want to change our physiques. Why exactly would someone work out if they don't want results? Call me crazy, but that seems like quite the waste of time.

HAHAHA you will still see results from your workout if you eat later in the day, the difference is nearly insignificant and unless you're a professional athlete you wouldn't even notice the differences.

For the average person it's actually not necessary to eat immediately following a workout. The protein/carb thing after a workout for recovery is more for athletes. If you're not training to be an athlete then just eat when you're ready. In fact for HIIT sessions I've heard athletes shouldn't eat immediately following. Anyway the bottom line is unless you are trying to be a tenth of a second faster in a race or, in your sport of choice it doesn't matter if you eat directly following a workout.

Consuming carbohydrates/food post exercise is not just a benefit to those who are competitive athletes. I think it is for anybody looking to maximize the results of the hard work they put in to being fit. Many people on this forum may not be competitive athletes yet getting the most out of their training and nutrition is just as important to them. You have people getting up at 4am to get in training before work or squeezing in training after work, pre preparing meals ect..Like Arnold Schwarzenegger said. What impressed him was when he would get up to go train at 7am and as he was walking in to the gym the 9-5 person was walking out to go head to work. He admired those people. So athlete or not people work very hard to achieve maximal results and they don't want to short change themselves one bit. And any improvement in performance is significant. But it is not just about performance but also body composition. After exercise there is an increase in and activation of proteins and enzymes that allow for increased nutrient uptake.. Basicly a partitioning of nutrients torwards lean tissue...The further from the end of your exercise bout you are the less of this partitioning of nutrients torwards lean tissue occurs.. It has been shown that after exercise the consumption of a carbohydrate meal does not suppress fat oxidation and also after exercise and the consumption of a post WO carbohydrate meal the pathway in which carbohydrate is involved in the synthesis of fat is suppressed.. Consuming a CHO meal in the resting state the opposite occurs..Consuming a large carbohydrate meal after moderate intensity exercise results in endogenous glucose oxidation to be completely suppressed..Fasting post exercise will not allow you to take advantage of this nutrient partitioning effect..Also reducing the adaptation to exercise, impairing recover and impairing performance for future bouts.