Type of carbs in post lifting shake

Does it really matter what type of carbohydrates you put in your post-workout shake to maximize the potential for recovery and muscle growth? I like to use bananas, oats and blueberries.
«1

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited August 2019
    Put it in context of how little you will have burned during your workout period (which isn't all carbs anyway..) and how much glycogen you have stored (c. 2,000 cals for an average sized man) and the benefit of fussing over the types of carbs in a post workout shake really isn't going to make a heap of difference.

    Everything you eat/drink gets broken down to its constituent parts so whether you get your glucose/sucrose/fructose from fruit or candy it's still going to get used. If you like fruit then enjoy your fruit.

    If you are an endurance athlete burning a huge number of cals and planning a second training session that day it then becomes significant how you refuel and how much you refuel.
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 694 Member
    A shake after a workout really isn’t optimal. Eating good food is optimal. I do flank steak, whole sweet potato and 1 cup of avocado slices puréed on top of my steak.

    In the grand scheme of things it’s really more about keeping up your blood amino levels up. I eat every 3 hours and the above mentione meal after a workout a couple hours before bed. The fat in the steak and avocados slows digestion keeping my blood amino levels up while I sleep. Protein synthesis in the body isn’t something that occurs 24/7. It’s a process the body uses when it decides its time/ready.

    Protein powders, shakes, etc really are not a substitute for food. They don’t last in the body more then around 1.5 hours. If you’re having trouble eating food you can get ground meats. A lot of IFBB pros and the like eat a lot of ground meat as it’s easier to shovel in them chew.

    What??? No
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    I read a study years ago that recommended chocolate milk as the best recovery drink.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,937 Member
    No. It doesn't really matter if you have a post-lifting shake at all. Eat when you're hungry.

    k2751q2c996i.jpg

    This for the win! ^^

    Why is it necessary to so overcomplicate things??
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,816 Member
    Well simple carbs like fruits and sugars will probably taste better in your shake than say putting a potato in it... but that's just my guess. As others have said, you don't need to have a specific type of carbohydrate in your workout shake. You don't even need to have a workout shake if you get your calories from elsewhere (although you certainly can have one if you choose).
  • thanos5
    thanos5 Posts: 513 Member
    I read a study years ago that recommended chocolate milk as the best recovery drink.

    i just read that recently but damned if i can remember where. much cheaper than my chocolate protein shake!
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,913 Member
    I eat food after my workout. Usually rice, beans, meat and vegetables. But it varies. But always has rice or pasta or (gasp!) bread or potato + meat + some sort of greenery. Then i have fruit for dessert.

    Shakes, for me, leave me feeling hungry 30 minutes after I drink it so I don't see the point of wasting the calories in liquid form when I can just eat food instead.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I like something after a workout. I use premade shakes often for the convenience factor. If not available I will even eat a small candy for the carbs. I am often shakey after a long workout and the small amount of quick fuel will make me feel better, which is advised if you have to drive after.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,958 Member
    MDC2957 wrote: »
    Does it really matter what type of carbohydrates you put in your post-workout shake to maximize the potential for recovery and muscle growth? I like to use bananas, oats and blueberries.

    It only matters to the elite of the elite who have already maximized their potential and are looking for the 1/2% edge...
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    Dr Mike and RP’s take

    vcojwqbmqkb2.png