Why You Should Not Neglect Post-Workout Nutrition

Whilst pre-workout nutrition has become an industry in itself - as we all want to improve our performance and increase the intensity of our workouts. The problem is, if it’s not complemented by a quality post-workout nutrition routine, some of that hard work will be lost down the recovery drain.

Remember the Window of Opportunity

Immediately after exercise, your body is primed for nutrition. It undergoes a lot during exercise with microdamage to muscles and the need for fuel to fill muscle stores, whilst minimising fat storage. For best results in the short and long term, you have a 2-hour window after your workout to achieve that. Here you should be able to achieve three core things from your post workout nutrition:

• Replenish your glycogen and energy stores
• Increase protein synthesis and repair your body
• Decrease protein breakdown

Benefits of Post Workout Nutrition

A comprehensive post workout nutrition routine will lead to improvements in the three key areas listed above. Ensuring that you have enough raw materials inside your body to undertake the processes it needs to, could have various potential benefits. Examples include:

• Improve overall recovery
• Reduce muscular soreness
• Increase your ability to build and strengthen your muscles
• Improve the functions of your immune system
• Improve your bone mass
• Improve your ability to use your body fat

How to Get Your Post Workout Nutrition

The conventional ways of getting protein and carbohydrates post workout often aren’t an option within that two-hour window. For instance, many people don’t like the idea of eating a whole food meal after exercising and, besides, that’s not always practical if you go to the gym before work or in your lunch hour. In this case, consuming a protein shake with added carbs might give your body the help it needs to recover from training without sacrificing any of the hard work you’ve done during your workout.

Your post-workout nutrition will be based on your own personal goals, but these are some foundational options that people include in their post-workout shakes:

• Whey Protein Isolate
• Non-dairy protein such as Pea Protein or Collagen Hydrolysate
• Carbohydrates such as Maltodextrin or Dextrose
• Creatine, Glutamine and BCAA's

Whichever ingredients you choose to put into your post-workout shake, just remember to dedicate as much time to your post-workout nutrition as you do to your pre-workout nutrition and supplements. An all-round approach is the best way of making your nutrients work hard for you for as long as possible.