Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Adrian: Day 61, Eating After a Workout

Something I'm supposed to do on the PCP is eat an egg white right after working out. But on some days, I also eat my dinner right after working out. I've been wondering lately if it's a good thing to eat all this food right after. My guess is that its better, because the body is burning more calories and using up more nutrients during and directly after a workout.

I did a bit of research on the internet, and I've found some strategies of what and how to eat after a work out. What I've learned is that the best time to eat is during the first 60 minutes after working out. This is called the Golden Hour and it's when muscles are most efficiently absorbing nutrients and replacing energy reserves. Taking in carbs and proteins during this time is the best way to speed up recovery. Proteins provide amino acids and increased muscle hydration. Amino acids help repair the muscles and also strengthen the immune system. Carbs are important for replacing glycogen - the energy reserves of the muscles.

The proportion of carbs, proteins and fats in the post-workout meal depends on the individual's fitness level and goals. In general, it seems to be recommended to have the post-workout meal in drink form. I guess this is so the body doesn't have to spend extra energy on digestion. I'll experiment with having my post-workout egg white, banana and milk in a shake. But, I'm still not entirely sure if it's okay to have a full dinner right after working out. I think it would be ideal though, if I could manage my time better and get my workouts done earlier in the day.

4 comments:

Nate said...

What I hate is when I finish my workout and it's time for dinner too. That's a lot of food all at once to combine your post workout food and dinner. But i think its better to eat it all at once than to prolong your eating schedule for the day. lets face it we eat 3 meals, 2 snacks, and pre and post workout food every day. The workout food sometimes is gonna run in with a meal. otherwise it's impossible to space it all out

Amy said...

I definitely couldn't make it through my workout if I didn't eat my shake/dinner first. I am always so ready to get on with my evening and get into bed that I forget sometimes to eat my after-dinner snacks. Bad bad!

Tim said...

And if you get home late with the workout still to do, then you can combine the post workout snack with dinner AND the bedtime snack. Even I can't complain about the volume then!!

Patrick said...

I know it's hard everyone, but do your best to put 2-3 hours between meals and snacks. And when possible do workouts before the nearest food event, not after. It's very hard to have a perfect diet day, but when you do you will feel the difference.

I've finally gotten my new kitchen online and I can feel a huge difference in my muscle tone and energy levels after a week of eating strange pre-made food at odd hours.

Scheduling and lots of pre-packed containers will get you through these tricky days.