Many of us eat before working out as it helps fuel our body with energy and stamina. But did you know that eating after working out is even more important? When it comes to working out, the most crucial meal is the one you have after you exercise. After you exercise, your muscles are literally starving for nutrients, so the meal that you eat at this time is the most important as it helps build muscle and replenish your energy.
Contrary to popular belief, it is advisable to drink and eat within thirty minutes after exercising - which is the time frame when the body is able to utilize these nutrients. With this, let me share to you the best foods to eat after working out. Here are some of them.
1. A fresh supply of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and it is used by the body to build muscles, hormones, bones and neurotransmitters. Working out depletes vital amino acids such as glutamine, valine, isoleucine and leucine. One way to replenish this is by eating protein rich foods such as meat, chicken, eggs, and fish. You can also drink those protein powders, but be careful as these protein powder drinks can be high in calories. Always remember though that when you get protein from fresh food sources, you are getting a lot of other nutrients compared to protein powders.
2. Carbohydrates. I know a lot of people are afraid of carbs because it can make them gain weight. Carbs are not really bad, in fact it is an essential nutrient that can help your body recover after working out. Carbohydrates help replenish our depleted glycogen stores. If you don't eat carbs, your body may break down muscle tissue instead which is not good. But of course, as we all know there are two faces of carbs, the "good carbs" and the "bad carbs". As it turns out, post workout is actually the only time when the "bad carbs" become good. Post workout meals are all about speed. You need to get the nutrients as soon as possible. And when it comes to speed, high glycemic carbs digest faster than good carbs such as oatmeal or whole wheat. This means foods like potatoes, white rice and white bread are all good choices for a carb source after working out.
To wrap up, if you're looking for the best way to recover and refuel your body after a tiring exercise, a combination of protein and carboydrate is the way to go.
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