Many newbie bodybuilders don’t understand post-workout nutrition. In fact, most people who are looking to gain muscle weight just focus on one thing: the workout. There is no question that working out is incredibly important in building muscle, but that is only PART of the equation.
After you work out there is an anabolic “window of opportunity” that can pass by if you don’t take advantage of it quick enough… This is where most people screw up, so listen close.
Providing your body the right balance of nutrition is VITAL to building muscle. The 90 minutes before a workout and the 90 minutes after a workout are the most crucial times surrounding the building of muscle tissue. Lets look at what you need to do nutrition-wise post workout to make those muscle gains happen.
The process of building muscle is simple. You cause trauma to your muscles, in effect actually DAMAGING them. Lifting weights actually causes tiny micro tears in the muscle fibers, which, when left to rest, the muscle works to repair these tears in order to be ready for future trauma.This process causes the muscle to grow larger and get stronger, provided it has the right materials to do so.
First of all, after a workout, your muscles stores of glycogen are partially if not completely depleted. Glycogen is what the muscle uses for energy and if those stores are gone, there will be insufficient fuel for the muscle to function properly and allow the processes to occur to repair and rebuild.
This leads us to…
Post-Workout Nutrition Component #1: Carbohydrates
The best source for this glycogen is through carbohydrates; therefore, consuming carbs following a workout is a perfect way to get your muscle glycogen stores back on track.
The best type of carbs to take post-workout are fast-absorbing carbs, which are simple carbohydrates often with a high GI (Glycemic Index) which is basically a scale of how quickly your blood sugar levels rise when ingesting a carbohydrate source.
Things like potatos, bananas, fruit juice etc. Personally, I take a water bottle and mix maltodextrose and dextrose along with a kool-aid packet for flavor.
But there are also many weight training supplements like Carbo Force or Ultra Fuel that are made just for this. Don’t worry about gaining fat from ingesting all these carbs as your muscles will likely use most if not all of the carbs you provide it for this process rather than storing them for fat.
Post-Workout Nutrition Component #2: Protein
In addition, consuming fast-absorbing carbohydrates will spike your insulin levels and provide a delivery source for other nutrients the muscles need as well. Now, let’s look at protein and why it’s also needed for this post workout nutrition phase.
In short, protein builds muscle. It contains the vital amino acids needed to rebuild muscle and ingesting it shortly after your workout will help provide your body with everything is needs to ensure consistent and quality muscular growth.
Eating meat, fish, or even eggs is fantastic, but because of the bodies ability to utilize more pure sources found in high quality whey protein supplements, it is often a better idea to down a quality protein drink for this purpose.
Drinking whey protein will also allow the nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream faster, which is exactly what you want. For this reason I recommend taking a whey protein supplement after your workout over solid food.
There are also many pre-mixed supplements that contain a good mix of both protein and carbohydrates.
So, there you have it. Your workouts are designed to build muscle, and your post workout nutrition plan, containing a good mix of carbohydrates and proteins will help to make sure you make the gains you want.
Ideally, you want to replenish your body with protein and carbs no later than 30 minutes after your workout. This will allow your muscles to begin their process of repair and rebuild immediately when they are most “hungry.” I take my post-workout shakes with me to the gym and drink them in the locker room immediately after my workouts.
Following this post workout nutrition advice will ensure that you continue to make progress and feel secure that your intense workouts are NOT wasted, but instead an effective piece of the puzzle that will pack on pounds of muscle to your frame.
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