Top off your tank: what's the best nutrition formula for planning your post-workout meal?

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Debra Wein

AFTER YOUR WORKOUT, don't neglect the next step: choosing the right post-workout meal, which should provide your body with all the right nutrients to begin the process of building muscle, repairing damage and replenishing fuel. Here, we present two fairly healthy meals, but one is a better option after your workout. Which would you choose?

A 6 ounces of Porterhouse steak and 1 cup of green beans (save rest of steak).

B 6-ounce boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast, 1 cup of steamed veggies (broccoli, carrots and zucchini), 1/2 cup cooked rice pilaf and a dinner roll.

THE WINNER IS the chicken with veggies, rice and a roll. For starters, the flavorful steak dinner has 19 grams of fat (7 grams saturated) vs. just 8 grams (2 grams saturated) for the chicken dinner. While you could choose a leaner cut of beef, the chicken meal is still a better bet because of the added carbs. After a long, intense workout, your body needs carbohydrate to refuel the glycogen you used to train. The second option provides 37 grams of carbs vs. just 9 grams from the green beans.

Sure, reducing your carb intake is sometimes a good idea, but not after you work out for 60 minutes or more. In fact, research shows that you should consume some carbohydrate within 30 minutes of your workout to replenish your glycogen stores most efficiently. If, despite this advice, you choose to avoid carbohydrates after working out strenuously, you'll feel less energetic in just a matter of days.

The Breakdown

CHOICE A:

6 oz. porterhouse steak (broiled, trimmed to 1/4 inch), 1 cup green beans

412 calories, 50 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 35 g fiber, 116 mg sodium

CHOICE B:

6 oz. boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast, 1 cup steamed veggies (broccoli, carrots and zucchini), 1/2 cup cooked rice pilaf, 1 oz. dinner roll (white)

471 calories, 60 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 4 g fiber, 247 mg sodium

BY DEBRA WEIN, MS, RD, NSCA-CPT

Debra Wein is on the faculty at The University of Massachusetts (Boston) and is also president of www.sensiblenutrition.com.