The essential post-workout diet: what you must eat today to keep your muscles fueled for tomorrow

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Andrea Chernus

Exercise energy comes from what you eat--and when you eat it. If your training lacks oomph, your recovery meal may be to blame. What you eat after your workout is crucial for recovery and can leave you energized instead of fatigued. Even better, it can make all the difference in your next workout.

Post-workout nutrition is all about taking full advantage of the time immediately after exercise, when specific hormones and enzymes responsible for muscle repair and carbohydrate storage are at their highest levels. Eating a snack at this time can actually prepare you for your next indoor cycling class, jog in the park or weightlifting session.

The more intensely and frequently you train, the greater the impact post-workout eating will have. If you're training daily, you can't afford to skimp on your recovery snack. Here's a rundown of post-workout nutrition basics, plus a specialized chart to help you match your activity to your food.

carbohydrate

Carbohydrates fuel your body's physical activity and are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. Since you can only store a certain amount of glycogen, it's important to replace what you use during your workout.

If you're exercising for a shorter duration--say, less than an hour--it's unlikely that you'll completely deplete your body's glycogen stores. But exercise that's longer in duration or that is high in intensity can severely reduce the glycogen in the muscles. Since training with insufficient carbohydrate leads to early fatigue and an increased possibility of injury, replenishing the stored carbohydrate is essential to your next session.

Refueling glycogen stores quickly after exercise makes sense, since blood flow is still elevated. Your muscles and liver are more sensitive to insulin, which promotes glycogen storage, at this time. Other enzymes and hormones active in recovery are also at their peak at this time. If you wait two hours, pertinent enzymes and hormones decrease by 66%, and they further decline by another 45% four hours after exercise. So, eating shortly after exercise is important--try to eat within a half-hour of finishing your exercise session. Eating quickly digested carbohydrates is important at this time because they'll become ready fuel.

What type of carbohydrate is best? Lower-fiber starches are usually good choices, since they're easily assimilated into blood glucose (blood sugar). Fruit-based foods take slightly longer, because their sugar (fructose) has to make a detour at the liver, where it's turned into glucose.

How much carbohydrate do I need? Your carbohydrate needs depend on the intensity and duration of your exercise. The more active you are, the greater your energy needs. Glycogen-depleting exercise requires that you take in .5-.75 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight right after exercise (ideally within 30 minutes), repeating the same amount or more two hours later. For a 130-pound woman, that's 65-98 grams of carbohydrate after intense exercise (or between 260-390 calories from carbohydrate).

130 pounds X .50 = 65

130 pounds X .75 = 97.5

Follow our recommendations on the chart on page 87 to determine your carbohydrate needs for varying levels of exercise intensity and duration. As you'll see in the chart, protein is also important. Turn the page to see why.

protein

While carbohydrate is your premium fuel for exercise, protein is like the mechanic who comes in to repair the damage. You need the amino acids in protein to repair your muscles and help your body recover properly.

If you're trying to lose weight, you actually need more protein than a person who is trying to gain does! That's because in a calorie-deficit position, your body burns protein for energy. Dieters need to cover their needs to help repair muscle tissue and fill their energy requirement.

Research shows that including some protein in post-workout snacks can help to repair muscles more quickly than eating just pure carbohydrate. Protein (and even some fat) doesn't interfere with glycogen replenishment, which is good news.

recovery recommendations

I suggest you strive to take in carbohydrate and protein in a 3:1 ratio after exercise (that means three times as many carbs as protein). Research has shown that carbohydrate after exercise helps promote insulin release; insulin helps the amino acids from proteins to enter muscle tissue quickly. This has been shown to reduce the muscle tissue breakdown that occurs after exercise. By eating a balanced recovery meal or snack, you can help reduce muscle breakdown, improve muscle building and promote rapid glycogen storage.

your recovery formula (match your activity to the chart below)

                             CARDIO ONLY

Minutes              30                      60
INTENSITY*   Low     Mod     High    Low     Mod     High
Your Goal
Lose         Water   Water   Water   A or B  D       G
weight               or A    or B
Maintain     Water   B or C  C or D  B or C  E or F  G;
weight       or A                                    2 hrs.
                                                     later: D
Gain         A or B  D or E  F or G  E or F  G;      I;
weight                                       2 hrs.  2 hrs.
                                             later:  later:
                                             D or E  G or H

             CARDIO & WTS        WEIGHTS ONLY

Minutes      60      90       30      60      90
INTENSITY*   Mod     Mod      High    High    High
Your Goal
Lose         B or C  F or G   A       C or D  E or F
weight
Maintain     D or E  F or G;  A or B  D or E  G or H
weight               2 hrs.
                     later:
                     A or B
Gain         E or F  I;       D       F or G  I;
weight               2 hrs.                   2 hrs.
                     later:                   later:
                     F or G                   B or C

* Calorie expenditure estimated as follows:
Low intensity: 3 mph walk; 4.4 calories per minute for 130 lb. woman
Moderate intensity: moderate cycling; 7 calories per minute for 130 lb.
woman
High intensity: running 9-minute mile; 11.4 calories per minute for 130
lb. woman
Weight training: vigorous effort; 5 calories per minute for 130 lb.
woman

food choice key

   Macronutrient
   Composition*             FOOD CHOICES: Choose any one of the options

A  18 CARB        1 hard-boiled egg  6 oz. fat-free       1 oz. pita
    6 PRO         & 15 wheat         yogurt (like Dannon  with 2 Tbsp.
                  crackers           Light 'n Fit)        hummus
B  30 CARB        1 egg white & 1/2  Luna bar             small bag soy
   10 PRO         bagel (about 2                          chips (1.3 oz)
                  oz.)                                    8 oz. Gatorade
C  35 CARB        8 oz. skim milk &  8 oz. skim milk & 8  Small corn
   12 PRO         1 cup Crispix      small graham         muffin (2 oz.)
                  cereal             crackers             & 8 oz. skim
                                                          milk
D  50 CARB        Kashi Go Lean bar  1.5 oz. turkey       2 Nature
   16 PRO         1 hard-boiled egg  jerky 3 rice cakes   Valley granola
                  white              6 oz. can pineapple  bars 6 oz.
                                     juice                fat-free
                                                          yogurt 1 soy
                                                          breakfast link
E  60 CARB        1 large bagel      1/2 cup low-fat      Luna bar
   20 PRO         (4 oz.) 1 piece    cottage cheese 1     Stonyfield
                  low-fat string     medium banana        fat-free
                  cheese (1 oz.)     stuffed into pita    yogurt (6 oz.)
                                     bread (2 oz.)
F  70 CARB        16 oz. Gatorade    Small can tuna (3
   23 PRO         or Powerade 14     oz.) 10 saltine
                  Triscuits 1.5 oz.  crackers 10 oz.
                  low-fat cheese     cranberry juice
G  75 CARB        3/4 cup low-fat    11 oz. Gatorade
   25 PRO         cottage cheese     Nutrition Shake 1
                  1/2 cup pineapple  oz. pretzels
                  16 small graham
                  crackers
H  82 CARB        1 small box        Balance Bar Gold
   28 PRO         raisins (1.5 oz.)  Stonyfield smoothie
                  1 cup low-fat      (10 oz.) 1 oz.
                  cottage cheese     trail mix
                  1/2 cup low-fat
                  granola
I  87 CARB        2 slices whole     EAS Results
   29 PRO         wheat bread 4 oz.  Complete Energy
                  turkey slices 12   Drink 1 oz.
                  oz. orange juice   pretzels 2 hard-
                                     boiled eggs 2
                                     Nature Valley
                                     Granola Bars Apple

* Approximate, in grams. Macronutrient content may vary depending on
food brand.
Charts based on 130-pound reference woman. Numbers apply for athletes
120-140 pounds. For athletes below 115 pounds, shift choices up by one
row (for example: choices C or D, shift to B or C). For athletes 145-175
pounds, shift choices down (for example: choice C or D, choose D or E).
Note: Some people just aren't hungry after a workout and find it
difficult to eat enough food. Sports beverages can help. If you have a
hard time eating after your session, try looking for a drink that
contains carbs and protein in a 3:1 ratio.