Post-Workout Nutrition

Following on from our post earlier on pre-workout nutrition, here are some tips on what to eat post-workout.

Why does post-workout nutrition matter?

During exercise, you use glycogen (carbohydrate) stores in your muscles as well as break down and damage the proteins in your muscle.

Ideally, you should be looking to replenish those glycogen stores after a workout as well as repairing the muscles that have been broken down. Stimulation of new muscle mass growth is also important and this is done through consuming the right foods post-workout.

Enhance your recovery as much as possible to get maximum benefit from the workout you just did, and be fitter and stronger for the next.

What makes a good post-workout meal?

When you think Recovery - think Rehydrate, Refuel, Repair!

Rehydration: Aim to replace any fluids lost through sweat during your workout. Plain old water will do for most people. If you are participating in endurance training you may also need think about replacing salts and electrolytes.

Protein: This gives your body the building blocks it needs to repair the muscles that were damaged during your workout. It also provides the building blocks for new muscle growth!

Research has shown that including 20-40g of protein (that’s approx. 1-2 palms) post workout maximises your body’s recovery.

Carbohydrate: These will replenish the glycogen (carbohydrate) stores that were used up during the workout. The amount of glycogen used up during your workout will depend on the type of activity you were doing. Cardio-based/endurance sports such as running or swimming will use up more than weight lifting. For this reason you might want to consume more carbohydrates after cardio-based workouts.

Fats: These may slow down the absorption of the other nutrients in the meal, but this does not reduce their benefits. For this reason it might be a good idea to avoid very high fat meals post-workout, but a small amount will not affect your recovery.

What about nutrient timing?

Aim to refuel within one-two hours of finishing your workout, the sooner the better to maximise recovery and muscle repair. If you are an endurance athlete and will be training again within 24 hours, aim to refuel within 30 minutes.

What could a Post-Workout Meal look like?

A whole-food meal could look like:

• Chicken/tofu stir fry with rice and veggies, handful of peanuts (optional)

• Salmon, sweet potato and veggies

• Chicken/black bean fajita with peppers, onion, tomatoes and a thumb of avocado.

• Quinoa salad bowl with chicken or roasted chickpeas.

• Eggs on whole grain toast with spinach and tomato

• Pan fried white fish, boiled baby potatoes and greens.

• Tuna, salad sandwich on whole grain bread.

• Oats, fruit, greek yogurt/protein powder.

If you are not due to have another meal in the two hours following your workout or it is not convenient to do so, one of the following snacks could be a good option:

• Protein shake and a banana

• Smoothie with yoghurt, fruit, greens, water/milk, protein powder and peanut butter.

• Greek yoghurt with fruit and handful seeds.

• Apple and tbsp peanut butter

A helpful tip can be to time your workouts or runs before a main meal like lunch or inner so you can make sure you’re refuelling as best as you can!

Author: Emma Conlon, ONI Nutrition Coach

ONI Personal Training | Massage Therapy | Nutrition Coaching | Movement Coaching | Chiropractic