What’s consumed immediately as well as within 2 hours post exercise can either enhance the effectiveness of the workout or hinder it. Post exercise, the body is like a sponge and is going to soak in and absorb everything it’s given. The “window of opportunity” refers to the short period of time after a workout to ingest certain nutrients. What this nutrition consists of is where a lot of controversy occurs. Recommendations differ depending on fitness goals. But no matter what the goal is, protein should certainly be included because you’ve just damaged muscle tissue during the workout and the repair and recovery process need to be initiated as soon as possible. The protein will get the body out of a catabolic (tissue breakdown) state and into an anabolic (tissue building) state. If the goal is fat loss, then the purpose of the post workout nutrition should be to prevent muscle catabolism. A liquid meal taken immediately post workout is recommended because it is the quickest way to get the body out of this catabolic state. There are a couple different supplements very effective at this. The popular ones are whey protein powders, BCAA’s, and glutamine. Most protein powders these days include the BCAA’s and glutamine to maximize the anti-catabolic affect. If a person is on a very low calorie diet I would recommend “sandwiching” the workout with protein, so take 10-20g of protein pre-workout and the same amount post workout. The first solid meal post workout should be a balanced meal of complex carbohydrates, vegetables, a lean source of protein, and healthy fats. What our gym members at the North office location typically do is drink half a can of our Pure Protein Shake before the workout and the rest at the end. Or they do the same thing but with the Whey Protein Powder we also sell. Nutrient Timing Tip: consume a high majority of the carbohydrates in your diet as close to your workouts as possible as your body will use it for energy during the workout.
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