Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or tone your body, the right food to accompany your workout makes up almost 80% of achieving your goals. Not only what you eat but also when you eat is essential for your body. Read here why eating after exercise is so important and what the perfect post-workout snack is for your specific training goal!
Why is Eating After Exercise Important?
Since working out is an incredible effort for your body, the primary purpose of eating after exercise is to replenish your energy stores after the action and to repair cell damage in the muscles caused by working out. In order to do so, nutrients, which we get from food, are needed.
What to Eat After Exercise?
There is no general answer to what is best to eat after exercise. It depends on your individual training goals:
What to Eat After Exercise to Lose Weight?
As mentioned above, your muscles are subjected to extreme strain during exercise, and micro-tears can form. Because our muscles basically consist of proteins, amino acids are the smallest building blocks; they need protein in food after exercise for regeneration. If you provide your body with the much-needed protein immediately after exercise, your muscles can repair the cell damage that has occurred and regenerate.
What to Eat After Exercise to Build Muscle?
If you want to build muscle properly, your body needs protein and, above all, carbohydrates in your post-workout meal.
After a strenuous training session, your glucose stores are empty and must be replenished. The best way to do this is with carbohydrates. If your body lacks glucose, it draws energy from the muscles themselves, which, as we know, leads to muscle loss instead of muscle growth.
Excellent Sources of Carbohydrates for Eating After Exercise are
Excellent Sources of Protein for Eating After Exercise are
- Lean Meat, such as poultry
- Fish
- Tofu
When to Eat After Working Out? – Anabolic Window
As mentioned, sport is an effort for your body. To prevent your body from starting to draw the energy it needs from your muscles, it is best to eat a quick snack such as a protein bar or drink a protein shake 15 minutes to 1 hour after exercising.
Anabolic Window
The anabolic window means that the muscles particularly well absorb the proteins consumed during this period. Experts disagree on whether the anabolic window is 30 minutes or 3 hours.
You see how important proper nutrition is for your training. Check out the other blog posts if you’re interested in fitness, fashion, lifestyle, and health.