I’m sure you are all pretty familiar with consuming protein 15-30 minutes following your workout in order to revitalize your body and allow it to build muscle. What you might not be familiar with is the fact that without post workout carbohydrates, that protein might just be going to waste.
Although the process may be slightly complicated, I will do my best to simplify it a bit. You see, after a hard workout your body is in need of glucose (usable energy) and glycogen (stored energy) due to the fact that the strenuous activity has caused you to use it all up. Once this happens, your body produces cortisol which is a hormone that eats up your muscle tissue and protein to create glucose when your body is in need of usable energy. If your body simply consumed protein following your workout, chances are that most of the protein will be sacrificed in order to create glucose.
This is why it is extremely important to consume carbohydrates with your post workout protein shake. If there are carbohydrates present, your body will no longer need to feed off of the protein. In fact, instead of producing cortisol, your body will increase insulin levels and send your body into an anabolic state. This anabolic state will promote muscle growth and steer you away from the catabolic state in which cortisol eats up your muscle tissue.
“Anabolic processes tend toward "building up" organs and tissues. These processes produce growth and differentiation of cells and increase in body size, a process that involves synthesis of complex molecules. Examples of anabolic processes include the growth and mineralization of bone and increases in muscle mass.”
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5 comments:
Great post, man. A lot of people, especially small guys, simply drink a protein shake after working out, and call it good.
In my experience, it's best to eat whole foods and just mix it up. I follow two simple rules: 1) Count calories. 2) Eat a variety of different foods.
For example: After working out, I may eat Yogurt, Baby Spinach, Orange Juice, Peanut Butter Sandwich, and a Banana.
If people would simply mix up the foods they eat after working out, and eat enough to actually make gains, then there would be many more success stories out there.
You're right: a protein shake after a workout just doesn't cut it. (I don't know where people got that idea, anyway.)
After taking the after workout carbs and protein, how long til you have to eat your meal? Right awa or after an hour or more?
I read somewhere where you dont eat right after you work out and that you'd have to wait 1hour or more.
After your workout, i encourage you to take in your shake/meal no longer than 15-30 minutes. Remember, the longer you leave your body in a catabolic state following your workout, the more muscle tissue that is getting sacraficed.
In regards to the second question, now this is where im a bit confused.
We are to eat every 2.5-3 hours from the first meal we have.
OK, what if we workout after a small meal, and still have 1-2 hours left for the 3 hours to be done, do we skip that meal? or do we just for the sake of workout eat ahead of time?
Some of us dont really have the time to schedule a specific workout time due to work and school =(
A post workout shake/meal shouldnt be a full meal, just a snack. Enough to restore the nutrients. This is why post workout shakes work well, do not count a post workout shake or snack as one of your meals.
For example: You eat a meal and 1 hour later you are in the gym. Your workout takes lets just say 1 hour. 15-30 minutes following your workout u have a shake. 30 minutes following the shake, you have your meal.
You might ask, "What if im still full from my shake?" First off, the shake will not contain enough calories too keep you full for too long, not to mention that because your consuming it directly following your workout, those calories will be used up almost instantly making you hungry almost immediately after the shake.
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