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This morning a client told me that she read an article that said it’s good to
eat after a workout. She also told me that some friends have echoed that
sentiment. That’s half true, but you’re not getting the whole story.
There are times when it’s a good idea to eat after a workout and there are times
you shouldn’t. Since all workout goals are not the same, nutritional goals
shouldn’t be the same.
Someone who is looking in building muscle or gaining strength should eat after
workouts to maximize the efficiency of the workouts. During that type of
workout, the muscle needs a lot of protein (see the article “Are You Consuming
Enough Protein”).
It’s also beneficial to take protein before the workout. Protein should be taken
20 to 30 minutes before working out, so by the time you start the workout it
will be readily available for your muscles to use. One should also consume
protein within 20 minutes after workouts. If you are having a long weight
training session (over an hour) it’s a good idea to consume some protein during
the workout to make sure the muscles have plenty to use for great results.
For people who are trying to lose weight, their
workouts involve fat burning. Therefore
you want to burn as much fat as fast as you can. Their workouts usually include
some type of cardiovascular exercise. The heart rate is very high during that
time and it takes about 30 minutes and up to 1 hour for the body to reach its
resting heart rate. There are a few factors involved on how fast your heart rate
comes down. The more fit you are the faster it will come down. The more intense
the workout, the longer it will take to reach the resting heart rate.
During that time the heart rate could be 10, 20, or even 30 heart beat per
minute above the resting heart rate. The higher the heart rate the more fat you
are burning. If you give the body food during the time the heart rate is above
its resting rate, it will stop burning fat (emergency source of energy) and use
the food your give it as readily available source of energy.
You should not eat before a cardio type workout. You want the body to use the
stored fat, not the food you just ate. If you eat before your workout, the body
will use that food first instead of the fat in your body. If you are very hungry
and you have to eat something, you want something that will metabolize quickly.
A food that has sugar is good about 30 minutes before a workout, like a piece of
fruit. The sugar will burn quickly for a quick source of energy.
During an extremely long cardio workout, such as a run or a bike ride, you might
feel hungry and your energy level might be low. You will need to eat something to get your energy back up, like energy bars, or energy gels, which are
easier to consume while exercising. (Energy bars and gels can be found at
a running store, a bike store, or a local health food store.)
No matter what your workouts are, it’s good to know when and what to eat (or not
eat) to get the best out of your workouts.
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