You just finished a super tough workout at the gym and your starving! Its time to head home and grab something to eat, but what's the best thing to eat post workout? Your post-workout nutrition and meal is one of the most important meals of the day, what you eat here can either make or break your fitness goals.
The two important things to keep in mind when you are planning to eat after a workout: 1) When you eat and 2) WHAT you eat. These two things together, if done the right way, will help you build muscle and lose fat.
The first meal after a workout should be eaten at least 30 to 60 minutes after your workout. If you wait any longer to have your post workout meal, your body will start to store the food as fat instead of going immediately into the muscle.
The timing of this meal determines how effectively the nutrients will be absorbed directly into the muscle. The less time you wait the faster the nutrients are absorb and the glycogen in your body is restored.
The longer you wait to eat after a workout, you begin to starve your muscles and the effects of your workout become less.
Each meal after a workout needs to consist of both protein and carbohydrates. Your fitness goals are, will determine the proportion of each of these components. For example, if you want to lose weight, you will need to have more protein than carbohydrates, to make sure that you are building muscle and losing fat.
The one thing you want to stay away from is fat. Healthy fats are a great source of nutrition, however, when it comes to post workout nutrition, fats do not help you. Instead, fats slow down the digestion process, which in turns, slows down the absorption of nutrients into the muscles.
Some great examples of post workout meals include: a whey protein shake with some fruit - either mixed quickly in a shaker cup or mixed in a blender, grilled chicken breast with some brown rice, or egg whites with oatmeal.
Remember, that what you eat after your workout is one of the most important factors in helping you reach your fitness goals and get the flat abs you've always wanted.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Melissa_Wall/16604
The two important things to keep in mind when you are planning to eat after a workout: 1) When you eat and 2) WHAT you eat. These two things together, if done the right way, will help you build muscle and lose fat.
1) When Should I Eat After my Workout?
The first meal after a workout should be eaten at least 30 to 60 minutes after your workout. If you wait any longer to have your post workout meal, your body will start to store the food as fat instead of going immediately into the muscle.
The timing of this meal determines how effectively the nutrients will be absorbed directly into the muscle. The less time you wait the faster the nutrients are absorb and the glycogen in your body is restored.
The longer you wait to eat after a workout, you begin to starve your muscles and the effects of your workout become less.
2) What should I Eat After my Workout?
Each meal after a workout needs to consist of both protein and carbohydrates. Your fitness goals are, will determine the proportion of each of these components. For example, if you want to lose weight, you will need to have more protein than carbohydrates, to make sure that you are building muscle and losing fat.
The one thing you want to stay away from is fat. Healthy fats are a great source of nutrition, however, when it comes to post workout nutrition, fats do not help you. Instead, fats slow down the digestion process, which in turns, slows down the absorption of nutrients into the muscles.
Some great examples of post workout meals include: a whey protein shake with some fruit - either mixed quickly in a shaker cup or mixed in a blender, grilled chicken breast with some brown rice, or egg whites with oatmeal.
Remember, that what you eat after your workout is one of the most important factors in helping you reach your fitness goals and get the flat abs you've always wanted.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Melissa_Wall/16604
