After You Workout

Something that you absolutely need to understand about nutrition, especially whenever you're working out, is the fact that your post workout meal is probably the most important meal that you will eat during the day.

Shortly after finishing a workout, you enter into a catabolic state where your muscle tissues are being broken down by the increased cortisol levels and the lack of glycogen in the muscles. This is a condition that needs to be reversed as quickly as possible, and the only way for you to be able to do this is through the food that you eat.

That is why a meal which will provide your body with some very quick carbohydrates is going to be the best for reversing this situation. The insulin spike that you receive by eating one of these meals helps to get all of the nutrients into the muscles quickly.

Generally speaking, you should be eating anywhere from 300 to 500 calories after you workout. This can be adjusted, according to your own particular body type. For example, a female may only need 300 calories after a workout, while a male that works out might need to go with 500 calories.

Another thing that you should keep in mind whenever eating your post workout meal is that the protein should be kept in proportion to the carbohydrates that you are eating. This proportion should be anywhere from 2:1 to 4:1 carbs to protein. Along with that, you should make sure to avoid as much fat during your post workout meal as possible, as this may slow the absorption of the nutrients that your muscles need.

I'm sure that you're probably wondering what is best for you to eat during your post workout meal. Fortunately for you, you can skip all of the fancy and expensive supplements that are typically pushed at you through the diet and weight loss industry. Making your own nutrition shake is a much better choice. There are several which I can really recommend.

You will find that most of these shakes are going to contain a source of highly digestible carbohydrates in a natural state. Things such as organic maple syrup, bananas and pineapples all have the ability to spike your insulin effectively in order to give you the anabolic effect that you are looking for. Along with that, you should include some whey protein isolate or perhaps fat-free yogurt in order to make this smoothie both delicious and nutritious for your muscles.

Here are some of my favorite shakes that I enjoy making after a heavy workout:

Chocolate Banana - Not only is this a very delicious shake, it is also simplistic. Blend one cup of water together with 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup skim milk, two tablespoons organic maple syrup and your favorite chocolate whey protein powder.
Pineapple Vanilla - Blend these two ingredients together with one cup of pure water and include one half cup vanilla yogurt, a swirl of honey and a small scoop of vanilla way protein powder.