Post Workout Meal:

What to Eat for Your Post Workout Meals

By Mike Geary
Founder, TruthAboutAbs.com

As you’ve likely heard , your post-workout meal may very well be your most important meal of the day. This is because when you’re finished with an intense workout, you’re entering a catabolic state where your muscle glycogen is depleted and increased cortisol levels are beginning to excessively break down muscle tissue. These conditions are bad and the only way to reverse this catabolic state (and promote an anabolic state) is to consume a quickly digestible post-workout meal as soon as possible after training.

Choose a meal with easily digestible quick carbs to replenish muscle glycogen as well as quickly digestible protein to provide the amino acids needed to jump start muscular repair. The surge of carbohydrates and amino acids from this meal promotes an insulin spike from the pancreas, which speeds nutrients into the muscle cells.

The post-workout meal should generally contain between 300-500 calories to get the best response. Your post-workout meal should also contain anywhere from a 2:1 ratio of carbs: protein to a 4:1 ratio of carbs: protein. While most of your other daily meals should contain a source of healthy fats, keep the fat content of your post-workout meal to a bare minimum.

When choosing what to make for your post-workout meal, the first thing to realize is that you DON’T need any of those expensive post-workout supplement formulas! As with any nutritional strategies, natural is always better. Plus you'll get a higher nutrient density by focusing on natural ingredients as I explain here vs. the maltodextrin and refined sugar that are normally included in the commercial post-workout supplement shakes.

A good source of quickly digestible natural carbs such as frozen bananas, pineapples, honey, or organic maple syrup are perfect to elicit an insulin response that will promote muscle glycogen replenishment and a muscle building effect. The best source of quickly digestible protein is a quality non-denatured whey protein isolate and/or some fat-free or low-fat yogurt.

Here are a couple ideas for delicious post-workout smoothies:

Pineapple vanilla - blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, one cup frozen pineapples, 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw), and 30 grams vanilla whey protein powder – 35 g prot, 71 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 425 calories.

Chocolate banana – blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup skim milk, one and a half frozen bananas, 2 tbsp organic maple syrup, and 30 grams chocolate whey protein powder – 38 g prot, 72 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 440 calories.

When looking to lose body fat, keep in mind that post-workout meals should have the opposite characteristics of all of your other meals throughout each day. While post-workout meals should have quick high glycemic index carbs and quickly digested proteins, all of your other meals throughout the day should be comprised of low glycemic index, slowly digested carbs, and slow release proteins.

Chet's Note: A more detailed and comprehensive nutritional analysis with more of these various powerful dietary strategies are found in Mike's best selling report The Truth About Six Pack Abs.