Whether you’re eating a meal after your workout or just having a post-workout snack, the food you eat directly affects your recovery. It can make a difference in how fast you build muscle tissue, too. Refueling your muscles and providing adequate building blocks to build muscles require a specific combination of macronutrients. It takes a combination of protein and carbohydrates. The carbs refuel the lost glycogen from the muscle and the protein helps build muscle tissue and shortens recovery time.
Your intensity makes a difference.
Consuming a snack after working out or eating an entire meal isn’t necessary if you have a light session. Insuring you get a snack or meal after an intense workout is mandatory. You’ve made microtears in the muscles that require healing. It takes nutrients to do that. A snack like peanut butter and apple slices provides a good combination. The peanut butter provides the protein, and the apple provides the carbs. If your workout ends within a half hour of a meal, wait until you eat your next meal. It should contain a combination of protein and carbs.
Your meal could be a baked chicken breast and a large salad.
If you’re having a snack, consider plain Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts. It could contain berries, a half banana, cherries, or other fruit as the carb. The yogurt and nuts provide the protein. It’s easy on the digestive system and delicious. You can replenish your liquid with water but eating juicy fruit or vegetables also helps. Watermelon, a salad, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers are good carb additions. They replenish the fluid.
Consider food that contains potassium.
Potassium helps regulate your nervous system and influences nerve impulses like muscle contractions, your heartbeat, and other processes. Melons, baked sweet potatoes, kale, oranges, and grapes provide it. Including snacks and meals high in electrolytes like potassium can replenish your stores. If you sweat a lot, include bone broth or chicken soup. Tomatoes, olives, and lettuce provide chloride. Magnesium is also necessary, and green leafy vegetables provide it.
- Keep it simple and opt for a boiled egg with a slice of whole grain toast or egg salad on toast. Another simple post-workout snack is cottage cheese and fruit. Oatmeal and milk are also simple snacks.
- Use leftovers for your snack. If you had sweet potato wedges and chicken the night before, reheat both in a microwave. Chop leftover chicken, add celery, onions, and salad dressing. Top whole-grain toast for another snack of leftovers.
- If you’re eating a full meal, consider a protein-rich main dish like chicken breast or salmon. Add a multi-vegetable salad, sweet potatoes, and whole-grain bread as a side dish.
- If you’re doing endurance training, focus more on rehydration and replenishing glycogen and electrolyte stores. You’ll want to include more protein if you’re doing strength training.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym