People tend to put in a lot of hard work to stay healthy. They do this by joining workout sessions, groups, or working out alone. However, many people tend to forget that whatever they eat also impacts how healthy they are. Food doesn’t only have an impact, but it has a very big impact; That is why you need good post workout nutrition.
Working out is one way to start a healthy-living journey, but you have to eat right to complement your hard work. Certain things shouldn’t be eaten before, after, or during a workout because of their latter effects. But the focus of this article is your post workout nutrition, i.e., what you eat after working out.
Key Takeaways
You are what you eat, and that cannot be overemphasized. A list of safe foods for consumption that aid body development after a workout includes:
- Eggs.
- Sweet potatoes.
- Cottage cheese.
- Avocados.
- Chicken.
- Oatmeal.
- Yogurt.
- Quinoa.
- Greek yogurt.
- Salmon.
- Protein bars.
- Irish potatoes.
- Tilapia.
- Rice.
- Tuna.
It goes on and on about what beautiful, safe meals you can add to your post workout nutrition. All of them have their various importance and contributions to the growth of your body and mind.
Best Things To Eat After A Workout Session
Image source: Pexels
When it comes to working out, many factors go into play to help you achieve your set goals. Eating right is one of them. Many people pay so much attention to their pre-workout diets. This is so much that they forget their post-workout nutrition importance.
It is not very popular knowledge, but taking in the right nutrients after your exercises is as important as before. That said, some of the things you should make part of your meal after working out are:
Carbs
Carbohydrates aid fast recovery. This means you should consume the right amount as part of your post-workout nutrition.
The glycogen your body stores is what the body uses as fuel during hectic tasks like workouts. Consuming an adequate amount of carbs helps you replenish that glycogen, so you don’t go weak for a long time.
Carbs are necessary for people who participate in sports and workouts like running, swimming, e.t.c. Therefore, consuming a lot of carbs for glycogen replenishment is for people who do a lot of workouts. If you have days in between your workout sessions, you do not need so many carbs.
Examples of foods high in carbs are:
- Spaghetti.
- Garden veggie salads.
- Waffles.
- Brown bread.
- Sweet potatoes.
- Bucket wheat.
- Bananas.
- Beets.
- Oranges.
- Quinoa.
- Pepperoni pizza.
- Chickpeas.
- Lentil.
- Brown rice.
The list goes on and on. There are a lot of exciting meals you can consume to gain carbs. Notwithstanding, carbs are also essential if your meals are basically Post-workout meals for muscle gain.
Protein
Protein aids in repairing and building up muscles and workouts trigger a breakdown in your protein muscles. Also, how fast and how much protein is broken down depends on the kinds of exercises you carry out. As a result, the more energy used, the more protein burnt.
Therefore, consuming the right amount of protein meals in your pre-workout nutrition will aid your body produce amino acids. The amino acids repairs and rebuild this protein that you have lost. You’re advised to consume 0.14—0.23 grams of protein after your workout.
Examples of these proteins foods are:
- Eggs.
- Milk.
- Beans.
- Salmon.
- Tilapia.
- Chicken.
- Potatoes
The list of these foods goes and on.
Fats
A bit of fat is not so bad. Contrary to what many people believe, adding fatty foods to their after-workout diet does not slow down digestion. Even if the fats in the food you consume slow down food absorption in your post workout meals, it cannot destroy its benefits.
It is quite a good idea to reduce the number of fatty foods you consume during your pre-workout nutrition. However, it would help if you had some good fat on your plate as it won’t affect your recovery.
Examples of nice fatty foods you can consume after workouts are:
- Avocados.
- Cheese.
- Dark chocolate.
- Fatty fish.
- Whole eggs.
- Chia seeds.
- Nuts.
- Extra virgin olive oils.
All these can go on the side of your main dish to support the production of replenishing nutrients. Nevertheless, note that fats are not important if you’re on Post-workout nutrition for weight loss.
If you’re allergic to these foods, you want to stay away completely or speak to your doctor before consuming them. Keep in mind before your meals that people who are lactose intolerant cannot eat most proteinous meals. Therefore, getting your allergies, likes, and dislikes together will help you plan a better pre-workout nutrition diet.
Note: If you’re on a diet for post workout nutrition for weight loss, consult professional advice before consuming any of these foods.
Conclusion
Staying healthy and building your body takes a lot of physical and mental energy. One way to stay sane throughout this period is by observing good pre-workout nutrition. Also, observing the right after-workout diet will help you prevent issues like sudden strokes and cardiac issues.
You can decide to see a dietician to help you plan your post-workout nutrition meals and put you on the right path.
What do you think about this article? Do you find it helpful to your post-workout nutrition diets? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.