Post Workout Meal

Many people spend hours altogether in the gym, but don't quite get those bulging biceps and rock hard eight packs that they aspire. The problem here is their diet, and when we talk about the diet, two of its most important attributes are the pre workout and the post workout meal. In their busy schedule, people do take an hour off to work out in the gym, but they fail to make 15 minutes to give their body that much-needed post workout nutrition. Even those who have ample time after their workout tend to goof up on this issue, owing to their ignorance about the basics of nutrition and the requirements of the body.

Post Workout Meal Bodybuilding

When you opt for weight training for bodybuilding, your body muscles are subjected to two important biological processes - catabolism, wherein the muscles break down, and anabolism, wherein the muscles rebuild themselves. When you target a specific muscle group during the weight training, these muscles are subjected to small tears. After the workout, they start repairing themselves, and during this process of post workout recovery they tend to become stronger. In order to repair themselves, these muscles need proteins and carbohydrates. You need to fulfill the nutrient requirements of the body after the workout, because working on muscles which haven't recovered can cause further, and sometimes, irreversible damage to them. The best way to fulfill the nutrient requirements of the body is a proper post workout nutrition, which will include foods rich in proteins and carbohydrates.

Post Workout Meal for Weight Loss

Irrespective of whether your aim is to build muscles or to lose weight, when you work out you tend to use a great amount of energy, and if this energy is not replenished, it is bound to affect your overall health. The meal for weight loss is important because it doesn't just restore the drained out energy, but also helps you to build lean muscles. Having nutritious food after the workout is also important because it tends to boost your metabolism, which in turn helps you to lose those extra pounds even faster.

Even though there is a range of post workout supplements available out there, experts recommend sticking to natural foods for nutrition. Some of the most popular post workout foods include high carbohydrate foods such as whole wheat, brown rice and potatoes, protein rich foods such as tuna or chicken breast, and potassium rich foods such as banana and potatoes. Yet another important objective of eating these foods is to retain your body fluids, for which you have to resort to some fruit juice, and a lot of water. There are significant chances of you getting drained out after an intense workout, and a glass of fruit juice or protein shake can help you to keep your body well nourished. This is especially true when it comes to women, as they have the tendency to eat more after exercising compared to their male counterparts. Ideally, the best post workout diet is the one which fulfills the 15 to 25 percent of your daily calorie requirements.

That being said, every individual is different, and hence, the norms will also differ from person to person, but some of the general tips for this meal remain the same. For instance, you need to take your post workout foods between the period of 30 to 60 minutes after the workout, as this is the period when the ability of the body to restore glycogen is the highest. Similarly, you should choose foods which you are comfortable with, or else you are bound to get bored of them sooner or later. At the end of the day, post workout meal is the key to a healthy workout. If you don't opt for one, the time you spend sweating out in the gym is nothing, but a waste.