Post-Workout Replenishment

If you are serious about putting on muscle tissue, then read on, if not, then I might wonder what you are doing reading this blog…. All jokes aside, post-workout replenishment is one of if not the most important meals after your workout.  You really have a small window of opportunity after you work out no longer then 45 minutes to get your nutrition in before your body starts cannibalizing itself to  replace the damage you did in the gym. You would be amazed on how many people lack the knowledge to this simple concept and wonder why they cannot put on a single pound of muscle in one year. In order to maximize gains, it’s suggested that you take in 1-1.5g of protein per pound of lean body weight and about 1.5-2g of carbohydrates per pound of lean body on a daily basis (this is for someone trying to put on size). Keep fats out of the equation at this point, they are not needed to replace glycogen stores or shuttle nutrients after your work outs. So let’s keep this simple, roughly about 40-50g of protein and 75-100g of fast acting carbohydrates after your workouts. The reason fast acting is because the carbs will spike your insulin and shuttle the nutrition to the muscle. You do not want to combine fats with elevated insulin because then you will be storing fat and you do not want that unless you want to look like the Michelin man. Obviously solid foods are preferred over shakes any time of the day, but if you have nothing around then a shake is your next best option. Opt for an isolate or hydroisolate at this point, obviously you wouldn’t be choosing a casein either, so know the differences in your proteins and pick the ones that are suited for the scenario. After you consume this meal, you would want to eat again in about 1.5-2hrs.