Post-workout meals - what to eat after exercise?

 

Regardless of the time of training, you should eat a valuable meal within an hour of completing it. The body, tired after exercise, needs the energy to regenerate. People who want to lose weight do not have to worry that all their efforts will be wasted - as long as the established daily caloric requirement is not exceeded, the consumed carbohydrates will not be deposited in the form of adipose tissue.

What should a meal contain after intense training?

The post-workout meal should primarily contain protein and carbohydrates.

Protein

Protein is a macronutrient that is the basic building block of muscle tissue. It supports its regeneration after exercise and is necessary to stop catabolic processes and keep muscles in optimal condition. Providing the body with the right amount of protein following exercise is especially important when performing strength exercises, such as lifting weights. 

Your post-workout meal should include protein-rich ingredients such as fish, poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products, as well as legumes, nuts, seeds, and seeds.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates give the body the energy it needs to build muscle. Their delivery is especially important after endurance training, for example running or interval training. After exercise, it is best to take carbohydrates in the form of easily digestible simple sugars that allow you to get an immediate boost of energy. The snack can take the form of rice, pasta, bread or a ripe banana.

Prepare the perfect post-workout meal

When preparing a meal after training, it is worth avoiding saturated fat, so it is better to give up frying and decide to cook or bake. In the case of late training, it is advisable to consume simple carbohydrates that digest quickly without overburdening the stomach - mainly vegetables, rice and pasta. Reward your night sessions at the gym with a liquid meal, such as a cream soup, that will satisfy your hunger without making you feel heavy. 

After training in the first half of the day, you can successfully choose to eat energy-releasing complex carbohydrates for long periods of time. In a situation where the right amount of protein and carbohydrates cannot be supplied with food, it may be necessary to supplement these macronutrients with the use of specialized protein supplements and gainers.

Why is a properly balanced post-workout meal so important?

Regular physical activity is the key to achieving your dream figure, but the effectiveness of exercise depends on a properly balanced diet and the composition of the meals eaten after the training session. Rapid weight loss people may be tempted to skip eating after exercise, but that attitude is wrong and can have dire consequences. Consumption of a meal with an appropriate protein and carbohydrate content inhibits the process of catabolism related to physical activity, allowing the training person to be protected against unwanted loss of muscle tissue. Eating after training also allows you to restore energy reserves and supports muscle regeneration.

Refusing to eat or forgetting to eat a meal after training leads to a chronic weakening of the body, slower metabolism and loss of macro- and micronutrients. Deprived of energy and nutrients, the body will not allow the growth of muscle mass, it will also inhibit the fat burning process, making even the most intense training ineffective. For this reason, every physically active person should follow a balanced diet and remember about properly composed meals after training.