The workout is done. You kicked its butt and you can already feel your body getting sore as the muscles begin the process of repair. You’ve walked in the door to your home and popped open the fridge to make a quick meal as your belly rumbles, begging for some food to replenish.
You know you need a clean meal made of quality food sources to keep you on track for your goals – whatever they may be – but you’re not sure if you need to lean more heavily toward carbohydrates or protein in the post-workout hours.
It doesn’t matter what your ultimate goal with your fitness journey is, protein and carbs (and fat) are high priority macronutrients that are found in all foods and need to be consumed in their appropriate proportions to help your body. Every meal should be well-balanced around these macros but the timing in which you consume higher quantities of one of another could benefit your results and progress more than you probably thought.
So which do you focus on post-workout?
If you guessed protein, you’d be on the right path.
While carbohydrates are still good and necessary for your body and help replenish your energy stores – their primary function – it is protein that we want the bulk of our post training meal, snack, dish to be made of.
While you are training, whether lifting weights; doing yoga; playing a sport; etc. your muscles are contracting and expanding and using energy (carbs) and in doing so, creating micro-tears in the muscle fibers. We’ve discussed this in past articles, but these microtears are necessary proof that the muscles are working. This is what causes inflammation during training, it releases the energy and creates waste (lactic acid). During the recovery time period – when the muscles are not being used – they are doing everything they can to recover before you put them under stress/resistance again. In order for the body to do this, it breaks down the food we eat and funnels the protein directly to the re-building muscles. The muscles then take the protein and use it to repair and rebuild stronger and better than they were. This is why/how we are able to adapt to heavier stresses – the more your body gets used to a certain stress, the stronger the muscles become to manage it, hence why we continue to increase the resistance (higher weight/reps, less rest, more sets, etc) to continue to build a better body.
Though your standard diet should provide enough protein (about .8-1.0g per pound of bodyweight), if you’re not feeling like recovery is happening as quickly as it should, or you’re on shorter turn around between training sessions or use of particular muscles, a higher protein meal or added protein source (shake) after training sessions can help the body recover quicker but quickly facilitating protein back to the muscles to begin repairing immediately and getting you back in shape quickly.
Carbohydrates do have a special place in the body as they are the energy source for almost all bodily functions and complex/high quality carbohydrates are suggested to keep you going, focusing on them post-workout is not as highly reg
arded compared to protein. Carbohydrates should be more focused prior to a training session as they will help provide the energy needed to get through your training session.
It is recommended to find a balance and take in both protein and carbs (along with healthy fats and plenty of veggies) at all meals, if you’re looking for an added boost, protein centric meals/snacks after training could go a long way to help speed up recovery and help build better, stronger muscles vs post training carbohydrates.
I personally enjoy chocolate milk, a protein shake, eggs, or a quick chicken breast wrap as my go-to post workout protein meals.
What is your favorite protein source?