Hey, what's up guys? Sean Nalewanyj, of EliteImpactLabs.com here. And today, I want to cover a very popular
topic which is the issue of post workout nutrition. Now, post workout nutrition has become like
a religion in bodybuilding circles, usually called, "The window of opportunity." The three
to four-hour period immediately following a workout session is considered a critical
time to provide your body with high quality protein and carbs to support muscle growth
and recovery. If you ask almost any bodybuilding expert out there, they'll tell you that in
order to maximize your gains you must consume a high protein, high carb post-workout shake immediately after
your workout, followed by another solid food meal about an hour or so later. But is post-workout
nutrition really all that it's made out to be? And if so, what is the best post-workout
meal? First off, let's took -- take a look at the two major claims made by those who
continue to emphasize the critical importance of post-workout nutrition. So, claim number
one is the idea that you must consume a liquid protein shake immediately following your workout.
The reality here is that protein digestion is a very slow and gradual process. Even the
fastest absorbing proteins are still only released at a rate of about 8grams to 10grams
per hour. And what this means is that if you consumed a pre-workout meal within a couple
hours of your training session, that same protein is still being broken down and utilized
both during and after your workout. And for that reason, consuming a new serving of protein
immediately after your workout is simply unnecessary. Claim number two is that you must consume
a serving of simple carbohydrates along with your protein shake in order to restore glycogen
levels and spike your insulin. Now, the reality here is that glycogen levels are only depleted
by a maximum of about 30% following an intense weight training workout. And even then, there
is no need to immediately replenish those levels unless you were training the same muscle
groups again on the same day. As for spiking insulin levels, most people don't know this,
but proteins actually elicit a significant insulin response from the body on their own,
making an additional carbohydrate consumption far less important than most people think.
So, given these two points, it's pretty clear that there is no need to immediately consume
a post-workout meal after your training session is over. Your body still has ample protein
in circulation. And your glycogen levels don't need to be immediately replenished. Now, I'm
not saying that you shouldn't eat a post-workout meal. All I'm saying is that, it doesn't have
to be consumed right away. You know, you certainly want to provide your body with some high quality
protein and carbohydrates to support muscle recovery and growth after your workout is
over. But if your appetite isn't quite there yet, don't feel bad waiting a couple hours.
So, what is the best post-workout meal? Well, you really don't have to overcomplicate things
here. Your two basic goals with your post-workout meal are to elevate insulin levels in order
to halt muscle breakdown, and to provide your body with amino acids in order to stimulate
protein synthesis. And there's no need for some fancy, high-tech concoction of special
foods, or high glycemic carbs or specific fats in order to accomplish this. The first
thing you want is a high quality protein source. Now, whey will be the ideal choice here due
to its strong amino acid profile and high bioavailability. But ultimately any standard
protein source will do just fine. Beef, chicken, fish, eggs, lean pork, seafood, any of these
are completely fine choices. And the second component is going to be a source of carbohydrates.
And this can be any source of carbohydrates that you'd like. You don't need anything specific
here. Rice, yams, fruit, potatoes, oatmeal, whatever goes best with your protein source.
If you do want to go with the standard post-workout shake of whey protein and simple sugars, that's
also fine too. It's really up to you. You know, I personally don't have much of an appetite
following workouts and find that a post-workout shake fits nicely for me. So again, it's really
largely a matter of personal preference. So, that's really all there is to it. As long
as you consume a good pre-workout meal about 1.5 to 2 hours prior to your training session,
followed by a post-workout meal of high quality protein and carbs within a couple hours of
finishing your workout, you're pretty much good to go. This combination is going to provide
your body with a sufficient stream of amino acids, sugars and micronutrients to maximize
muscle recovery and overall growth. You can continue obsessing about nitty-gritty details
beyond this. But the only thing that's going to do is just unnecessarily overcomplicate
your nutrition plan. So, if you found this information useful, please make sure to like
the video, leave a comment and subscribe to stay up-to-date on all of our future videos.
Don't forget to download your free 28-day mass building plan over on EliteImpactLabs.com.
The link to which is in the description box below. And don't forget to join our Facebook
page, where we do free supplement giveaways every Thursday night. Thanks again for watching.
I'll talk to you again soon with more free tips.