Hey, what's up?
This is Sean Nalewanyj, of EliteImpactLabs.com.
And in today's video lesson, I want to talk about the issue of post workout nutrition,
specifically carbohydrate intake.
Now, the practice of consuming huge doses of simple sugars post-workout has pretty much
become a religion in bodybuilding circles.
You finish your workout, you mix up a post-workout shake consisting of whey protein and some
rapidly absorbing carbs, and you make sure to consume it immediately following your training
session.
The logic behind consuming these post-workout sugars is along the lines of re-elevating
glycogen levels, and spiking your insulin in order to increase the absorption of your
post-workout protein.
While there's certainly nothing wrong with consuming simple carbs following your workout,
it's definitely not the critical "Must" that pretty much everyone has made it out to be.
Let me dissect this myth for you in two simple steps.
First of all, a standard weight training workout does not deplete glycogen levels to any significant
degree.
Unless you're performing exhaustive endurance work, your glycogen levels will only be depleted
by a maximum of about 30% following an intense weight training session.
And unless you were planning on training those same muscle groups again in the next 24 hours
or so, this is really of no practical concern.
This is maybe a legit concern for hard training athletes who workout multiple times per day,
but definitely not for the average bodybuilder.
Because of this, the idea that you must immediately replenish these glycogen levels is simply
false.
By finishing your workout and resuming your regular nutrition plan, those glycogen levels
will be naturally re-elevated and ready for your next workout.
Secondly, the notion that insulin levels need to be spiked in order to maximize nutrient
absorption is unfounded to begin with.
The reality is that the body always keeps blood sugar and insulin levels within a fairly
precise range regardless of the specific foods you consume or the amounts of those foods
that you consume.
Not only that, but most high protein foods elicit a significant insulin response from
the body in the same way that carbohydrates do.
For example, beef has an insulin index score of 51, which is around the same as that of
brown rice, brown pasta or rye bread.
Whey protein is also highly insulinogenic.
So, with these two points out of the way, it should be pretty clear why slamming 80grams
of maltodextrin post-workout is simply unnecessary.
There's no need to immediately replenish your glycogen levels.
And there's no need to spike your insulin levels.
Now, is consuming that simple post-workout carbohydrate is going to hurt you?
No.
That's not what I'm saying.
If you prefer it, and if it fits into your daily carbohydrate requirements, a liquid
post-workout carb source is totally fine.
It's convenient and it's an easy source of calories for those on higher calorie diets.
In addition, many people find that they just don't have much of an appetite following their
workouts, and this is where liquid carbs can come in handy as well.
The point here is merely to demonstrate that post-workout simple sugars are not a necessity.
Whether you consume dextrose, maltodextrin, brown rice or potatoes, it's not going to
make any practical difference to your bottom line muscle gains.
Keep your pre and post-workout nutrition simple.
Get in a good source of high quality protein and carbohydrates within a couple hours of
hitting the gym, followed by the same thing within a couple hours of completing your workout.
Ultimately that's pretty much all there is to it.
Personally, I always bracket my workouts with whey protein, because I do believe there is
some practical benefit in keeping branched-chain amino acid levels elevated around this time
period.
But ultimately as long as you're getting a high quality source of protein, that's ultimately
the most important thing.
If you want to make the nutritional aspect of your bodybuilding program as simple and
straightforward as possible, make sure to sign up for the no fail system over on EliteImpactLabs.com.
That's where you gain instant access to a complete set of free muscle building meal
plans, ranging from 2,000 calories all the way up to 6,000.
The plan is to give you a variety of meal options, and they make it in your daily macro-nutrient
numbers a much easier task.
And you can just click the link in the description box for sign up details.
So, that's all for today, make sure to subscribe if you haven't already.
And also make sure to join the Elite Impact Lab's Facebook page, where we do free supplement
giveaways every Sunday night.
So, thanks again for watching, and I'll talk to you again soon with more free tips.