Post-workout meal strategy

How do you get the most from your post-workout meal? By following a few simple rules. Here’s the rundown

Pop quiz, hotshot: what’s the most important meal of the day? If you said ‘breakfast’, you’re wrong – according to both scientific research and anecdotal evidence, it’s the one you eat post-workout. As the University of Texas, ‘Performance of resistance exercise sensitizes the muscle to the anabolic effect of amino acids.’ As a result, doing resistance training increases protein synthesis, helping your muscles to repair themselves from micro-trauma and come back stronger. But how do you do it best? There are some simple rules.

Eat as soon as possible

Research from the American Journal of Physiology shows that waiting even three hours after a workout for your meal drastically reduces protein synthesis. Try to eat within an hour of leaving the gym.

Make protein the foundation

Research shows that you need amino acids to prevent muscle catabolism. That means that protein should be the foundation of your meal. For reference, a decent portion of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards.

Don’t neglect carbs

There are two reasons for this. Firstly, insulin sensitivity goes up after a workout, so carbs are less predisposed to be stored as fat. Your body’s primed to take on nutrients, so take advantage. Secondly, you need carbs to refuel your glycogen stores and get ready for the next session. Sweet potatoes and rice are good options: don’t be scared of them.

Think 1:1

Based on the above, nutritionist Nate Miyaki recommends a 1:1 ratio between carbs and fat in your post-workout meal, regardless of the time of day you train. So have some carbs – and enjoy them!