**as posted by admin at IBB**
Post Workout Meals
Don't forget about the post workout meal. Remember you're muscles don't actually grow while you're training. The way that you spend your time outside of the gym is just as important as what you do at the gym. Whether your goal is to pack on slabs of muscle or shape and tone certain muscle groups. Good nutrition and proper recovery are the most important factors in reaching your fitness goals.
The food that you eat after an intense weight training session is very important. Eating the right foods will help your muscles recover and grow stronger. Eating the wrong foods or not eating at all will make you wonder why you aren't seeing results from all your hard work.
Using Your Window of Opportunity
After training your muscles are 'starving' for the right foods. You just put them through an incredible ordeal and now they must recover. Give them what they want and they will reward you by growing bigger and stronger.
Any food (except for foods high in fat, since fat slows digestion) that you eat during this time is absorbed at almost twice the normal rate because your muscles need it to recover. Unfortunately, after 1 - 1 1/2 hours they will no longer yearn for the post workout meal and accept the fact that you let them down again.
This is where a good quality post workout shake or "meal replacement" comes in very handy. Your body is able to absorb and utilize liquids much faster than solid foods.
A good quality post workout shake should:
- contain at least 30 grams of high quality protein (whey protein having the fastest absorption rate).
- contain a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates.
- be relatively low in fat.
- be easily and quickly digested.
- taste good enough to actually drink!
Most post workout shakes contain multivitamins and minerals in order to help your body recover better. If you're using pure protein (as opposed to a meal replacement) take a good multivitamin and about two grams Vitamin C with the shake.
Post Workout Meals
Don't forget about the post workout meal. Remember you're muscles don't actually grow while you're training. The way that you spend your time outside of the gym is just as important as what you do at the gym. Whether your goal is to pack on slabs of muscle or shape and tone certain muscle groups. Good nutrition and proper recovery are the most important factors in reaching your fitness goals.
The food that you eat after an intense weight training session is very important. Eating the right foods will help your muscles recover and grow stronger. Eating the wrong foods or not eating at all will make you wonder why you aren't seeing results from all your hard work.
Using Your Window of Opportunity
After training your muscles are 'starving' for the right foods. You just put them through an incredible ordeal and now they must recover. Give them what they want and they will reward you by growing bigger and stronger.
Any food (except for foods high in fat, since fat slows digestion) that you eat during this time is absorbed at almost twice the normal rate because your muscles need it to recover. Unfortunately, after 1 - 1 1/2 hours they will no longer yearn for the post workout meal and accept the fact that you let them down again.
This is where a good quality post workout shake or "meal replacement" comes in very handy. Your body is able to absorb and utilize liquids much faster than solid foods.
A good quality post workout shake should:
- contain at least 30 grams of high quality protein (whey protein having the fastest absorption rate).
- contain a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates.
- be relatively low in fat.
- be easily and quickly digested.
- taste good enough to actually drink!
Most post workout shakes contain multivitamins and minerals in order to help your body recover better. If you're using pure protein (as opposed to a meal replacement) take a good multivitamin and about two grams Vitamin C with the shake.
