Post Workout – The Body’s Recovery Period

Among body builders and body fitness devotees, post workout is that particular phase that follows right after the intensive exercise routines to build muscles for the body. This is the time duration until the next scheduled workout. This is also the time when the body would need to replenish its energy store.

During the period of intense workout sessions, the body suffers damages to the tissues at the micro level. The damage happens because the body fuels the whole workout activity. In the end, the workout does make for a stronger, fitter and muscular build. It also screams the need for repair.

This is natural since the just-finished exercise had depleted the body of its natural stores of essential nutrients. The muscles, the proteins, and the glycogen have been broken and there is need for an after workout repair and restoration.  

Reversing changes 

There is need to arrest these and reverse the changes in the body. The pre-workout supplements do help greatly but the breakage of muscles can be more than what you have prepared for.

The need is to take the post workout supplements immediately after the workout (at least within the next 45 minutes). This is the time when it is most effective to put back into the body what had been taken out (or broken down).

Re-hydration

The first order would be re-hydrating the body with water or preferably water with added electrolytes for fast absorption into the system. The following post workout supplements can bring back right away the lost essential nutrients.

Without them, the body cannot start rebuilding (the most important work) and to add the bulk that was lost. Each of these nutrients has their own work cut out for them in replenishing the body’s needs.

Beta-alanine

This essential nutrient is often included in your pre-workout list of nutrients vital in restoring the pH levels within the muscle to reasonable levels. When you work out, you build up lactic acid in the muscles.

Beta-alanine helps raise the carnosine levels to restore the correct levels ion the body and helps in muscle gains.

Creatine monohydrate / glutamine

This is the form of creatine that’s easily and quickly absorbed by the body.  It is perfect for the body’s recovery. It helps increase the ATP production in muscle cells, and gets the energy right back into them and limits their further breakdown.

Glutamine is another important key in adding fuel back to your muscles. This helps in the repair much faster. It is also anti-catabolic which is good if you are shredding.

BCAAs / carbohydrates

BCAAs (branched chain amino acids consisting of L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-valine) are essential in giving better anabolic effects on the body, even better than taking them during the workout. The work is building muscle protein.

Carbohydrates get depleted during workouts and you need to get them back into your system right away. The amounts depend on your body type, age and metabolic capacity. |Different brands have different types of mixes. You need to find out what is best for your type. A post workout is actually the body’s recovery period.

Post Workout – Important Recovery Time

Your body gets depleted with its natural stores of essential nutrients right after a strenuous workout. You may have filled up your body with some pre-workout supplements. In a post workout, however, your body needs as much as before.

There is need for a body fill up in your after-workout recovery. Your muscles have been torn under the stress and the intensity of the routine. Essential nutrients like glycogen and proteins are breaking down.

For body building buffs, a good set of pre-workout supplements is one necessity they cannot do without. However, not many of them are aware that after the workout, the body does need just as much as before. There is need for an after workout recovery supplement.

Muscle breakage

Right after your workout, you depleted your body of its natural stores of essential nutrients. Your muscles have been torn under the stress in your workout. Glycogen, the carbohydrates stored in your muscles and the proteins are breaking down.

Your pre-workout nutrients may have helped greatly, but the breakage of the muscles can be more than what you prepared for. The following are some good tips to keep you in check of your body, mind and fitness.

Rehydration

It might be tempting to go out to the coffee shop or the deli right after leaving the gym. The coffee might smell amazing but it’s not what your body needs at the moment.  The body needs rehydration, meaning gulping down good old water.

 

For some optimal recovery, 20 ounces is good. Get your water bottle, and drink all the water slowly after exercise, even if that is the only thing you do.

  

Rest and relaxation

Simply lie down on your back, palms turned upward with eyes closed, as yogis have it. Allow your body to recuperate and integrate itself back on its systems. The exercise is energizing but it is also tough and depleting.

After post workout, the muscles took the strain, it is important to honor how your body feels and not pushing through the next thing. The body recovers every chance it gets. A 15-minute break after the high-energy workout and sit or lie down completely relaxed will do your system good.

Bananas

Within 15 to 30 minutes, your body will need to replenish the nutrients you used up in the workout. Take some healthy whole-food snacks so you need not look for them tired and spent or maybe have to go home and blend some veggies to fill you up.

Bananas are one of the best foods for post-exercise restoration. Packed with potassium (the electrolytes help keep out cramps and muscle spasms) they are plain perfect to take. Some pumpkin seeds can bring in the manganese and phosphorous and some proteins.

Some don’ts

There are also a couple of “don’ts” which are all self-explanatory and obvious. Don’t eat the wrong snacks (unless it’s a nut bar full of proteins and vitamins and low on sugar).

Don’t refuel with empty carbs (pastries and such), don’t drink alcohol (it dehydrates) and don’t overload on your workout. You are already doing a post workout. Give yourself some rest and follow your regular schedule.

The Essence of Post Workout

Skipping your warm-up is a definite unacceptable even if your post workout is only 10 minutes long. "The warm-up” is meant to give your body the opportunity to raise your body temperature, increase range of motion, and prepare yourself for what you’re about to do. It also helps decrease your chance of injury when you ease into your workout, rather than jumping straight from a resting state to the hard work. Increasing your range of motion can help you make the most of your workout, because you'll be able to recruit more muscles during an exercise for example, getting deeper into a spot means putting more muscles to work. This is done through a dynamic warm-up, which essentially means moving through stretches that aren't held in place. The most imperative thing in any fitness program starts the minute you go to sleep that’s where all the magic happens. Being well-rested not only energizes you through every burpee or sprint, but it also keeps your hunger hormones in check, so you're not undoing your efforts in the gym by overeating the rest of the day. You already know that drinking your water is crucial to overall health, but it plays an especially important role in a fitness routine when you're sweating it out, you need to make sure your body is properly hydrated since you're losing fluids. Additionally, being hydrated will make sure your energy levels are where they need to be. Although exact water needs vary from person to person, he recommends aiming for half of your body weight in ounces per day. If your urine is dark, it probably means you're not hydrated enough. A cool-down brings your body back to a resting position the way you walked into the gym is the way you want to leave. To increase your range of motion, decrease soreness and helps your recovery process, you need to implement isometric stretching." This is the opposite of the stretches you do in a warm-up. After a workout, you should hold your stretches for at least 15 seconds each pre-workout snack is more optional than a post-workout one giving your body the fuel it needs to recover after a tough sweat is essential. There's something called post workout or the anabolic window, which lasts about 30 to 40 minutes after the workout. During this time, your body looks for carbohydrates and protein to help replenish glycogen stores and rebuild muscle, respectively, so getting your body the nutrition it needs to recover in a timely manner is important.

If you follow the latest fad about supplements, I’m sure that your stocks at home are lined with pre-workouts and protein powders. What you’re most likely missing is a complete and powerful post workout recovery supplement. It’s not enough to just prepare yourself for the onslaught in the weight room, you need to make sure you properly heal yourself after winning the battle. The only way to do that is through proper supplementation with scientifically proven ingredients. Energy and focus are a huge advantage during any training session. Great workouts are energy fueled and to the point. You are focused on the task at hand.

The Key Factor of Post Workouts

The foods that you eat after a workout helps replace the nutrients your body uses during strenuous activities. Eating after a hard training session is very important because your body must repair the damage you’ve done to your muscles. In fact, it’s the damage-repair cycle that contributes to build stronger muscles in the long run. Your post workout meal can reflect to the pre-workout meal, though you can probably be a bit more liberal with your carbohydrate intake. Sport professionals recommends a 3-1 to 4-1 ratio of carbs to protein in your post workout nutrition because these carbs help your muscles absorb the protein better. Drinking whey protein shake which is easy to digest, can help your muscles recover fast. Eat your meals within an hour of your workout.

Keep in mind that a post workout nutrition is the meal eaten after working out. This post workout meal is important for helping your body recover and repair. Eating a proper post workout meal will help with the following:

• It reduces muscle fatigue and soreness
• It replenishes muscle glycogen or stored energy that was used in your workout
• It increases muscle protein synthesis and reduce the muscle protein breakdown caused by exercise

What your body is trying to tell you is you’ve used up the fuel your muscles had before and now the tank is empty. You need to fuel up and your fuel is food more specifically, particular nutrients for your body needs. Your body needs the right fuel at the right time in order to repair itself and begin this adaptation. Without it, your body will feel weak under the stress and this is why post workout nutrition is very crucial. How you take meals is up to you, some people prefer to drink their post workout meal for convenience but you could just as easily eat solid food. Both options are valid and one is not necessarily better than the other.

Also, the post workout meals play a key role in the effectiveness of those workouts:

• What you eat before your workout is a factor for fueling the workout itself and maximizing your performance throughout your workout.
• What you eat after your workout is important for the recovery process which begins as soon as your workout ends and ensuring that your body has all of it needs in order to recover, adapt and improve your body.

Many people think that eating fat after a workout slows down digestion and inhibits the absorption of nutrients. While fat might slow down the absorption of your post-workout meal and it will not reduce its benefits to your body.  Another study showed that even when ingesting a high-fat meal after working out, muscle glycogen synthesis was not affected. It might be a good point to limit the amount of fat you eat after exercise, but having some fat in your post workout meal will not affect your recovery.

Basically, post workout nutrition can be a useful tool when training but it is not the defining factor for the typical gym goer who is interested in building muscle or losing fat for aesthetic and health purposes. The fact is there are factors of bigger importance such as total calorie intake and macronutrients which are much easier to stick to and have a greater overall effect on body composition in the long-term of your journey.

Post Workout Food and Training

In post workout training, you need to eat after a workout. It is important to replenish the glycogen that has been depleted during your exercise. Eating protein after a workout is a must for a speedy muscle recovery particularly after weight training. If you aren't able to eat a full meal right away, have a snack within 20 minutes of your training, then a full meal 3 to 4 hours later. Your post workout meal should be high in complex carbohydrates like quinoa and brown rice, and loaded with healthy protein, like tofu, beans, or fish. What you consume a few hours after you have finished training is also important. By consuming simple carbohydrates immediately post workout, you also cause your blood sugar to spike due to the influx of glucose. Whilst this is desirable post workout it means there is plenty of glucose readily available for the muscles the downside is as your muscles take up the glucose, your blood sugar will start to drop.

If your blood sugar drops too low, you will begin to feel weak, irritable and hungry. To prevent this from happening, consume another meal around 2 hours after your post workout meal of protein, complex carbohydrate and veggies in order to regulate your blood sugar and prevent you from crashing. This will also suppress your appetite and help you to feel fuller for longer, as well as providing your body with further much-needed nutrients. The body is like a machine: if you don’t provide it with the right kind of fuel when it needs it, it will not run properly and is more likely to breakdown. If you want to maximise your output in the gym, it is crucial that you give your body the necessary nutrients at the right time. What you eat before you post workout train can be the difference between a beneficial workout and a non-beneficial workout. Your post workout meal is equally as important, helping to regulate your blood sugar and refuel your muscles with much-needed nutrients to aid their recovery. It is essential that you maximise your time in the gym in order to hit your goals. When your body is properly fuelled, it can be pushed further, lift heavier and go for longer, better workouts means better gains.

If you don’t want to waste money on supplements and prefer food, food is the better option because it provides more than just what’s listed on the supplement. This is includes other aspects such as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. With post workout food, you should consume a combination of protein and carbohydrates based on the volume and intensity of your workout and your goals. In general, the higher the volume and intensity of the workout, the greater the need for carbohydrates and the more important post workout foods become to muscle glycogen and protein synthesis.

Whether your goal is to build strength, get healthy, or gain performance, the post workout foods you consume can play a big part in helping you reach your potential. Everyone has their opinions about post workout food but the important factor in working out that applies to everyone is the nutrition and determination you exert for yourself.