What to eat after a workout

After a workout, your body needs to replenish glycogen stores and repair muscle proteins. Eating the right nutrients soon after exercising can help your body do this faster. Carbs and protein are especially important.

If you have eaten before your workout, it is not so important as to when you eat your post workout meal, but if you did not, you should eat within 45 minutes to ensure that your body is topped up with glycogen and begins its recovery and repair process.

What should you eat after a workout?

It is important that your post-workout meal or snack is high in protein and carbohydrates, fats will slow down the process of absorbing the rest of your meal, although it shouldn't reduce any of the benefits you will receive.

Protein

Protein is needed to build new muscle tissue and repair and rebuild the protein that has been broken down during your training, it provides the amino acids that encourage these processes.

20-40g of protein will increase the body's recovery journey.

You can get 20g or more from the following foods:

• Low fat chocolate milkshake - helps restore muscles quickly to their peak potential
• Whole Grain bread and lean meat
• Eggs or low fat cheese and whole grain bread
• Natural yoghurt based smoothies
• Greek Yoghurt and fruit

Adding protein powder to a few of these options can increase the amount of protein by around 20g!

Carbohydrates

When you eat complex carbohydrates after a workout, it will encourage the body to refill its glycogen stores. Complex Carbohydrates will take longer to digest, meaning you are energised for longer as well as stay fuller for longer.

It is best to have a minimum of 1g of carbohydrates per kg of your bodyweight, you can get this from the following:

• Whole grain pasta
• Whole grain bread
• Basmati rice

Some good post-workout snacks with everything you need:

• Omelette with vegetables
• Porridge with protein powder and fruit
• Whole grain toast with nut butter
• Protein shakes if you’re in a rush
• Protein smoothie
• Turkey bacon with scrambled eggs on whole grain bread