Post-Workout Nutrition
Protein or Carbohydrate?
It is commonly known that protein has many important functions regarding exercise. One of the most relevant functions is protein’s ability to rebuild muscle. During intense exercise, muscle tissue is broken down. Dietary protein provides the amino acids necessary to rebuild the broken down muscle tissue. It is also known that carbohydrates are a major source of fuel for the muscles. Many say athletes should consume only carbohydrates after intense exercise because carbohydrate is stored in the muscles as glycogen in the days before exercise. So which should it be… protein or carbohydrate?
Some research shows that combining carbohydrate with a little protein at a maximum of one hour after exercise increases the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrate. This provides the muscles with fuel. For optimal refueling, athletes should consume approximately 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight within the first hour after exercise. An example:
160 pound athlete: 160 x 0.5 grams carbohydrate = 80 grams carb = 320 calories of carb
In addition, as little as 6 grams of protein can be added to the 320 calories from carbohydrate to enhance the fueling and repairing of muscles. An example of such a post-workout snack or meal: lean ham and Kaiser roll sandwich, cereal with skim milk, a large bagel with light cream cheese, or spaghetti with lean meat sauce.
This post-workout nutrition will help fuel the muscles for intense exercise the following day and help repair muscle that has been broken down. Such nutrition refueling will in turn help improve workouts to help build muscle. The post-workout meal is critical to recovery and being ready for the next exercise session.
So the bottom line…carbohydrate plus protein helps speed recovery.
Contact Kelli at 501.539.FAST for more info. Email her: kelli@arsportsperformance.com
Reference: Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 3rd Edition by Nancy Clark, MS, RD. Human Kinetics, 2003.
2 comments:
ACSM guidelines:1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day5-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per day, varies with caloric expenditure / athletes physical outputthese are the minimal standards to maintain lean mass, with adjustments you can add or lose weight depending on your needspost high intensity workout carb intake is about insulin manipulation not muscular repair, however post loading carbs will protect your post protein intake which is a must for muscle fiber repair. meal intake directly after your workout is common sense, understand that your heart rate is up, your blood is pumping, and all of your receptors are more active at that point, so it makes sense to load your meal directly after your workout to get the best digestion assimilation and use of the nutrition that your body just broke down. Nutrition is everything to an athlete, it can make and break your performance, and recovery, it is the most important thing to you, if your nutrition is not correct and in place you will suffer more injury, and poor performances.I lift between 10-90 thousand pounds of weight every day 7 days a week, and my body knows when and what i feed it, and it responds accordingly.J. B. ACSM, MAT, AIS, FSNA, CPT, Certified and Licensed
Post workout carbohydrate intake after an intense workout is a must to optimize the repletion of glycogen. Carbohydrate is the main energy source for strength training. Stored as glycogen in the muscles, carbohydrates are the fuel used to supply energy for short, intense bursts of power and perform the intense daily workouts of athletes. During daily workouts, the muscle glycogen is depleted as the muscle performs. The harder and longer an athlete performs, the more glycogen the muscles require. Once these stores of glycogen are gone, the energy level of the athlete will drop and he will run out of fuel to power muscle contractions. If the depleted muscle glycogen is not replaced immediately after the workout, the following day’s workout will suffer. For example: On day 1 of a workout routine, the muscle glycogen is 2.25 grams/100 grams of muscle tissue. This is the optimal amount of stored glycogen for top performance in this particular athlete. After a 10 mile run, the muscle glycogen may be 1.4 grams/100 grams of muscle tissue. If that muscle glycogen is replenished after the workout, the muscle glycogen can be restored to the 2.25 grams glycogen/100 grams of muscle tissue. This will provide optimal performance for the next workout. If this is continued daily, that athlete’s muscles will continually perform at their top performance level. If the muscle glycogen is not replenished day 1, the muscle will begin the workout for day 2 at the suboptimal level of 1.4 grams/100 grams muscle tissue. After another 10 mile run, the glycogen level could be 1.1 grams/100 grams of muscle tissue. Day 3 will begin at this level and fall to levels below 1 gram glycogen/100 grams of muscle tissue. Day after day the muscles are not fueled and become increasingly depleted of glycogen; therefore, muscle fatigue increases and top performance decreases.
Restoring the muscle glycogen by consuming approximately 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise will again increase the total amount of muscle glycogen stored (or 1.5 grams of carbohydrate/kilogram immediately after exercise and an additional 1.5 grams/kilogram 2 hours later). This 30-60 minute time period a sensitive time in the muscle cells. 1) Enzymes that produce glycogen are most effective during this time period. 2) Blood is circulating more to the muscle. 3) Muscles are more sensitive to the uptake glucose. 4) The muscle cells are more sensitive to the effect of insulin. 5) The insulin response is increased which results in more stored glycogen. This provides the muscles with fuel. The body will want this amount of calories after an intense workout. It may even need more if the workout is very hard….and more is ok. However, extra carbohydrate will not speed up the recovery process.
Many Sports Dietitians recommend the following daily nutritional requirements for an athlete:
•Carbohydrate
Athletes doing strength training exercise to build lean muscle need to have an adequate carbohydrate intake to replenish glycogen stores and preserve protein stores. Athlete carbohydrate requirement is generally 55-65% of daily calorie needs. Needs are based upon athletic performance:
- General Athlete: 5-7 grams carbohydrate/kilogram/day
- Endurance Athlete: 7-10 grams carbohydrate/kilogram/day
- Ultra Endurance Athlete: 10+ grams carbohydrate/kilogram/day
•Protein
Protein is the basic building material for muscle tissue. Strength athletes generally need to consume more than the non-exercisers. However, most strength athletes still overestimate their protein needs. Daily protein recommendations for serious strength athletes are about 12-15% of daily caloric needs. Again, needs are based upon the athletic level of each individual. Needs are typically between 1.2-2.0 grams protein/kilogram/day. Elite athletes, whose needs can be 2.0 grams protein/kilogram/day, are different than the high school athlete whose needs are much less.
The average American diet generally contains about twice the recommended amount of protein. Therefore athletes do not need to spend money on protein pills, powders, and special supplements. Instead, spend the money on wholesome carbohydrates such as juice, fruits, whole grains and dried fruit. These carbohydrates will fuel the muscles and enhance their ability to do muscle-building exercise that, along with the daily dietary protein requirement (from lean meats, skim milk, low fat yogurt, low fat cheeses, nuts, etc), will add bulk.
•Fat
After meeting carbohydrate and protein needs, there is room for fat. Fat is an essential nutrient; however, the body requires a small amount of it to remain healthy. Less than 30% of total daily calories should come from unsaturated fat.
These are recommendations for the typical athlete. For more personalized dietary recommendations, set up an appointment with a Registered Dietitian to have an individualized nutritional assessment.
Kelli Kostelnik, RD
Contact me at 501.539.FAST for more info. Email: kelli@arsportsperformance.com
References:
Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 3rd Edition
by Nancy Clark, MS, RD. Human Kinetics, 2003.
Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals, 4th Edition
Publisher: American Dietetic Association
Editor: Marie Dunford, PhD, RD
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