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[P558]Post Workout Recovery Drink

by Naweko San-joyz, Naw

I was so embarrassed for her. After a grueling 45 minutes on the Stairmaster, Kathy rewarded herself with a bag of Ruffles and a Diet Coke. Yet still insatiable, she drank two breakfast drinks and finished off little Emily's last five Oreos.

Kathy's post workout binges are nothing new. Neither are the extra 10 pounds living around her hips that she can't seem to lose. But once Kathy puts these simple three steps to good use, she'll smile gaily as her last 10 pounds will melt away.

Step 1: Eat at least 45 minutes before you exercise. Ok, if you are now envisioning guilt eating and compensation exercising, stop. This is not about eating a chocolate bar now and exercising it off later. It's about, giving your body the energy it needs to sustain a good 45-60 minute workout.

Eat a light snack consisting of 300-500 calories. This could be a bagel, with a slice of turkey and a whole tomato. Or it could be a protein bar.

The point is to get some carbohydrates, proteins and fats in your system now so that it has something to run on later. With this pre-workout meal, carbohydrates are critical because you want energy for your workout. Eating 45 minutes before a workout will not make you fat. If anything, it will speed up your metabolism if you do this regularly.

Step 2: Drink lots of water while exercising Your body should be 70% water and it knows this. When exercising, you could easily lose up to three pounds of water during one exercise. Please don't beat yourself up if you don't lose three pounds. I watch women get upset at the gym everyday after their post-workout weighing ritual, if they haven't lost weight. The weight will come off.

If you drink while exercising, you may be able to exercise longer. But more importantly your body will not have to cry out for water after you finish exercising.

Also, water can give you the sensation of fullness so that you can calmly wait for your post workout meal without getting ravenous.

Step 3. Eat a meal at least 45 minutes after you workout. Even if you are not hungry after your workout, you should train yourself to eat within 45 minutes of exercising. The body is patient and it will take a lot of mistreatment up to a point.

The problem with waiting until you are hungry to eat is that the body continues doing gazillion operations until you decide to eat. This usually happens when you get the ?Gosh, I'm hungry now!? feeling.

In truth, at this stage, you're not hungry, you're famished and you have no time or patience to be judicious with what you eat. What's more, you're more likely to overeat.

So, feed your body with a 300-500 calorie meal within 45 minutes of exercising. Again, make sure that this meal has carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

For the post-workout meal, eating a lean protein proves critical because your body is in repair mode and it needs protein to rebuild your body.

If you can avoid post-workout binges for the next five weeks, yu can certainly melt away those last 10 pounds. Here's the secret to never having an excuse for not eating your pre and post-workout meals: Make your meals simple and place them in your purse or gym bag.

On occasion, your can even replace a meal with a well-balanced protein shake. Now, no more embarrassing post-workout pig fests, you know what to do instead.

The post-workout period is without a doubt the most critical time to take advantage of proper muscle-building nutrition. We'll define the post workout period as the 3 hours that immediately follow an intense workout. It is during this time when the body is most primed for nutrient absorption and the muscles will literally act like a sponge, soaking up everything you present them with. By feeding your body with the proper nutrients from both whole foods and supplements during this all-too important time frame you will greatly increase your muscle gains and improve your recovery time.

Let's take a quick look at what needs to be accomplished after an intense workout:

1) Muscle breakdown must be minimized and the body must be put back into an anabolic, muscle-building state.

2) Blood sugar and glycogen levels must be restored.

3) Free radicals must be neutralized.

4) The muscles must be fed with proper nutrients to facilitate recovery and growth.

This can be accomplished by consuming 2 special "post-workout meals".

The first meal should be consumed entirely in liquid form. Your body is in a high state of stress, literally starving for nutrients, and you need to replenish this imbalance in the fastest way possible. A liquid meal will be digested quicker than any other and will allow your body to start rebuilding itself immediately.

This post-workout shake should ideally contain the following:

1) 30-40 grams of whey protein.2) 70-80 grams of simple sugar. (Dextrose is a great sugar to use)3) 5 grams of creatine.4) 5 grams of glutamine.

All of these ingredients should be mixed in water and consumed within half an hour of completing your workout. I would also suggest taking a high-potency multivitamin along with the shake. This simple liquid meal will go a long way in accelerating the muscle growth process and helping you to recover.

About 45 minutes to an hour after your post-workout shake, you should consume your second post-workout meal, which should come from whole foods. This meal should be rich in protein and high glycemic carbohydrates. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that are broken down rapidly into the bloodstream. Some examples include, potatoes, white rice or rice cakes. Here are a couple of examples of what your second post-workout meal might look like:

1) 6oz steak, 1 potato, 1 glass of orange juice2) 1 can of tuna, 100g rice cakes, 1 glass of grapefruit juice

This meal will continue to provide your starving muscles with the nutrients they require in order to synthesize new muscle tissue and restore glycogen levels. After this second meal there is still about 2 hours or so to take advantage of as best you can. Your goal in this 3-hour window is to consume as much high quality protein and high glycemic carbohydrates as you can. You should be consuming a large portion of your daily calories during this time period.

Most lifters highly underestimate the value of the post-workout period and hinder their gains as a result. One of the biggest mistakes you could possibly make would be to ignore the value of this 3-hour period and to slack off on your protein and carb intake.

Treat the post-workout period with respect and prepare for a noticeable boost in your muscle size and strength gains!

Article Source : weight loss eating tips

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Both Naweko San-joyz & Sean Nalewanyj are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Naweko San-joyz has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Skin Care and Fat Loss. Are you a pro at yo-yo dieting? Let Naweko show you how to go from slob to sexy using the secret mind tools that even fitness models won't tell you about. Get the real scoop on how to lose weight and keep it off at http//:. Naweko San-joyz's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.

Sean Nalewanyj has sinced written about articles on various topics from Vitamin and Mineral Supplement, Build Muscle and Gym. Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. You can learn more by visiting his website:. Sean Nalewanyj's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.