The importance of post workout nutrition cannot be undermined.
In order to recover properly from your workouts your body needs
essential nutrients to rebuild and re-energize. You’ve worked
hard in the gym, or just completed your run, or just finished an
intense game and don’t want your sweat and effort to go
unrewarded right? Well, the following information is essential
in assuring you get the most from your training as well as
helping your body recover as best it can.

It is important to realize that making poor food choices
following exercise can not only reduce the benefits of exercise
but it can also weaken your immune system, increase the
likelihood of injury, cause hypoglycemia (drop in blood sugar)
and reduce your energy and performance during subsequent
exercise sessions.

Carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats all have an important
role in the post exercise nutrition. While working out or
exercising, your body mainly uses muscle glycogen and blood
glucose as its main fuel sources. These glycogen and blood sugar
levels can be severely depleted upon completion of an intense
workout and must subsequently be replenished to ensure proper
recovery.

Exercise, and specifically weight lifting, causes microtears in
the muscle fibers (protein degradation). This is what causes
muscle soreness but also what stimulates their recovery to a
stronger state than before. Since muscles are made up of
protein, post-workout protein consumption is important to foster
quick and full regeneration.

I also highly recommend adding essential fatty acids for the
role they play in reducing inflammation, supporting the immune
system, and building healthy cell membranes.

Another component I recommend adding to a post-exercise
smoothie is Maca. Maca is an ancient Peruvian root vegetable
that has tremendous adrenal supporting benefits. Considering
that intense exercise places significant stress on the adrenal
glands, maca can play a noteworthy role in helping your body
come back to balance and reduce its stress load. Maca powder is
the easiest form to use.

After your exercise session, fuel replenishment (glycogen
stores), muscle regeneration, and rehydration (discussed later)
are your three main goals. As such, food choices that stimulate
the release of insulin (ie. sugars) will cause the most
effective uptake of carbohydrates into the muscles. This
increase in insulin levels due to consuming carbohydrates after
exercise also increases muscle repair because insulin stimulates
muscle protein synthesis. High quality protein and essential
fatty acids will foster proper recovery of muscle tissue and
other cellular damage, respectively.

The quicker you can get the proper nutrients into your body
after your workout, the more effective your recovery will be.
And just to reiterate, by ensuring that nutrients come from
plant-based whole foods, you will greatly assist your recovery.
One study out of Denmark showed that a vegetarian group of
athletes recovered in 1/5 of the time it took the “meat-eating”
athletes. Something to consider the next time you reach for that
steak!

The ideal is to consume a quickly absorbable (high glycemic
index) form of carbohydrates within 15 minutes of your workout’s
end. This can take the form of a sport drink, fruit juice,
fruit, or the sport gels and puddings. After this initial
glucose-rich drink/snack, you can have a more substantial
smoothie that balances carbohydrate-rich foods with high quality
alkalizing proteins (hemp or whey) and essential fatty acids.

Whey protein has been found to stimulate the release of
insulin. Therefore, it would be an effective protein to consume
after an exercise bout as the extra boost of insulin will help
drive nutrients into the muscle cells. Whey protein is also a
very high-quality protein that would help muscles recover more
quickly. You can throw in some Maca if you like as well.

After your smoothie, it is preferable to have a more balanced
and substantial meal no later than 2 hours post workout. As with
your smoothie, this meal should contain good sources of
carbohydrates, proteins, and essential fatty acids. Remember
that you want to choose whole living plant-based foods for they
have tremendous life force, contain huge amounts of enzymes, and
are mostly alkaline forming in the body.

Yuri Elkaim is the owner and founder of Total Wellness
Consulting, a leading health, fitness, and wellness company
offering health-conscious individuals the most innovative
information, programs, and technologies to help reach their
goals of physical and mental well being. He is a Certified
Kinesiologist, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, former
Professional Soccer Player, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach
for the University of Toronto men’s soccer program, and regarded
by many as Canada’s leading fitness expert.

For more information on Yuri and his nutrition expertise,
please visit us at eatingforenergy.ca

About The Author: Yuri Elkaim is the author of Eating for
Energy,a guide to healthy eating that has awaken the world to
the power of natural living foods. It includes 120 recipes, a
12-week meal plan, and more great nutritional tools for living
the best life ever! For more information, visit
eatingforenergy.ca

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