Thread: Sugar post workout

depending if you follow the insulin spike

You should keep away from solid foods for an hour or so after you work out.

You can put pure dextrose in your PWO shake. I like to use honey.

The difference between raising your sugar levels after a workout versus at nearly any other time comes down to insulin. When your body is in a catabolic state insulin promotes muscle growth. At nearly any other time insulin will promote the storage of fat. If you want to learn more, read the book entitle "Nutrient Timing".

As a side note, bananas have a glycemic index of around 50 while honey has a glycemic index of around 85. The higher the index the greater the spike in blood sugar levels which causes a spike in insulin.

Or so I've been told.

Originally Posted by cfs3

You should keep away from solid foods for an hour or so after you work out.

You can put pure dextrose in your PWO shake. I like to use honey.

The difference between raising your sugar levels after a workout versus at nearly any other time comes down to insulin. When your body is in a catabolic state insulin promotes muscle growth. At nearly any other time insulin will promote the storage of fat. If you want to learn more, read the book entitle "Nutrient Timing".

As a side note, bananas have a glycemic index of around 50 while honey has a glycemic index of around 85. The higher the index the greater the spike in blood sugar levels which causes a spike in insulin.

Or so I've been told.

Thank you, very helpful. Never thought of using honey. I have it so I'll most certainly use it from now on, and I'll take a look into that book. Thanks again.

You're welcome.

You can also use some all natural peanut butter.

Nutrient Timing is a great book and not very expensive.

wait, if bananas have such a low GI, why are they so bad? everyone disses bananas... what's the problem?

cfs3 is comparing the banana's GI to the Honey.. Bananas still counts as a high GI fruit

Originally Posted by cfs3

You're welcome.

You can also use some all natural peanut butter.

Nutrient Timing is a great book and not very expensive.

PB with post workout shake??

Originally Posted by squanto

wait, if bananas have such a low GI, why are they so bad? everyone disses bananas... what's the problem?

Because once one person says something - it tends to spread like a bad cold!

The only reason why banana's are not as good as some of the other fruits when you are cutting is because it's glycaemic LOAD is higher - this means that it has a higher glucose content per fruit than the other fruits (it is more calorie dense and it has a higher proportion of those calories coming from glucose as apposed to the higher fructose % of the other fruits).

I have always felt that bananas are perfectly acceptable around workouts or first thing in the morning... Sure, you may want to cut them out in the last few weeks of a competition cut but they definately do not need to be cut from a healthy weight loss diet or at other times!

I would not use honey for PWO - honey is actually low GI (only one of the 11 GI studies performed on honey have it as having a high GI of 85... All the other studies have it as a low to low-intermediate GI due to its high fructose content). Plus, honey doesn't offer you anything but calories. The banana offers you water, glucose, starch, potassium, Vit B.... Much better in my opinion.

If you make yourself up a shake with a banana/berries + whey + ice +/- some skim milk +/- some oats then this is perfectly acceptable for PWO.

I typically always agree with you Emma and think you give the best advice. AND, I agree with most of this post, however, I do disagree with banana's being ok for a scrict weight loss diet. Healthy lifestyle/trying to lose a few pounds is one thing but I've never seen a competition diet/strict cut include bananas due to it's higher calorie count and it is mostly glucose and sucrose and a lower fiber count of 2G. Any fruit is a much healthier option than junk food but when it comes to a stict diet, I have to say most fruits and dairy have no place in that kind of diet.

Originally Posted by Jodi

I do disagree with banana's being ok for a scrict weight loss diet. Healthy lifestyle/trying to lose a few pounds is one thing but I've never seen a competition diet/strict cut include bananas due to it's higher calorie count and it is mostly glucose and sucrose and a lower fiber count of 2G. Any fruit is a much healthier option than junk food but when it comes to a stict diet, I have to say most fruits and dairy have no place in that kind of diet.

Yeah - I agree with you that on the strict comp cut they usually need to be cut out (I did say that "you may want to cut them out in the last few weeks of a competition cut" ).... I know some people who eat them during comp. cuts, but most people will cut them out in favour of higher fibre starchy carbs.

Sorry, not trying to step on toes , I just wanted to clarify. Some, very few, but some, are fortunate enough to be able to eat any and all fruit and dairy on a comp diet. Unfotunately most are not, like myself, I would kill for a banana right now.

Originally Posted by cfs3

You're welcome.

You can also use some all natural peanut butter.

Nutrient Timing is a great book and not very expensive.

Originally Posted by cfs3

You should keep away from solid foods for an hour or so after you work out.

How do you get carbs post w/o then??? Only one of the most important things you can do diet wise when it comes to woring out.....

Solid foods, not all foods.

Originally Posted by Jodi

Sorry, not trying to step on toes , I just wanted to clarify. Some, very few, but some, are fortunate enough to be able to eat any and all fruit and dairy on a comp diet. Unfotunately most are not, like myself, I would kill for a banana right now.

Don't worry - No toes were sqwished in the posting of your post!

Mmmm... Nana.... Well there is always x-mas day!!

Originally Posted by sara

PB with post workout shake??

Yep. I know it's not the best thing to add to a PO shake, but it tastes good with chocolate whey. It's my treat after my workout on leg-day.

It can be a treat for last meal of the day without the bananas of course

Originally Posted by cfs3

Yep. I know it's not the best thing to add to a PO shake, but it tastes good with chocolate whey. It's my treat after my workout on leg-day.

Sounds to me you are more cheating than treating yourself by adding fats to your pwo shake.

Originally Posted by cfs3

Solid foods, not all foods.

Ok but oats, grits, bannanas, rice, crackers,.....they are all solids. Honey is even considered a solid I believe.

Originally Posted by cfs3

Yep. I know it's not the best thing to add to a PO shake, but it tastes good with chocolate whey. It's my treat after my workout on leg-day.

That is probably the worst time to have it. Especially after a leg day...you legs are the biggest muscles in your body and when it comes to post w/o nutrition you need protein and carb ASAP to help them grow. By adding pb to your shake you slowing the absorbtion rate down of the protein and you aren't giving yourself any proper carbs. Sometimes you need to sacrfice taste post w/o. I just throw some splenda in my shake and chug it.

Originally Posted by cfs3

Yep. I know it's not the best thing to add to a PO shake, but it tastes good with chocolate whey. It's my treat after my workout on leg-day.

What?!? NEVER add a fat source to your post w/o shake!

Originally Posted by rock4832

What?!? NEVER add a fat source to your post w/o shake!

I rest my case!

Originally Posted by cfs3

When your body is in a catabolic state insulin promotes muscle growth.

Somewhere I heard that insulin spike would hinder the ability of the body to breakdown fat.

I think you can have fat in your post cardio meal.. if you only doing cardio and no weight training

Originally Posted by sara

I think you can have fat in your post cardio meal.. if you only doing cardio and no weight training

True...I also agree....but would you agree on no fats post weight training?

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

True...I also agree....but would you agree on no fats post weight training?

I agree with no fats on post weight training
Not unless you cutting on all carbs throughout the whole entire day

I most cases yes. However, there are times, such as last few weeks of competition dieting, that having some fat PWO to assist keeping blood sugar levels low is a good idea.

Originally Posted by sara

I agree with no fats on post weight training
Not unless you cutting on all carbs throughout the whole entire day

O don't we just love those days. I remember the hell I went through last year when I had a few of those every week LOL. Damn you Jodi...it was all your fault!