Easy European said:
Just got a few questions on what to eat after a workout.
First off, what do you recommend I eat after a workout (weight training), cause the last thing I feel like doing is eating a lot, makes me sick.
What are some good foods to eat after a workout, stuff that I can find around my mom's kitchen preferrably...
Ok - Recommend:
1. Protein - Whey protein powder. An isolate would be better than a concentrate, but it is slightly more $$. Don't get a 'pre-made' mix - a pure protein powder would be best.
If you can't get your hands on whey protein, then some egg whites would be your next best option. These are relatively fast to digets and are a good source of amino acids. But make sure you cook them!! If you have them raw then you are losing have the protein.
Another excellent source of some PWO protein is dairy (see below) - although it is not ideal as the ONLY source of protein due to the high % of casein - it can be used to help add protein to a PWO meal... (on a side note - ricotta cheese is actually made fro the whey protein fraction of milk protein - so if you wanted some FF ricotta cheese would be an excellent alternative as well).
2. Carb source - Although some will suggest dextrose/maltodextrose (which are sugar supplements) to spike insulin and RAPIDLY restore glycogen - but I don't agree... I always suggest a nutrient dense carb source that will help restore water and electrolytes, repair oxidative damage (anti-oxidant activity), restore glycogen, decrease cortisol levels and stimulate anabolism.... So this could be one or a combination of any of the following:
Fruit - Something like a banana is really good PWO. These give a good dose of carbs, Vit C, Vit B and potassium.... Berries (eg: blueberries) are also excellent as a source of antioxidants PWO. Some fruits are not as good for PWO (eg: apples) as they have a higher % of fructose, are slower to digest and not as useful in terms of vitamins/minerals for PWO (NOTE: they are EXCELLENT for other times!!!). Some people use high glucose fruit juices (eg: grape juice) as well.
Skim Dairy Products - These are VERY anabolic. They are insulinogenic (so they will cause insulin release), especially when combined with whey protein, which will help decrease cortisol/aid in glycogen replenishment and amino acid uptake - but they are not excessively insulinogenic like the dextrose/malto. They are also an excellent source of water, vitamins and minerals and help to restore these in the PWO period. And, although lot of people feel that dairy will delay the digestion of whey (because of the casein fraction of the protein) - it is actually not significant enough to be a problem (the casein fraction stays in the gut while the more liquid phase continues to pass through). Also - casein has been shown to be highly anti-catabolic and helps in some of the anabolic substances from the milk/whey from getting into your small intestines...
Thinly rolled oats - This is a great source of more starchy carbs (if you want to stay away from the fruit/skim dairy) with a GI in the intermediate range (this is quick oat/thinly rolled oats - and this is even more so when ground)... This means that, although it is starchy so you get a somewhat quicker release of energy than with the wholegrain thick rolled oats.
There are many other things that you could use - but these are generally the easiest and tastiest options!
Ok - I would be a little concerned about this PWO shake. Although some fruit is good PWO - your ratio of fruit in this recipe is too high... 47g of carbs - of which about 45g is fruit.
