Post Workout Shake

Post workout nutrition and the “anabolic window.”

You may have heard about the value of drinking protein/carbs right after you work out. 

Let me quickly explain the theory of post workout nutrition.  I’ll provide a research link if you want to study it in detail, but here are the basics:

Stored carbohydrate in the muscle and liver is called glycogen.  Weight training reduces glycogen levels in the muscles (and liver)—think of it like a sponge that you’ve squeezed some of the water out of.  Muscles are primed to absorb glucose (sugar) immediately following training. 

Most of the time you want to avoid spikes in blood sugar/insulin.*  But post workout nutrition is the exception—this is the one time when such a spike may be beneficial.  Carbs taken immediately following training will help refill muscle glycogen.
  
A good post workout shake could have the following:
*A simple (sugary) carbohydrate
*A good source of protein.

The simple carbohydrates will refill muscle glycogen, and the protein will help start the process of rebuilding muscle.

Here’s my post workout shake recipe:

*2 scoops of whey protein (about 50 grams of protein):
Whey is an easily digestible form of protein (you can click the link to check prices).
Optimum 100% Classic Whey, 5 Lbs., Chocolate

*Skim milk
Skim milk provides some more slowly digesting proteins, which helps sustain the anabolic effect of proteins in the muscles.

*Chocolate syrup
This is one of those times when simple sugars may not be a bad idea, especially for hardgainers. 


*1 banana
Fruit has a form of sugar called fructose.  Fructose is beneficial in glycogen resynthesis because it helps refill liver glycogen.  The banana is also great for potassium and other nutrients.

*5 grams of creatine
I take my creatine in my post workout shake.  It seems like an ideal time for the muscles to absorb it, and it makes it easy for me to remember to take it (click below to check prices).

Prolab Creatine Monohydrate, 1000 Grams


You can measure the above ingredients to adjust for your own caloric needs.  

Now that I've said all this, I want to make something clear: you should not over-analyze post-workout nutrition.  Your muscles are not going to shrivel up just because you don't get the "perfect" combination of nutrients right after you train (this is something the supplement companies would have you believe).  I believe the biggest advantage of a post workout shake is the ability to consume extra calories when you may not feel very hungry--this may be very important for "hardgainers."

For those interested in a more thorough explanation of post workout nutrition/glycogen resynthesis, here's one of many articles you can find online:
Glycogen Resynthesis After Exercise

I've written a follow-up article after writing this post.  You can read it here: Post Workout 


You may also want to read How Much Protein? The Shocking Truth