After a cardio, or even a strength-training exercise, you may end up feeling exhausted. It’s best for your body if you’ve already figured out what you’ll eat after the workout. In fact, post workout foods are considered the most important meal of the day. And if you’re wondering why (like many others who shy away from a meal after a gym session), it’s because your body creates a ‘window of opportunity’ during which time taking the right nutrients will be of utmost benefit to you. Other than water, the two most important things that your body badly needs after a workout are proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins will work to repair your tired muscles by replenishing the amino acids –the building blocks of protein – that were used up during exercise, while carbohydrates are necessary for restoring your lost energy or ‘fuel’ in the form of glycogen.

So what types of food are best?

Before looking at the best post workout foods to take after a cardio, it’s quite important that you get your timing right. Strictly speaking, replenishing 30 minutes to one hour after the exercise is the most recommended time. For the carb to protein ratio, 2 to 1 is the best but the amount you consume ought to be in relation to your lean body mass. For instance, 40-80 grams of carbohydrates and 20-40 grams protein if you weigh 160lb of lean body mass –and depending on whether you want to cut or build mass. Now let’s move on to the foods need to eat. Ideally, you’d want a snack/meal that is low in fat, since fat slows down the digestion process and carbs and proteins that can be digested fast.

Post Workout Foods

Carbohydrates

After intense cardio, your body is depleted of its reserves of glucose and glycogen. Taking a post workout shake helps you recover and is crucial for stimulating the release of insulin by raising the blood sugar level. This insulin release is necessary for the transportation of nutrients to the muscle cells.

Dextrose

Dextrose is an ideal choice by many people in their post-workout shakes. While it may sound as a ‘bad’ carb, this is actually the time you need it the most. Of course, you need to find something that will quickly raise your blood sugar levels, and what better thing than dextrose… Take note that it is not a supplement but a type of sugar – glucose to be precise – that is either found in powder form or in energy drinks. Some people still freak out at the thought of dextrose being converted to fat, which is the worst-case scenario when you’re workouts are all about burning fat. But the point they miss is that after exercise, it’s the muscles that are in dire need of recovery and repair. So this intake of dextrose, which has a high glycemic index and gets digested quickly, is the perfect treat to restore your muscle glycogen levels. Missing out on this replenishment opportunity only makes your muscles suffer. You may consider other post workout foods like oatmeal, bread and brown rice, and while they offer greater nutritional value, they do not solve the problem immediately since they take longer to digest.

Post Workout Foods: Proteins

Whey Protein

You’ll need protein that can be digested fast to repair your muscles within the one hour post-exercise period. Again, the most effective option would be a protein shake made of whey protein powder which is known to break down very fast.

Chocolate Milk

Low-fat chocolate milk is a great option to have after your workouts. Not only is the carb to protein ratio optimally balanced, it also contains high protein content that has been established to be a lot more effective at synthesis of muscle protein than soy-based proteins. Another plus is that 20% of cow milk protein is whey protein, which is exactly what the body needs at this time. The good news is that you can make your own with powdered milk, so this is something you wouldn’t want to miss in your gym bag.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter offers another high-protein source for your post-workout. You’d want it low-fat though, and two tablespoons spread on wholegrain bread will be just fine.

Other Proteins

Yoghurt and nuts are also some of the best post workout foods too, but again, you must watch the fat-levels in them. Tuna fish, turkey chicken, eggs and beef are all rich protein sources, but as post workout foods they’ll not be quick enough to digest and get the muscles on recovery. Ultimately, the best post workout foods are actually those that may normally not be considered as healthy – like simple carbohydrates in the form of glucose, sucrose and fructose. These combined with whey protein shake offer instant relief to the muscles by supplying the much needed glycogen and amino acids. What’s important is that you take them within the ‘window of opportunity period’; then you can later on follow up the shakes with a ‘proper meal’ that contains high value carbs and protein.