Post-Workout Meals: The How-To Guide
Table of Contents
1. Recovery Starts in the Kitchen
2. Building Blocks
3. Breakfast: Mom Was Right
4. Refueling for the Long Haul
5. Snacking for Sprinting
6. Eat Yourself Strong
7. Post-Workout Drinks - Not Beer
8. The Post-POST-Workout Meal
Chapter 1
Recovery Starts in the Kitchen
So you just got finished with your workout. You drove home, took a shower, and you're feeling
great about exercising so you decide to treat yourself to a candy bar, or maybe order a pizza. Sadly,
that decision would cost you much of the work you just did. What you eat has a huge impact on your
exercise, both on how well you can perform it, and how well you can recover from it. All the workouts
in the world won't get you past a certain point if your diet is chips, salsa, and mozzarella sticks.
When you exercise, your body goes through a series of reactions to the work you just did. Your
muscles break down, they use up the energy they store, and other parts of your body undergo slight
damage. When your body recovers from this damage it becomes just a bit stronger and more durable,
and this is where you actually make improvements in fitness or strength: during recovery, not during
your workouts.
Food, Exercise, and You
In order to repair itself from the damage and draining effects of exercise, your body needs fuel
and raw materials. Luckily for you that doesn't mean you need to go chop down a tree or visit a gas
station, because your body gets both of those things from the same source: the food you eat. Eating
properly gives your body high-quality fuel and prime materials, while eating poorly gives your body
cut-rate materials and gummy fuel that gunks up your engine.
Glycogen is what your body uses to make everything work. This is how your body stores energy
to use later. Your body keeps this in your muscles as well as your liver, of all places. After you
work out your muscles are depleted, and they need energy to get going again, and fuel the
recovery process.
Amino Acids are the basic building blocks of every structure in your body. Your body can get
some of these by creating them itself, but some of them can only be obtained from the outside,
through food. You need amino acids for your muscles to repair themselves and get stronger, as
well as to prevent other parts of your body from breaking down.
Micronutrients are all those things that get listed on the nutrition information on foods.
Vitamins, minerals, and all the rest. The reason they get listed there is because your body needs
these things to work properly, and that includes recovering from exercise. Things like iron can
improve your recovery by helping your blood carry other nutrients around, for example.
TIP
Even bad food is better than nothing after a workout. After exercise your body is craving food, so
it uses it more efficiently than it would if you ate it just sitting around – even unhealthy foods. You
can choose better foods or worse foods, but make sure that you get food as soon as you’re done.
Chapter 2
Building Blocks
The building blocks of your body are also the building blocks of food. All the things you eat can
be divided into three groups of nutrients: carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Alcohol is another source of
calories, but it does so many bad things to your metabolism that you want to avoid it right after a
workout whenever possible. Carbohydrate, protein, and fat each have a role to play in your diet, so
don't exclude any of them. (They're called essential fatty acids for a reason.)
Nutrients
The three major nutrients, or macronutrients each play a different role in repairing your body,
aiding recovery, and providing energy. You want to make sure you get enough fat in your diet, but you
want to minimize how much you eat directly after a workout. Every post-workout meal should include
some carbohydrate and at least a little bit of protein.
Protein provides four calories per gram of energy. However, protein also provides amino acids,
and your body needs those to rebuild itself from the stresses of your daily life, as well as the
exercise you're going to be doing. Make sure you get enough protein. Some good sources of
protein are lean chicken and beef, fish, and certain beans like lentils or black beans.
Fat provides nine calories per gram of energy. Fat is a very dense source of energy, so you're
going to want to watch how much of it you eat. Don't try to cut it out of your diet though. Dietary
fat is necessary for lots of body functions, and you need it to stay healthy. Some good sources of
dietary fat are fish, walnuts, flax, soy, and olive oil.
Carbohydrate provides four calories per gram of energy. Unlike fat or protein, carbohydrate's
only use is as a source of energy, but it's also the best source of energy. Carbohydrate should be
balanced against how much activity you do, but don't cut it out completely. Your brain needs
carbohydrate to function properly, and the last thing you want is a lazy brain.
Carbohydrate is a complicated energy source. There are complex and simple carbohydrates, as
well as fiber. Fiber and complex carbohydrates are excellent sources of energy, but sugars are
generally bad news. If sugars aren't used right away they turn directly into fat, so the only time you
want to eat any sugar is during or right after exercise.
TIP
Alcohol is also a source of calories, but we don't like to talk about it like that. Alcohol is a
completely empty calorie: it has no nutrition, just energy. Alcohol also hurts your absorption of other
energy sources and nutrients. Of course most of us end up drinking at some point or another, but keep
in mind that alcohol does have calories and doesn't help your body in any way, so try to keep it to a
minimum.
Chapter 3
Breakfast: Mom Was Right
Before you can have a post-workout meal, you need to have a pre-workout meal so that your
body has enough energy to actually work out effectively. Breakfast is called that because you're
breaking the long fast your body went through while you slept. Kick starting your body with a good
breakfast will switch it over from a catabolic state, where it breaks down your body, to an anabolic
state, where it builds your body back up.
Wakeup Station
Just like mom always said, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You want to put
together a decent meal for yourself in the morning as a matter of habit. It's worth losing out on 15
minutes of sleep to make sure you eat right in the morning, because what you eat when you wake up
will impact how you feel and what else you eat the rest of the day. Your morning meal should be high
in fiber, protein, and fat to give your body a solid energy base for the day.
Eggs provide a ton of protein and very healthy fats. They're easy and quick to cook, making them
ideal for when you stumble into the kitchen half-asleep.
Oatmeal is another great idea for breakfast. Oatmeal is easy and fast if you get the instant kind,
which is just fine. Oatmeal provides some carbohydrate, but as fiber and complex carbs, which
will fuel you for the long term.
Vegetables are always a good idea, and even more so in the morning. Vegetables always have a
good dose of those micronutrients, as well as fiber to keep you full.
Meat can be a good option in the morning as well. Try to use lean meats when possible. You can
throw in some bacon here and there, but don't make it a regular choice.
Beans are another easy, healthy choice for a morning meal. Beans are one of the best sources of
protein outside of meats and also have tons of fiber.
Nuts are a near-perfect meal for breakfast, or even lunch. Nuts have a huge dose of protein and
healthy fats, and are even easier and simpler to make than eggs. This is a good backup option in
case you do oversleep. Grab a handful of nuts as you're getting out the door to give yourself a
good start.
CAUTION
Cereal has become a very popular morning meal, but it's actually far from ideal most of the time.
Cereal is generally simple carbohydrates, and densely packed. That means that it's easy to eat too
much of it, and the energy it gives you will burn off quickly, leaving you hungry soon. It can work in a
pinch if you're short on time, but try to avoid cereal on a regular basis.
Chapter 4
Refueling for the Long Haul
So you had a great breakfast, you got through the day, and then you decided to go for a run, or a
swim. You had a rough day so you didn't want to take it too hard, and just relaxed into the exercise for
a while. Endurance cardio is a great form of exercise, and can yield plenty of cardiovascular fitness
and fat loss. However, the reason it gives you fat loss is because it's energy intensive, and burns off a
bunch of your body's energy stores.
Runnin' on Empty
The first order of business after a long bout of cardio exercise is refueling your muscles. They're
crying out for help, and giving them what they want will not only make you feel better, but has been
shown to make you recover faster. The most important part of a post-workout meal for endurance
cardio is carbohydrate, which will turn right into glycogen for your muscles and liver. You want to
avoid fat, which will slow digestion and make it take longer for those carbs to get into your
bloodstream. Add in a bit of protein to help your muscles recover and you're in business.
Fruit is one of the best post-workout foods for cardio exercise. Fruit is almost entirely simple
sugars that will be digested very quickly, and get into your bloodstream and then into your
muscles as quick as possible.
Sports drinks are just about perfect for post-cardio recovery also. Most sports drinks were
designed specifically for endurance work recovery. They have water, which is always important,
as well as sugars and salts to help you rehydrate.
Gummi Bears or similar sugar candies will work in a pinch. You don't want to have a heavy
candy bar with all kinds of fat in it, but Gummi Bears are pure sugar and will go right towards
recovery.
Pretzels are good choice as well. They have simple carbohydrates and usually have some salt to
gain back what you lost from sweating.
A general rule of thumb is to focus on simple foods that will digest easily and quickly, like the
ones above. Your goal should be mostly carbohydrate with just a bit of protein, around an 85/15 ratio
of carbohydrate to protein. Aim to have about 200-300 calories worth of recovery food after a workout
and then make sure to give it time to settle and work before you have another meal. You don't want to
bolt your post-workout meal and then jump right into dinner.
TIP
Many companies have made products specifically for endurance recovery. Most of the time these
come as gels, and most of the major athletic food companies have one. These are a great option if you
want a simple, easy alternative. They're usually about 100 calories of pure sugar with a few nutrients
and electrolytes thrown in. Grab one after your run, but make sure to drink plenty of water with it as
well.
Chapter 5
Snacking for Sprinting
When you don't feel like a long, tiring run, sometimes a set of shorter sprints can get you the
workout you need without all the time invested. The way your body reacts to a workout like this is
different than the way it reacts to a lower intensity, longer effort. You still want to make sure you get
a good amount of carbs, but you want to make sure you get a little more protein as well, since your
muscles were working a bit harder to move you around even faster.
Sprinting Suggestions
Your muscles will have broken down a bit more from sprinting than they will from endurancelevel cardio. This type of exercise could be running hills, sprints, circuit training, or calisthenics.
Anything that is short bursts of effort with rest afterwards counts as sprinting for the purposes of
planning a recovery meal. Your muscles will burn a lot of energy, but won't be as depleted from
exercise as they would be from an endurance workout. On the other hand, your muscles will be a bit
more damaged, and so your post-workout meal should reflect this different set of needs, with more
protein added into the mix.
Granola is a good choice for post-sprint food. It has a good amount of carbs and often some
dried fruits or sugar in it, but also has protein to help your muscles recover.
Bagels can be a good recovery food as well, but be careful. Bagels are very dense, so if you didn't
have a tough workout you might want to have only half of one as recovery food.
Energy Bars are great for recovering from this type of workout. They typically have a bit of
protein in addition to plenty of carbs to get you recovering.
Yogurt can be a convenient choice too, since it comes in individual servings. Look for low or
nonfat choices to get the most out of it.
Bananas can be a great fruit option. In addition to the fuel they provide, bananas have salts to
help you rehydrate.
When planning a post-workout meal for this type of workout, you want to have between a 60/40
and a 70/30 ration of carbohydrate to protein. This ratio leans a little more towards protein than
endurance, which should be about 85/15 carbohydrate to protein. The extra protein will help your
muscles repair, and the carbohydrates will carry the protein straight to your muscles.
TIP
You want to be sure to get your recovery meal in within half an hour of working out. Foods like
the ones above can be easy to carry with you on the go. If you know you're not going to be able to get
home within half an hour of finishing your workout, make sure to pack your post-workout meal so you
can have it right away.
Chapter 6
Eat Yourself Strong
Weightlifting and other forms of resistance exercise puts an entirely different type of strain on
your body. Cardio exercise doesn't demand a lot of intense effort from your muscles. Rather, it
demands a lot of energy from your body, over a long period of time, to get your muscles to work at
levels a decent level below what they're capable of. Weightlifting on the other hand asks you to make
your muscles work as hard as they can, for much shorter periods of time. The energy demands are less
intense, but the muscular effort is much greater. Therefore, your body requires a different type of
post-workout meal.
Pour on the Protein
The extra effort you ask of your muscles means that your body suffers more damage during
weightlifting than it does during cardio, even sprint cardio. In fact, the entire point of weightlifting is
to damage your muscles, causing microtears in the tissue, which then get repaired a bit stronger than
before. Your body does need energy to do this, as well as to replace the energy it used making those
tiny tears, but it also needs a whole heapin' helpin' of protein to provide it with the raw materials to fix
those muscles up.
Turkey is an excellent choice for a post-workout meal for weightlifting. Deli turkey is lean and
packed with high-quality protein.
Protein energy bars are another good option. There are a lot of varieties from different
companies, which have more protein than the standard type. Look for bars with at least 10-15
grams of protein.
Egg whites are an excellent source of protein as well. All the fat that would slow down your
body's absorption of nutrients is in the yolks, so the whites alone are a great choice. Hard-boiled
egg whites are easy to pack and with a little salt they taste great and help you rehydrate.
Greek yogurt is a bit better than regular yogurt for weightlifting recovery. Greek yogurt has a
higher proportion of protein and has a decent load of carbs as well to help you regain your
energy.
While protein is the focus of your post-weightlifting recovery meal, you can't ignore carbs either.
Quick-absorbing carbs will help your body recover from every exercise and will speed digestion of
protein as well. Grab some Gummi Bears or a slice of bread with your turkey to add some carbs into
your meal for optimal recovery. For weightlifting post-workout meals you want to aim for a 25/75
split between carbs and protein, and look for about 200-300 calories in total.
TIP
Turkey is one of the simplest meats that's packed with protein, but there are plenty of other
choices. Any lean meat will work great in a sandwich or in a small salad after a workout. Lean beef,
fish and chicken are all excellent choices. As long as you make sure to get lean beef (look for 95% or
98% fat free), a hamburger will actually make an excellent post-workout meal. The meat provides the
protein and the bun gives you a quick burst of carbs.
Chapter 7
Post-Workout Drinks - Not Beer
A good post-workout meal doesn't need to be an actual meal to be effective. Grabbing a turkey
sandwich or a piece of fruit is always nice, but sometimes you want something simpler, and even a bit
easier. Luckily, there are a lot of post-workout options in liquid form for you to choose from as well.
Different types of drinks serve different needs, but it's always a bit easier to just chug a smoothie or a
shake than it is to throw together or plan out a little meal to bring with you. Drinks also have the
pluses of having a bunch of water in them, and rehydrating is vital after a workout.
Designing Your Drink
One of the most useful characteristics of a liquid meal is the fact that it's much easier to
customize. You can play with the ingredients and look for the specific ratio of nutrients that you want
for the type of activity that you just did. Play around with different ingredients and you'll find one that
works perfectly for you.
Protein shakes are a mainstay of the sports nutrition world. They’re quick and easy to make,
easy to carry around, and engineered to provide you with what you need after a workout. There
are lots of different options to choose from though. There are pre-made packets which have a set
proportion of protein and carbohydrates, and are generally fortified with vitamins as well. Some
well-known brands are Myoplex, Muscle Milk, and Isopure. There are different varieties that to
every activity.
Protein powders are the do-it-yourself version of protein shakes. Many stores sell bulk powders
of simple protein and simple carbohydrates, which you then mix together in whatever proportion
you like. The positive is that you can tailor your mix to exactly what you want each time. The
negative is that you have to tailor your mix to exactly what you want each time.
Smoothies are another excellent option, especially if you finish your workout near your house.
Throw together some ice and yogurt and your choice of fruits, blend it up, and drink it down. You
can try adding some egg whites for additional protein, or even a bit of those protein powders.
Smoothies tend to be a little bit more filling and satisfying, but they do take a little more
preparation.
Low fat chocolate milk is about as perfect a post-workout recovery food as you can find. It has
sugars to refuel you and a solid helping of protein as well. You can mix extra powder or peanut
butter in, or have it with a piece of fruit to create a perfect post-workout snack.
TIP
If you go with powders or shakes, you can buy a shaker bottle to go with it. This lets you dump
the powders into the bottle when you walk out the door and have your meal ready to go. Just add some
water as soon as you finish the workout and drink your meal as you walk out the door.
Chapter 8