What to consume in post-training

After you have finished your training , your body is very exhausted and looking for nutrients to use to start the repair process, which allows us to heal and get stronger for our next exercise session . During the first 90 minutes after our training session, our insulin sensitivity is much higher and slowly decreases.

This is because our weight training routine has shocked our body and uses a lot of its fuel right away and is willing to replace it. So during this time, it is a good idea to eat a lot of carbohydrates.

Increased insulin levels after training is not harmful and will not cause an increase in fat storage as the nutrients will go to skeletal muscle at this time.

After training, fast absorbing carbohydrates are recommended. You will need blood sugar levels to rise rapidly to transport nutrients to the muscles . Carbohydrates with a glycemic index of 100 would be the most optimal. We also want it to be in liquid form for faster absorption. Maltodextrin and dextrose are the best options.

After your training you can consume up to 30% of your total daily calorie consumption without worrying since your body will not store it in fat, as I said before. There are several things to take into account when post-training:

• Don’t stop eating, even if you’re not hungry or don’t want to.
• Drink plenty of water with food and afterwards.
• Eat some protein with your meal, so carbohydrates and water will help transport protein into the cell to begin repairing muscles. (There will be a small insulin spike in your system.)
• Try to avoid consuming fat with this meal, as it slows down the rate of digestion and lowers the insulin spike.
• A post-workout drink, such as a commercial meal replacement supplement, is optimal for providing adequate amounts of protein and carbohydrates, to aid protein synthesis and limit protein breakdown.

Supplements you can use in post-training:

1. Whey protein

It is essential in creating the insulin spike and in helping to build new muscle. It is a must to consume it if you train. Some say you need a ton of protein right after training, but if you eat tons of protein, you’re just going to pee it out.

Protein companies want to make you think that you should consume large amounts of it and that way they make more money. So don’t eat more protein than your body can handle or you’ll end up in the bathroom.

2. Dextrose and maltrodextrin

These are also very important in achieving your insulin spike. It also helps to quickly reload your glycogen reserves. They are cheap and you can buy them in almost any store.

3. Creatine

During the insulin spike, if creatine is present in the blood, it enters the muscle along with the insulin. Creatine increases your ATP (adenosine triphosphate) stores faster rather than letting your own body replace them.

4. Antioxidants

These supplements are important in reducing muscle fatigue. They are used for your body to create the two enzymes to control free radicals. They reduce muscle fatigue by preventing free radicals from damaging muscle tissue. Some oxidants are vitamin E and C or zinc, to name a few. There are many more and you can buy them as supplements.

5. BCAA (branched-chain amino acids)

BCAAs are great for maintaining nitrogen balances. They are digested in skeletal muscle and prevent muscle fatigue.