What Should You Consider in Post-Exercise NUTRITION?

To get the best results from exercise, it is important to eat the right foods at the right time before / after exercise. For information about pre-exercise nutrition, you can read 'What should you consider in pre-exercise nutrition'. Post-exercise nutrition is at least as important as nutrition beforehand. To understand how eating properly after exercise can help the body, it is important to know how the body is affected during exercise.

During exercise, glycogen stores are used for energy and proteins in the muscles are broken down. This is exactly where the importance of post-exercise nutrition comes in. Regular, healthy eating after exercise:

• Reduces muscle protein breakdown (muscle loss),
• Increases muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth),
• Replenishes glycogen stores, 
• Helps prevent muscle damage.

For these effects, which macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat) should be consumed after exercise, and in what amounts?

Each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat) consumed before exercise has its own benefits. Let us examine the effects of macronutrients on the body:

Protein

Consuming adequate protein after exercise provides the body with amino acids. These amino acids repair the muscle breakdown that occurs during exercise and provide the building blocks needed to create new muscle tissue. To achieve these effects, consuming 0.3-0.5 g per kilogram of protein immediately after exercise is recommended.

Studies have shown that a post-exercise intake of 20-40 g of protein maximizes the body's ability to recover.

Carbohydrate

Post-exercise carbohydrate intake helps replenish the glycogen stores used for energy during exercise. The rate at which glycogen is used depends on the type of exercise. For example, endurance training (swimming, running, etc.) requires more glycogen than resistance training (bodybuilding). After training, consuming 1.1–1.5 g per kilogram of carbohydrate will help replenish adequate glycogen stores.

In addition, consuming carbohydrate and protein at the same time stimulates the release of insulin, which supports glycogen synthesis, more effectively. A meal containing carbohydrate and protein after exercise will therefore be very beneficial. Consuming carbohydrate and protein in a 3:1 ratio would be appropriate. For example, 120 g of carbohydrate and 40 g of protein.

Fat

Fat consumption after exercise is thought to slow digestion and prevent nutrient absorption. However, eating fat after exercise is not as bad as is commonly thought. Fat consumed after exercise slows the absorption of the meal but does not reduce its benefits. Therefore, after exercise, consuming limited amounts of fat will cause no harm.

A study published in 2006 in ‘Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise’ compared the consumption of whole milk and skimmed milk after exercise.

In conclusion;

Whole milk consumed after exercise was observed to be more effective than skimmed milk at increasing muscle growth.

Another study published in the ‘Journal of Applied Physiology’ showed that even a high-fat meal (with 45% of its energy from fat) after exercise did not affect muscle glycogen synthesis.

When you eat after exercise is as important as what you eat

The body's ability to rebuild glycogen and protein increases after exercise. Eating a meal or snack containing carbohydrate and protein as soon as possible after exercise will therefore be beneficial.

Delaying eating for as long as 2 hours after exercise is thought to reduce glycogen synthesis by up to 50%. To get the best results from post-exercise nutrition, the recommended ideal period is the first 45 minutes.

The effects of foods consumed before exercise may continue afterward. Post-exercise eating should therefore take place as early as possible, particularly if no snack or main meal was eaten before exercise.

Examples of macronutrients that can be consumed after exercise:

The main aim of post-exercise nutrition should be to maximize the benefits of exercise through healthy foods that are easy to digest. Examples of easily digested macronutrients include:

Carbohydrate;

• Sweet potato
• Quinoa
• Fruit (pineapple, banana, kiwi) 
• Rice
• Oatmeal 
• Potato
• Pasta
• Dark green leafy vegetables

Protein;

• Animal- or plant-based protein powder
• Eggs
• Yogurt 
• Milk
• Low-fat cheese
• Salmon
• Chicken

Fat;

• Avocado
• Raw nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts) or unsweetened raw nut butters
• Olive oil

Examples of practical meals and snacks you can prepare with these healthy, easily digested macronutrients include:

• Grilled chicken, sautéed vegetables and whole wheat pasta 
• Whole grain bread with mashed avocado and an egg omelet 
• Grilled salmon and baked sweet potato 
• Tuna sandwich on whole grain bread
• Salad with quinoa and grilled chicken 
• Milk, oats, protein powder, banana and raw nuts
• Whole wheat bread, curd cheese and fruit 
• Hummus, sautéed vegetables and whole wheat bread 
• Unsweetened granola, yogurt, peanut butter and dried fruit 
• Peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread

In addition to nutrition, it is worth remembering the importance of drinking enough water.

During exercise, water and electrolytes are lost through sweat. Replacing the water and electrolytes lost after exercise helps the body recover and prevents poor performance in the next training session.

Comment & Summary

To get the most out of exercise, eating a balanced, healthy meal as soon as possible will be very beneficial. If you train 3-4 times a week for 1-2 hours to lead an active life or lose weight, you can meet your requirements through food without needing supplements such as protein powder. In addition, to prevent fluid loss, we can recommend plenty of water; to prevent electrolyte loss, we can recommend a bottle of mineral water instead of sports drinks whose ingredients you do not know, provided you do not have hypertension.