Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Fitness Quicktip: Consume Protein After a Workout

 [I love the cover of this mag; source: black fashion]

Some people call your "post recovery meal" one of the most important meals of the day. I remember the days I would finish my weight traning, drink a liter of water, scoff at the gym rats drinking protein shakes, and head for the hills. I will admit, protein got a very bad rap with me because I had the assumption that I would "bulk up" if I regularly ate protein bars, or drank protein shakes. However,  I learned shortly thereafter that protein intake is essential in helping to repair the muscles [protein synthesis] used during workout sessions.

Studies show that your body is most receptive to vitamins and nutrients during the 45 minute period after your workout. The type of protein is also important, you should be looking for a mix of casein and whey protein. Out of those two types of protein, whey is absorbed faster, while casein is primarily used to regulate amino acid release.


I normally drink Chocolate Milk [Horizon Nonfat Chocolate Milk] after my weight training regimen [which was suggested by my trainer], not any old chocolate milk; but one that is low in fat, carbs, and sugar. Chocolate milk consists of 80% whey protein and 20% casein. This is the perfect post-recovery drink for people like myself that can't stomach the taste of protein shakes/bars [and is also cheaper. hell-lo]. Remember if you choose to go this route, be sure to check the fat and sugar content before buying that gallon of chocolate milk :-)

10 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tip! I'm going to look into that!!

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  2. Great tip! Thank you so much for this one, considering I am on a mission to drop at least 10 more lbs (before babies)...whoo hoo!!!

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  3. @Anonymous hey sorry for leaving out that info! I put the brand of the chocolate milk up!

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  4. Wow I totally didn't know you could drink chocolate milk!! Those protein shakes just don't do it for me lol I have to CHUG IT DOWN! And hold my nose lol. Thank you so much :)

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  5. Taking protein after a workout depends on what your goal is, be it muscle repair, maintenance, and or building. Timing of protein ingestion and the type of protein (pro) r key if u want to maximize your workout results/goals.

    Ideally it is recommended that a slow acting pro (casien)be taken as much as 1 hour before your workout or at bedtime (if you workout early in the morning) and a combination of fast acting pro(whey pro) & carbohydrate (preferably glucose)taken 15-40 mins after a workout.
    However it should be noted that not all protein isolates are made equal in terms of quality so its best to do your RESEARCH and read the LABEL before u indulge in a protein supplement.

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  6. @Seygra20 fasting acting whey protein is needed in muscle repair during weight training which i think is what she uses it for. However you need a combination of both whey pro and casien. without casien it is harder for your body to properly synthesize to rebuild muscles.

    I am a board certified trainer and i recommend my gals and guys drink milk after a workout specifically for this purpose. I just read an article in fitness mag that suggested milk aids in recovery better than any sports drink or supplement out there.

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  7. First time commenter but I've been reading your blog for the past month.
    Thanks for the tip. When I go to the gym after my workout I would just drink water and I thought I was okay. I guess I'm wrong. Ha.
    I recently became a vegetarian and I'm lactose intolerant. Is there anything else that you would recommend drinking or eating?

    Thank you. :)

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  8. woman you are GOD SENT... i jus tbought protein shake powder today .i spoke with a GNC rep he recommended it for recovery...
    then i asked a friend he's like.. no it'll make u gain weight... which is technically true... but in muscle... not bulk up per say

    i then asked a friend who played football for duke for 4 years and hes like both are right it'll have u gain muscle weight but not necessarily a lot of muscle weight

    and so i was like ok i'll keep the shakes....then you GOD SENT post reconfirmed it... thank you
    i LOVE your blog.. please... never stop you are like a one stop shop for everything

    -Cece

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  9. @CeceUnedited; HA! Thank you very much!! I appreciate it! It will make you gain some muscle, but not to the point where you look like a man!

    You would have to take some kind of steroids for that to happen, as we don't have enough testosterone for it to happen naturally!

    Now that we know this, we can drink until our hearts content [well not really, but you get the point! lolllll]

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  10. Thank you so much! Im on my way to get this now. i cant wait wait to see some definition on my abs and this seems to be the solution. How many do you drink after a 1 hour workout?

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