Why is it important to consume a post workout meal?
By vishwa on Nutrition
February 11, 2013
The time after your workout is called the anabolic window. What is it? Web definition: “The period after your workout when your body is most primed for muscle growth.” This is usually within an hour after your training. . It is the time your muscles act like ravening vultures. The claim—the purpose of a workout is to disturb the muscle cells and prod them for further growth. Also, to increase both the breakdown of old muscle protein and the synthesis of new protein. Lou Schuler in the book titled The new Rules of Lifting says, “A meal containing protein and carbohydrates taken right before or after a workout has been shown to limit protein breakdown and increase protein synthesis.
There is, however, a continued nonacceptance to this theory. Primarily, it is claimed that post workout meal blunts growth hormone. What is growth hormone? It suffices to say that it is a hormone that stimulates growth. Specifically, it is claimed that carbohydrates blunts the growth hormone response.
The advantages, however, outweigh the pitfalls of consuming a post workout meal. For instance, if you wait for several hours after a workout to have a meal, protein breakdown continues unabated, and protein synthesis can’t happen sooner to make up for the deficit. So, in all likelihood, you are in a profitable position to consume a post workout meal than neglect it.
Moreover, gaining fat is unlikely if you consume a post workout meal. Your muscles are hungry for nutrients, so gaining fat is questionable. Take advantage of the anabolic window and grow muscles. As Lou Schuler says, “You’d be nuts not to take advantage of it.”
What constitutes a post workout meal? To be continued.
3 thoughts on “Why is it important to consume a post workout meal?”
Comments are closed.
I have read few reports which say that having a post workout meal which causes a spike in insulin blunts HGH release. The proponents of this theory says that a high insulin surge is not congenial for HGH release. Hence they say that to take the double advantage after a post workout, a meal low in GI and high in protein is best suited. But again this is just one more school of thought. Difficult to draw a line isn’t it?
Agreed. Many claim the presence of high glycemic index carbohydrates to be beneficial. High GI carbohydrate–higher insulin levels–better transport of nutrients.
I believe some experimentation helps.