Post-workout shake. You may have heard of this concept, but what does it really do? Baseball player, boxer, wrestler, football player, soccer player..I don't care what sport you are involved in. You break your body down when you train, don't miss out on your one opportunity in the day to maximize results.
You workout to get better. Cardio improves your cardiovascular health, and resistance training helps you accelerate lean muscle mass. More muscle mass means a toned and well-defined physique. It means protection against injury. It means a faster metabolism. When you resistance train, however, you are actually causing micro trauma to your muscle cells. They are being damaged. A flood of lactic acid builds up, "exhaust" from the muscle engine, causing a "burn". Blood rushes to provide nutrients and carry away the exhaust, and you feel a "pump". A few days later, remnants of the destruction that you caused, such as hydroxyproline acid (an amino acid) cause DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. It sounds bleak.
One of the key discoveries in recent years is the fact that your body KNOWS it is being abused, and is ready to fix that after you complete a resistance training workout! Your muscle cells become "primed" to receive nutrients. This is an optimal time to consume a nutrient-rich shake, and any supplements you are taking, such as creatine and glutamine. Why a shake - why not a whole food meal? Because, for once, we are in a rush - we want that material to get to the muscle cells, and fast!
A post-workout shake serves many purposes. The proper combination of protein, carbs, and fat will raise insulin levels, which are a signal to your cells to store nutrients. Typically, this can be a bad thing - if your fat cells start their dirty work, you will simply gain mileage on your waist. However, after a resistance training workout, it is your muscle cells that shuffle to the front of the line and gobble up any nutrients that are present!
An ideal post-workout shake will contain quality proteins, preferably branched-chain amino acids that support immune system function. The primary source of this is whey and egg whites. It will contain a high level of high glycemic carbohydrate, to stimulate insulin and replace the fuel in your muscle cells. This is the one time that simple sugars( Dextrose ) work best - because instead of being stored as fat, chances are your body is ready - and will pull them inside your muscle cells! Fat will also increase the insulin response, and healthy fats will provide material to help your body rebuild and recover.
So how much should be in the shake? Based on personal experience, after training many clients, we feel that the best post-workout shake will contain about half of your lean mass in carbohydrate (possibly more if your goal is primarily muscle gain over fat loss). It will contain 1/3 the amount of carbs as protein, and 1/4 the amount of fat as protein. There are many shakes formulated specifically for post-workout consumption that you might look into. Or, you can create your own - for example, I use 1 whole banana and 2 scoops of Beverly International's Mass Maker. Mix this in a blender with a handful of ice and an amount of water based on desired thickness, and you have a whole food shake ready to replenish your exhausted muscles! Of course, you will have to adjust these portions based on your own amounts. Key in your body weight and body fat, and this calculator will provide what we believe is the optimal post-workout breakdown.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
The best time to take it? As soon as you can after training!
My favorite combo to meet my body's demand for nutrition to start the rebuilding.
40 Grams of 100% Whey
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup homogenized & Pasteurized egg whites
5 Grams Glutamine
5 Grams Creatine
5 Grams BCAA
1 Tsp Dextrose
Followed 1 hr later with a solid meal.
Rich-