Refueling After Your Workout

What you put into your body post workout is just as important as the workout itself. Post exercise nutrients restore energy, repair and protect muscles. The body’s optimal time for refueling is termed the “metabolic window” and falls between 30-45 minutes after exercise. During this time your muscles are in their greatest state for nutrient absorption and in the greatest need of replenishment. Refueling properly will help to ensure that you have energy for the next workout, and recover quicker from exercise. Your body needs fuel to repair and restore the energy from the workout. Protein is needed to repair muscles and carbohydrates are needed to restore glycogen (energy stored in the muscle). So what’s a healthy and optimal balance?

Research suggests that a 4:1 or 3:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein is ideal (www.ideafit.com).
Examples include:

Banana or apple with a table spoon of almond butter (or your favorite nut spread)
Whole grain bread with a slice of turkey or water packed tuna and hummus
Protein shake
Low fat chocolate milk 🙂

Remember…………..You can’t out train a bad diet!