You know that post-workout exhaustive ‘glow’? Where your body’s screaming at you for something, but you’re not quite sure what? Here’s the answer.
Within 10 minutes of finishing high intensity exercise, your body has a narrow window during which you can modify your nutrition to maximise recovery and the benefits of the exercise.
Once you’ve finished training, you should be consuming protein and glucose (a carbohydrate) as follows:
- Consume an easily digestible protein that wont take a huge amount of blood away from the skeletal muscles to digest. I suggest an unflavoured whey protein mixed in water. Easily digestible with a high bioavailability.
- This should be mixed with very high Glycaemic Index carbohydrates. Maldextrose (glucose) is the best you can get. The aim is to replenish the stores of glycogen in the muscles and in the liver. Glucose is the best method for achieving this. Hepatic (in the liver) glycogen is responsible for keeping blood sugar at a constant level. These extra stores of glycogen are invaluable to prevent periodic crashes in blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day. We want to give our body all the tools to manage our energy requirement ultra-precisely. This is the only time where high GI carbohydrates are a good thing. In his article “Using Evolution And Exercise Physiology To Customize Your Carb Intake”, Robb Wolf tells us: “Due to changes at the cellular level – GLUT4 translocation to muscle cell membrane, conversion of glycogen synthase to its active I-form, etc. – there is a “metabolic preference” to store carbohydrates as glycogen vs. body fat in the post-workout period. This is also why fat-burning rates remain high despite a high carb intake in the post-workout period. Not true in a sedentary state.” We need this storage of glycogen because “Low glycogen levels as the result of inadequate carbohydrate intake are associated with low energy levels, fatigue, lack of motivation, and decreased performance. Conversely, numerous studies have documented the positive effects of carbohydrate intake and elevated muscle glycogen concentration on performance, work output, and high intensity intermittent activity.”
In simple terms, mix 30 grams of whey protein isolate with 60 grams of glucose in water and shake. Consume as soon as possible after exercise.
