Exactly what to eat after a workout

Whether you’re hitting the yoga mat for a Vinyasa session or power walking through your neighborhood to reach your step goals, physical activity requires fuel. And that means that after your workout, you need to refill your tank. While good nutrition is important at all times, following physical activity with certain foods may help your body recover more efficiently. Read on as experts explain the relationship between nutrition, exercise, and recovery and reveal which foods can be most beneficial.

Physical activity places demands on the body, tapping various systems to keep you firing on all cylinders. “The cardiovascular and respiratory systems work in tandem to supply oxygen and nutrients to working muscles in an attempt to meet the demands of exercise,” says Maya Feller, R.D., a registered dietitian based in New York.

And all that action requires energy. The body’s most readily available source is glycogen, a form of glucose energy stored in muscle tissue. Your body will burn glycogen during your workout and for several hours afterwards, depending on how challenging the activity was, says Kelly Jones, R.D., a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

Activity also affects muscle by setting off a process known as muscle protein breakdown. That may sound harmful, but it’s a beneficial part of exercise. “Physical activity causes the muscles to break down and form micro-tears, which then need to be repaired in order to get stronger and faster,” explains Nicole Lund, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified personal trainer based in New York.

And this is where nutrition comes in. By eating within an hour of the end of your workout, you can both replenish your muscle’s glycogen stores and help optimize muscle repair and growth.

The magic combo of post-workout nutrition is carbohydrates plus protein. Here’s why:

Carbohydrates

Exercise draws down the body’s stores of glycogen, breaking it down into glucose for fuel. “There is only a finite amount stored in the muscle, and there is some stored in the liver that fuels longer exercise sessions,” says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., a professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

To build them back up, you need to eat carbohydrates, which get converted into glucose as they’re digested. Some of that glucose gets squirreled away in muscles as glycogen for later use. This process, known as glycogen synthesis, helps ensure you have the fuel to get through the rest of your day — and that your body is ready to go next time you head out for a hike or do an HIIT workout.

Carbohydrate-rich foods that are quickly digested and absorbed can be especially helpful in glycogen synthesis. And the sooner you eat those carbs after your workout, the speedier glycogen replenishment may be, Feller says — an effect due to increased blood flow to the muscles in the two to four hours after exercise.

Foods that contain quick-digesting carbohydrates include:

• Potato or sweet potato (baked or mashed)

• Fruits (like bananas) 

• Couscous

• Popcorn

• Oats

• Bread

• Cereal such as bran flakes, corn flakes, shredded wheat, and crisped rice

Protein

Protein-rich foods are important for post-workout recovery, too. Amino acids in animal and plant protein stimulate the tissue renewal that defines muscle protein synthesis, says Lund. In other words, protein contributes to the repair of those micro-tears in muscle tissue that naturally occur during activity.

Eating 20 grams or so of protein within 45 minutes of your workout ending is a good goal for supporting your muscles after a workout. Options to consider include:

• Eggs

• Salmon

• Tuna

• Milk or yogurt

• Beef

• Chicken

• Legumes

• Whey protein powder

• Soy protein powder

No matter what time of day you exercise, Weight Watchers has recipes that bring together protein and carbs to create a delicious post-workout meal.

In addition to recommending protein and carbs following a workout, experts emphasize the importance of adequate hydration before, during, and after. Rates of fluid loss vary from person to person (and workout to workout) based on factors such as how demanding the activity is, the duration of activity, even the weather, but you can lose around a quart of fluid every 30 minutes of exercise. 

Jones recommends setting yourself up for a safe and effective workout by making sure you’re well hydrated beforehand. Her advice: Sip an extra glass or two of water — on top of what you’d normally drink — about two hours ahead of exercising. “This allows the body to reach fluid balance while also offering time to eliminate excess fluid before exercise begins,” she notes. (In other words, you’ll pee out what you don’t need.)

As you work up a sweat, Feller advises sipping water regularly to prevent becoming parched and to sustain your workout. “Staying hydrated can delay the onset of fatigue, as well as protect health and well-being by preventing the physiological effects of dehydration,” she says.

You can probably skip the commercial sports drinks unless you happen to be in the mood for one. These bottled beverages are formulated to replenish electrolytes (such as sodium) lost through serious sweating. Unless you’re huffing and puffing for more than an hour at a stretch, plain water is likely all you need for hydrating afterward, Jones says.

Nourishing your body after a workout can help you recover from the physical demands of exercise and help set you up for success the next time you get moving. Go for a combination of protein and carbohydrates, as they will replenish your glycogen stores and help your muscles as they repair themselves. It’s also important to rehydrate after a workout, especially if you exercised for a long time or in hot weather.