Your workout has just finished, but as far as your muscles go, you are only just beginning to build mass and strength. Getting bigger and stronger is all about recovery, and that depends on rest (including a good night's sleep) and a nutritious meal after your workout.
A tough workout without proper post-workout nutrition is like working a full day but never cashing your paycheck. (Okay, not exactly the same, but close enough.)
t sure what to eat (and drink) for the best results? Los Angeles-based celebrity trainer Ash Scarrott, owner of Body by Ash and ambassador for The After Bar, offers his favorite post-workout nutrients to ensure you get the profits you just worked so hard for.
Ash Scarrott's post-workout drink for more muscle
Immediately after training, Scarrott's recovery drink consists of the following ingredients mixed with water:
- 50 grams of fast-digesting carbohydrates over 1-2 scoops of Gatorade powder, dextrose, or cyclic dextrin.
- 1 scoop of whey protein powder (preferably whey protein isolate).
"After finishing a tough workout, I like to consume fast-digesting carbohydrates to replenish the muscle glycogen and start the recovery process," says Scarrott. “A high glycemic index (GI) source of carbohydrates like Gatorade is easy to digest and quickly absorbed by the muscles. The whey protein is also extremely quick to digest and of course the key to muscle regeneration. "
When he needs something more comfortable after a workout, Scarrott turns to The After Bar instead. "The After Bar has a great carbohydrate-to-protein ratio and the added recovery benefits of CBD," he says.
Post-workout meal (chicken, vegetables, and rice bowl)
Photo by Eiliv-Sonas Aceron on Unsplash
After the post-workout cocktail mentioned above, Scarrott drives home and eats a whole meal that's higher in protein and carbohydrates - something like a chicken / vegetable / rice bowl. For him this is usually lunch; for others, it can be dinner (depending on what time of the day you exercise).
This is how it looks:
- 2 cups of white rice
- 6 ounces of chicken breast
- 1 cup broccoli or spinach
"I'm aiming for about 75 grams of carbohydrates and 30 to 40 grams of protein for this meal," says Scarrott. “I like to keep the fats low in meals right after my workouts because you don't want to be consuming fat when your insulin is being topped up from carbohydrates. I usually save most of my fats for later in the day when all of my workouts are done. "
Food swap after training
If for some reason you want to avoid milk-based sources of protein, you can replace the whey protein with a vegetable powder; Pea and rice proteins are both good options.
If you don't have gatorade and dextrose powder on hand, white bread is also a good, quick-digesting carbohydrate after a workout. You will bring three slices of white bread or a bagel to the 50 gram stadium.
