Nutrition question: post-workout carb intake

[EvilYoda]

So, reading Robb Wolf's latest entry combined with OPT's suggestions for carb intake in a post-workout meal/drink, I'm wondering how people get their carbs. Traditionally, I know it's supposed to be a simple carb that's quickly digested and processed to spike insulin levels and facilitate the transport of protein after a workout, right? I've read in numerous places how you could eat fruit, pop-tarts, whatever.

I'm just wondering what you all eat...I'm slowly dialing in my diet and I'm trying to do as much as I can w/o totally going super health freak nutso. Robb Wolf suggested mixing your protein with coconut milk, so I'll try that soon...hopefully it's not too expensive.

Thanks!

 

[brikis98]

My typical post-workout meal is some fruit and a shake with whey protein and milk.

 

[Megatomic]

After a strength session I eat natural peanut butter on whole wheat bread and drink 20 oz of water. After a long run I drink 12 oz of V8 and eat 5 or 6 figs. Then I eat a meal after showering (within an hour of running).

This plan has been working pretty well for me. I'm recovering quickly, staying energized, and I've managed to lose 5 pounds over the last two months (intentionally).

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I have whey protein with milk and will often have something like grape juice (was previously for my creatine, but I just really like the juice).

 

[EvilYoda]

I just went out and visited my local asian supermarket after today's WOD...picked up some coconut milk, brought it home, made a shake...not bad! It kind of takes a little to get used to the coconut taste, but the creaminess is great. They even sell little tiny cans that are perfect for a 50/50 coconut milk/water mix. Eating a banana with it and dinner's cooking in the oven.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

I read that a lot of guys basically just take whey and dextrose. Protein and simple sugar. Myself I drink Cytosports Cytogainer which has a blend of protein, vitamins, carbs (both simple & comlpex), and other odds and ends (creatine, glutamine). Works simple enough for me. It dissolves better in water than other brands I've used too.

 

[MrMatt]

I think that people overthink this. There's some enormous natty bodybuilders over on T-Nation that don't even eat for an hour or two after they workout. At the end of the day what really matters is have you taken in a decent amount of calories & protein.

edit: Just do what works for you. What works for me, may not work for brikis, but may work for other people in this thread. What works for Brik may work for the OP, but not for me, etc. Everyone's different.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: MrMatt
I think that people overthink this. There's some enormous natty bodybuilders over on T-Nation that don't even eat for an hour or two after they workout. At the end of the day what really matters is have you taken in a decent amount of calories & protein.

edit: Just do what works for you. What works for me, may not work for brikis, but may work for other people in this thread. What works for Brik may work for the OP, but not for me, etc. Everyone's different.

Err...that's not helpful at all. And you didn't even answer his question.

Normally juice (apple, grape) with a protein shake and a white bagel. (Whether it's after a run or weights)

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: MrMatt
I think that people overthink this. There's some enormous natty bodybuilders over on T-Nation that don't even eat for an hour or two after they workout. At the end of the day what really matters is have you taken in a decent amount of calories & protein.

edit: Just do what works for you. What works for me, may not work for brikis, but may work for other people in this thread. What works for Brik may work for the OP, but not for me, etc. Everyone's different.

Certainly different things work for different people, but there is a good amount of research indicating that the timing of meals around a workout can make a big difference in recovery, hypertrophy, etc.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: MrMatt
I think that people overthink this. There's some enormous natty bodybuilders over on T-Nation that don't even eat for an hour or two after they workout. At the end of the day what really matters is have you taken in a decent amount of calories & protein.

edit: Just do what works for you. What works for me, may not work for brikis, but may work for other people in this thread. What works for Brik may work for the OP, but not for me, etc. Everyone's different.

Err...that's not helpful at all. And you didn't even answer his question.

Normally juice (apple, grape) with a protein shake and a white bagel. (Whether it's after a run or weights)

He answered it by saying it's not a terribly meaningful question. I am inclined to agree. The average person lifting weights, even in a hard session, will not even come within the ballpark of exhausting their available glycogen supplies, and since a healthy individual's blood sugar is kept fairly constant I must say I think the idea of a post workout meal is not something one has to obsess over. If I eat after it's probably because I'm hungry, and I am increasingly trying to get into workouts hungry because a hard cardio one can give me cramping if I have too much food/fluid in there

 

[conorvansmack]

I've been drinking a glass of chocolate milk after I get home from the gym. This blog post, while not loaded with sources or links to studies, made sense to me. Hell, chocolate milk is tasty and I get some protein with my carbs.

 

[EvilYoda]

Originally posted by: conorvansmack
I've been drinking a glass of chocolate milk after I get home from the gym. This blog post, while not loaded with sources or links to studies, made sense to me. Hell, chocolate milk is tasty and I get some protein with my carbs.

Yeah, chocolate milk is good, but I'm having a hard time finding chocolate milk that doesn't have added HFCS. I think I'll try the coconut milk + protein + chocolate powder for a few weeks and see how that goes.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

This stuff is pretty awesome:

http://www.tmuscle.com/productInfo.do?id=459244

 

[spamsk8r]

Let's see, last night I had a steak and a sweet potato. Usually I just eat a good dinner right afterwards and I haven't had any problems with recovery so far.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: spamsk8r
Let's see, last night I had a steak and a sweet potato. Usually I just eat a good dinner right afterwards and I haven't had any problems with recovery so far.

IMO that's perfect. I can't always enjoy a full meal after a workout, but when I time it just right... Win.

 

[state 08]

After work outs, I drink 2 scoops of protein mixed with water, and a fish oil pill. Then I drink another glass of water right afterwards.

I'm full for about an hour, and then I eat dinner.

 

[EvilYoda]

Originally posted by: Megatomic

Originally posted by: spamsk8r
Let's see, last night I had a steak and a sweet potato. Usually I just eat a good dinner right afterwards and I haven't had any problems with recovery so far.

IMO that's perfect. I can't always enjoy a full meal after a workout, but when I time it just right... Win.

I used to be able to do that, but now it's a 20 minute drive home, and then it'll take a while for dinner to be ready, so I'd rather supplement with a shake, some time to relax when I get home, and then dinner.

Dinner tends to be around 8-8:30PM for me these days...yeesh.

 

[Megatomic]

I know how you feel Yoda. Most of the time I can't time it right either, but if I could I'd eat a full meal after every workout. That's really the best way to get your nutrients.

 

[crt1530]

16oz of whole milk then a cheeseburger (or double cheeseburger) half an hour later.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

After the gym - oatmeal or Kashi cereal with dried fruit on top (cranberries, prunes, etc.), banana, multigrain toast with natural peanut butter.

After a run - while I stretch, a handful of almonds and a couple cups of trail mix with assorted nuts, chocolate and dried fruit. I drink about 1L of water initially. Then I shower and make dinner. I don't eat carbs right after, but with dinner, about an hour after my run.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
So, reading Robb Wolf's latest entry combined with OPT's suggestions for carb intake in a post-workout meal/drink, I'm wondering how people get their carbs. Traditionally, I know it's supposed to be a simple carb that's quickly digested and processed to spike insulin levels and facilitate the transport of protein after a workout, right? I've read in numerous places how you could eat fruit, pop-tarts, whatever.

I'm just wondering what you all eat...I'm slowly dialing in my diet and I'm trying to do as much as I can w/o totally going super health freak nutso. Robb Wolf suggested mixing your protein with coconut milk, so I'll try that soon...hopefully it's not too expensive.

Thanks!

I don't really have the time to work out right now (i'm at Ft.Smith) nor have i had the time to work out much for the last two years (being in Iraq and Afghanistan) but i do have something to say about this since a good friend of mine (who happens to be a nutritionist scientist, no, not an expert, a scientist) who told me that the correct mix of proteins would fix me right up from my adventures and they pretty much have gone up to the weight i used to stay at (i have a HARD time putting on weight) and with not so much training and this...

I'll take my favourite exercise, squats, i used to do 300, i'm almost at 500 and this is weeks after doing this.

there are studies on this too, if you want to search pubmed.