You've heard the hype- it's everywhere, especially in magazines, in pull out training routines, and on the internet- the notion that chugging sugar (60-70g worth) post workout will help you burn fat.
It does seem counter intuitive, but believe it or not, that is standard, and science-based advice for post workout nutrition. Post workout nutrition has been well researched and there is evidence that taking in simple carbs - usually glucose or dextrose with maltodextrin (plus whey protein) in the form of a post workout drink - is an ideal post workout recovery “meal.” The other piece of the puzzle with this is that you consume this post workout recovery meal within 30-45 minutes.
Most of the research says that the sooner after the workout you take post workout nutrition, the better (which is why you see so many people these days chugging down workout drinks while still at the gym… in the locker room, etc.) That said, here is where I tend to get controversial, because almost everything you read and everyone you talk to these days tries to convince you that if you’re not drinking a post workout shake, all the time, regardless of your goals, you are some kind of nut case with a “death wish” for muscle loss.
I'm not trying to underscore the importance of post workout nutrition, because it is VERY important- but there is more then way to skin a cat (so to speak). What I mean to say is that what you consume post workout should be based upon your personal GOALS, not what is the popular school of thought in the media.
So is it really a must that your post workout nutrition comes in the form of liquid sugar or simple carbs + whey? What if your goal isn't muscle gain but fat loss?
After reading a lot of the research out there and taking into account real world results (on myself and my clients), my opinion is that a large whole food meal does the job just fine, especially in the context of a 6 meals a day "bodybuilding style" nutrition program. Personally, I don't use shakes at all on a contest diet, I use them in the offseason, but even so I take in a 1 scoop whey protein shake and consume one small apple. I don't do anything fancy and I certainly do not consume 60-70g worth of sugar. I think you could use whole food or a drink and get great results either way, and how you approach post-workout nutrition is going to depend a lot on what your goal is at any given time. If your goal is gaining muscle mass or maximizing endurance training, you might approach it differently than if you were on a strict fat-loss program or in a contest prep.
On a muscle growth program, I would say it’s a great idea to take advantage of the commercial post-workout drinks available to you because it’s hard to eat enough calories to gain lean body weight and to pack on some quality muscle size. Among a list of other benefits like increased protein synthesis, decreased exercise-induced cortisol, glycogen replenishment, and improved recovery, post workout drinks provide a convenient and easy way to get more calories and that will definitely help muscle size.
On endurance programs, recovering from workouts and keeping glycogen stores topped off are important objectives, so again a post workout drink with plenty of carbs - yes, the simple variety - is beneficial. Where I suggest caution is when you’re shifting gears from muscle gain into fat loss.
My personal preference is to continue focusing on the importance of a good post workout meal, but to take my post workout nutrition in the form of solid food with the same complex and natural carbs I eat in all my other meals. Your nutrition should ALWAYS bolster your primary objective- so if your primary objective is fat loss, I can't see where taking in a large amount of pure sugar post workout is a solid approach. It might assist muscle growth or enhance recovery, or help restore your glycogen, but it won’t encourage fat loss.
Keep in mind, that you’re very unlikely to store calories consumed after intense training as body fat, because your muscles are “hungry” and like sponges for soaking up carbs and protein after the workout, so you don’t need to worry about that, but I can tell you from my personal experience as a figure competitor and a coach that you will almost always get leaner, faster with whole food (especially people with an endomorph body type who are carb sensitive). This is probably due to the thermogenic nature of whole food and the obvious fact that refined sugar is simply not fat loss food. Anytime you eat anything processed (Shakes and refined sugars included) your body metabolizes it differently then it would if it were whole food.
Because post workout nutrition is so important and because commercial post workout drinks can be so beneficial in so many ways, one way to tackle this fat loss issue if you’re already using a drink, is to leave your post workout drink in during the early stages of your fat loss program and then if your fat loss slows down or you plateau, the drink is the first thing to get cut as you make your fat loss diet stricter. I may use shakes up until 6 weeks out from a competition, but I usually have them removed from my diet by the 5th or 4th week and replaced with a whole foods meal.
As always, adjust your approach NOT by the information you read in the magazines or by the conventional wisdom you hear in the gym, but by the actual results you are getting in the real world, or results backed by some scientific research that will help gear you towards your results. Slant everything towards achieving your primary objective with maximum efficiency!
So my first suggestion would be to determine what your goals are, and then, if a post workout recovery shake fits into those goals- go for it. But if fat loss or leaning out are your main concerns, I recommend whole food meals everytime- simple sugars have no business in a fat loss program or a pre contest diet....
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