You’ve probably heard about the importance of eating post- exercise for recovery and muscle growth. What you may not be aware of, however, is the difference between men and women when it comes to fueling post-exercise, and how crucial the timing is for women when it comes to replacing glycogen stores and assisting muscle growth.
The optimal window for refueling post exercise for women is between 30-45 minutes.
During this period, insulin levels are at their peak, which means that carbohydrates that you eat can be easily transferred to replenish glycogen in the muscles and liver. This ensures that you will be adequately refueled for your next workout.
During this 30-45 minute window, your body is also better prepared to transport amino acids to your muscles, repairing the small tears in the muscles caused by exercise and helping them to build back stronger. This period, while being only 30-45 minutes for women, may last up to 3 hours in men, which is why nutrition immediately post-exercise is so crucial for women, while men can afford to wait a little longer.
If you don’t consume enough fuel within this period, your body enters a catabolic state– it breaks down muscle, and the cortisol in your body increases as it recognizes a “famine” state. This increases the likelihood of fat storage and is detrimental for muscle growth. Therefore, if optimizing body composition, recovering well, or performance is your goal, timing your post workout snacks is crucial. This snack will help your body get the nutrients it needs, reduce your stress levels, and promote muscle growth and proper recovery.
If fat loss is your goal, practicing a small calorie deficit outside of training times is a more effective way of reducing fat as this will not induce as great a cortisol increase in your body as restricting food around exercise. Even if you are consuming enough energy overall, not eating enough around your workouts simulates the same negative effects in your body as not eating enough.
Fueling adequately around exercise is critical to maintaining a good body composition, good hormonal health, and getting the most out of your workouts.
In the recovery snack, women should aim for 25-30g protein within 30 minutes of finishing, and pair this with some carbohydrates if they are not eating another meal in the next hour or two. This will ensure that they are promoting muscle recovery as well as glycogen storage replenishment.
What does 25-30g protein look like? 1 cup low fat Greek yogurt
80g cooked chicken breast
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 scoop pea protein with 1 cup soy milk
2 slices wholewheat bread with small tuna can
1 cup cottage cheese
Angie Ferguson is an exercise physiologist and Tony Robbins Results Coach from Fort Myers, Florida. She also is a Corrective Biomechanics Specialist, USA Triathlon Advanced Level 2 coach, USA Cycling coach, has a Specialty in Sports Nutrition certification, and a PhD in results! For more training tips, contact her at www.gearedup.biz