What to eat after training or tips for post-workout meals

Diet is the alpha and omega of performances and results. So if you exercise and look in vain for your dream form, believe that without a regular and high-quality diet, it will continue to be out of sight. You will either get results or excuses . Therefore, let's talk about what the ideal post-workout meals are so that you can properly support your efforts in fitness even directly after training.

Post-workout meals are more important than you think

Think about your post-workout meal, even if you're just going to exercise in a hurry. This food replenishes the energy that you used up with dumbbells and feeds the muscle mass that was damaged during the load. Alone training does not build muscles , but damages them. And when everything goes like clockwork and our body gets quality food at the right time, the muscles start to form only after that thanks to the nutrients .

Fact:  If you don't eat after training, the muscles will start to regenerate using their stored energy and may paradoxically shrink.

What to eat after strength training

After strength training in the gym, our body will primarily need protein.

Protein drinks, bars and other protein-packed snacks

Protein is exactly what you should be interested in post-workout, and protein shakes are the easiest source of protein. Most fitness centers are happy to prepare it for you on the bar, so you can even have a minimum of worries. But if you you buy protein powder  yours, of course you will save money and you will also be able to prepare it according to your own taste. It is best mixed with water only, but you can also try any variant of milk according to your taste.

But what about the other snacks that promise a good protein load? There are also various cookies, bars, ice creams, yogurts and the like on the scene. Pay close attention to the sugar content and overall composition of these products. Most bars promise 20 g of protein, but hide 20 g of sugar behind it. And that's not exactly ideal. But honest snacks still exist. For example Barebells protein bars  they list less than 2 g of sugar. Among other things, their taste is absolutely perfect. Sugar is not needed.

Myth: "Protein needs to be mixed and drunk right after you put the dumbbells down."

You may have witnessed this before, but no, it doesn't have to be that way. Go take a shower, get dressed and, above all, take a breather after training. After all, no one wants to eat protein when their stomach feels like it's floating on water, for example from heavy squats. So the protein will really have to wait. Its consumption is generally recommended within half an hour after training . The muscles will start to regenerate and we will thereby supplement them with high-quality energy, which they would otherwise have to take from their reserves.

Other options:

• Oatmeal with protein, fruit and a spoonful of cottage cheese
• Eggs in any way (ideally with an extra egg white)
• Chicken with rice or vegetables

What to eat after endurance training

Endurance sports do not damage the muscles in any way, so it is more necessary to balance the energy expenditure.

Quality foods without added sugar

You can easily have Greek yogurt with fruit, a smoothie or treat yourself to a piece of pastry with homemade marmalade. After endurance sports, eat what you want. Just, and this also applies to non-athletes, try avoid white refined sugar . Of course, even that is sometimes needed, because forbidding food is not a solution. But if you can live without it, only good.

Whether you plan to lose weight or gain mass, don't neglect your post-workout meal. And remember that starvation is not the answer. Without a quality and regular diet, you will not succeed in losing weight, you will only destroy yourself.