What To Eat Post-Workout | All & About | Your lifestyle guide in Qatar

It’s no secret that athletes and fitness buffs plan their meals and snacks out precisely in hopes of reaching their performance goals. But what about us? What about the average person that tries to work out when they can and does their best to shed some extra weight. The rest of us aren’t well-versed in the mannerisms of pre and post-workout meals/snacks. Well, we’re here to help you out with a brief guide of what you should and shouldn’t snack on post-workout!

The main rule is simple: find out what works for you! Everyone’s dietary requirements and meal plans differ from one another. You can’t simply find a do-it-all snack food that works best for everyone post-workout.

Your body is complicated, and knowing what it needs is the most important step to ensuring it performs at its best. The bottom line is that you have to eat fewer calories than you use up- but not fewer than your body needs for it to function well.

It’s all about the size, timing and the content when it comes to your pre- and post-workout meals. This meal/snack plays a huge role in how well your body recovers and rebuilds after exercise and whether or not what you eat will be stored as fat or used as fuel!

Source: Good Housekeeping

Post-Workout Needs

When it comes to fluids, your body will lose about four cups of fluid per hour of exercise (on average). So you have to make sure to drink about 16-20 ounces of fluid to help your body recover after.

As for meals/snacks, there are four categories to consider when choosing what to eat:

Carbohydrates: About 60 percent of what you eat post-workout should contain carbohydrates. We know, people are always telling you to avoid carbs but in order to replace depleted muscle fuel and prepare for your next workout you need them
Calories: Another thing we’re always told to stay on top of and count. Well, post-workout you should ideally try to eat 50% of whatever you burned during your workouts!
Protein: Protein is a pre-workout necessity but it’s also important post. Protein is what’s going to stop your body from breaking down muscle tissue for energy. 25% of the calories you eat should come from protein.
Fat: Strictly stick to 15% or less fat in your post-workout calories.

When To Eat

The perfect time to eat post-workout is within 30 minutes to two hours. This is when your body is ready to fill up its fuel and prep for your next workout.