Essential Post Workout Shake Ingredients

It is important to eat after working out in order to allow the muscles to repair themselves and to maintain peak performance. There are many products which claim to help with muscle growth and recovery, but not all of them are effective. The best thing to do after exercising is to eat foods that are high in carbs and protein in order to help the muscles recover.

According to McGowan, the body uses glycogen for energy, which is a stored form of carbohydrates from the muscles. She suggests that it's important to add carb-containing food to your diet after exercise in order to replenish muscle glycogen. In addition, she states that ingesting protein after a workout helps repair muscle breakdown that occurs during exercise and contributes to muscle protein synthesis.1 She also notes that post-workout electrolytes, such as sodium, magnesium, and potassium, may be beneficial in replacing minerals lost in sweat. Of these, she claims that sodium is the most important.1

In order to replenish what your body has lost after a workout, it is important to look for a food or supplement that contains carbohydrates, protein, and electrolytes. If you are choosing a supplement, we recommend selecting one that has been verified by a third party. Additionally, we recommend choosing a food or supplement that you enjoy the taste of.

Are Post-Workout Foods & Supplements Beneficial?

If you exercised for more than 10 minutes, it's beneficial to eat something afterwards. We recommend that you try to recover from exercise by eating a meal or snack within an hour of completing your workout. Some good post-exercise options include a smoothie, a turkey or peanut butter sandwich, or fruit and yogurt. Make sure to drink plenty of water as well.

The article recommends convenience foods and supplements that may be more appealing and convenient than fresh foods. This is especially true for individuals exercising at high intensities who need more carbohydrates, protein, and electrolytes.

1. Restoring glycogen levels is one of the goals of post-exercise recovery. This is because people who engage in moderate to vigorous aerobic or strength-based training use dietary carbohydrates and the body’s carbohydrate reserves (called glycogen) as the primary fuel source for exercise.

In order to build muscle protein, it is important to consume protein after engaging in strength-based exercises. Experts recommend eating a meal that combines carbohydrates and protein after working out in order to replenish glycogen and repair muscles.

It is important to replenish fluids and electrolytes after exercise, especially sodium.

Who May Not Benefit from Post-Workout Foods & Supplements

Those who don’t need a post-workout food or supplement include:

If you are working out for less than 60 minutes, you may not need a post-workout food or supplement.

If you're doing low-intensity exercise, you don't need food or supplements afterwards. This is because you haven't used up your glycogen stores or damaged many muscles.

Even though you are burning calories, it is important to still eat regular meals and snacks. If you are doing a gentle workout that lasts a long time, you may need a meal or snack after.

How Do I Calculate Macronutrients Specifically to Me?

If you are consuming a recovery shake each day after your workout, that's great! BUT, you should take a look at what you are putting in your blender. If you would like to upgrade from the traditional blender bottle, you can check out a great review of blenders here. Our top pick is the “Pro” version of the Nutribullet. It is a fraction of the price of a Vitamix, has enough power to mix various things for food prep, and can mix things right in the cup, which means less prep or clean up time and less waste.

Have you ever actually calculated your macronutrients, and then planned your meals around those macro goals? For most athletes, the answer is no. Let’s review how to calculate the perfect post workout shake for you.

Start with Calculating Protein Needs

The old school myth that high intake amounts of protein can be harmful to your kidney function has been proven to be untrue by research. When an athlete has healthy kidneys, he or she can typically exceed the high end of 2.0 g protein per kg of body weight and still be completely fine. You can read more about ideal protein dosage in your daily diet in our post on the recommended protein intake for athletes.

If you consume too much protein, your body won't be able to use it and it will turn into sugar and then fat.

The amount of protein in your recovery shake should be based on your weight in pounds. To calculate this, divide your weight by 2.2 to find your weight in kilograms. Once you have your weight in kilograms, multiply it by 0.3. You should end up with a number between 15-30 grams of protein. Some people will be slightly under or over this number, but as long as you are close, you will be fine.

Make sure to memorize the following number, as it will be helpful in determining how much protein to scoop out of your tub or read off your label of tofu, nuts etc. that you are blending into your shake. Be cautious, as the label may suggest two scoops and you may only need 1/2 of one, or vice versa.

Calculating Carbohydrate (CHO) Requirements

Although there are many different diets and opinions on nutrition, most athletes perform best when they consume carbohydrates regularly. To calculate how many carbohydrates you need, start by converting your weight from pounds to kilograms. Then, multiply your weight in kilograms by 1.0. This will give you the total amount of carbohydrates that should be in your recovery shake. For most people, this will be between 30 and 90 grams.

Let’s take this one step further.

The amount of carbohydrate you need may vary depending on the sport you play. Protein intake will usually stay the same, but the amount of carbohydrate you need will depend on how long and how intensely you play.

Athletes participating in less rigorous sports will aim for a 2:1 protein to carbohydrate ratio. Moderate intensity is closer to a 3:1 ratio and ultra-endurance athletes will be a 4:1 protein to carbohydrate ratio.

This means that if I am an ultra-endurance racer and I calculated that I need 15 grams of protein in my recovery shake, then I will also need to add 60 grams of carbohydrates to my shake.

If I am a soccer, hockey, cross country etc. athlete, I would take that 45g CHO in my recovery shake.

If my workout was light, I would multiply 15×2=30g of CHO in my recovery shake.

The best way to make sure you are getting the right amount of carbohydrates for your post-workout shake is to read the nutrition facts label on whatever you are adding to the shake. Your carbohydrates needs will come from fruit, dairy, and starch, so make sure you check the label to see how much of each you are getting.

It's okay to be creative with your shakes! You don't always have to add juice to reach your carbohydrate goal. A variety of fruits and vegetables in your shake is actually good for your immune system. For example, you could add a vanilla protein powder, some cinnamon, and either a cooked sweet potato or canned pumpkin to your shake. If you want to learn more about the recommended carbohydrate intake for athletes, you can read more about it here.

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