A survey by Market Probe International found that a whopping 82% of people don’t do enough to help their bodies recover after exercise. Not eating – or eating the wrong things – after a workout can undo all your efforts. The period right after exercise is a critical window of opportunity for post workout nutrition; what you eat after at this point has a huge impact on how well your body recovers and repairs itself so it’s worth making sure you take expert advice and ensuring you do it right.

Why post exercise nutrition is important

Even if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t make the mistake of skipping food after exercise; starving yourself will just slow down your metabolism. Getting food into your system within half an hour or so of your workout is essential to keep blood-sugar levels steady and ward off exhaustion and hunger. Remember too that fitness and weight loss aren’t the same thing; it’s perfectly possible to be thin and unfit! 

When you’re working out, your muscles use up their glycogen stores for fuel. During this process muscle protein gets broken down and damaged so after exercise your body needs to rebuild its glycogen stores and repair and regrow muscle proteins. After your workout, eating nutritious food is highly beneficial, as it supplies your body with the right nutrients for recovery. At mealtimes, aim for a 400- to 500-calorie breakfast, lunch, or dinner; if it’s between meals, opt for a 200-300 calorie snack. Yogurt topped with nuts or fruit or a scrambled egg on wholegrain toast would make good choices.

Good protein sources 

We need protein after a workout to provide necessary amino acids. Try to stick to healthy choices of protein in the form of lean meat, fish, eggs and dairy. And while protein is great for recovery, bear in mind that women need less than men so don’t overdo it. Nuts and seeds are a great form of protein and healthy fats too. The high protein and fibre content makes them a satisfying snack and they also contain vital nutrients such as vitamin E, potassium and magnesium which can help regulate hormones.

Carbs and fat are not the enemy

Lots of women are scared of the words carbs, but they shouldn’t be. After a workout your body needs fuel and carbs form a key part of that. Indeed, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends eating a carbohydrate snack half an hour after exercising to boost glycogen levels and following this up with a balanced meal within two hours after your workout for the most effective recovery. Similarly, healthy fats – such as those contained in nuts, avocado and salmon – help keep you feeling full and play a vital role in enabling your body to absorb certain vitamins and minerals.

So eat – but don’t over do it and avoid junk food 

Research shows that most of us massively overestimate the number of calories we burn when we work out. You may feel like you’ve torched several thousand calories in the gym, but sadly it was probably just a fraction of that. So while it’s important to refuel after a workout, it’s not an excuse to do a face plant into a tub of ice-cream.  Even if you feel exhausted, don’t make the mistake of reaching for that post-gym for a quick pick-me-up. Any initial energy boost will wear off quickly, leading to a crash in blood sugar, which will just make you crave more junk food. To avoid this, make sure you have something nutritious in your gym bag. Eating right matters as much as exercise.

Stay hydrated

During exercise, you lose water and electrolytes through sweat so it’s important to drink plenty of water before and after your workout.As a general rule of thumb, aim to replenish around 150% of the fluid lost during exercise to ensure optimum recovery. Unless you’re an elite athlete, stay away from sugary sports drinks and stick to water. Alcohol is another of the things to be avoided after exercise as it’s dehydrating. 

Remember that not all calories are created equal; while certain foods contain zero nutritional value others are packed with beneficial properties and powerful health benefits. Bottom line – in order to get the full benefit of your workout it’s essential to eat right post exercise. This helps stimulate muscle growth, improves our physical appearance and enables our bodies to remain injury-free – what woman doesn’t want that?

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