Post-workout nutrition is confusing…
If you’ve read any fitness magazines, blogs, or popular websites then you’ve heard it all…
- You only have a 30-min “anabolic window” to maximize muscle growth…
- Fruit is better for you because it’s “natural” sugar…
- Post-workout nutrition is overrated, just eat healthy…
- You absolutely NEED this new post-workout supplement to burn fat or gain muscle…
- Sugar is bad for you, but complex carbs are “good” for you…
Whether you’re a guy looking to bulk up, a women looking to burn fat (yes, I’m stereotyping) or you fall anywhere in between…
The multi-billion dollar supplement industry has bombarded you with overly hyped bullshit, myths, and straight up lies in an effort to sell more supplements and make more money. Like Superman, I’m here to save the day and ensure you can burn body fat and maximize muscle growth without breaking your bank account.
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What’s true, what’s not? And does any of it even really make a difference?
It’s seriously confusing AF, but before we continue I have a confession…
No, my chick on the side ain’t got one on way like Usher. That would be much cooler and far less embarrassing than the truth. Full disclosure:
I’m one of those guys that used to believe you NEEDED to take in your post-workout shake within 30-minutes of finishing your training session otherwise you were “wasting your workout.”
Looking back, it’s embarrassing (like really embarrassing) but my ignorance wasn’t due to a lack of reading… it was due to a lack of reading the right resources.
You see, times have changed and I’ve matured — kind of. I no longer wet the bed (at least not in the past 6-months), I no longer cry when I don’t get invited to a party with the “cool kids” at school, and I no longer get my fitness information from fitness magazines.
In an effort to “grow up” I switched from reading those horra-awful fitness and bodybuilding magazines filled with bro-science and marketing propaganda to reading real research, scientific studies, and books to educate myself.
It’s been an eye-opening experience to say the least…
Not only has my own training improved by several orders of magnitude but my coaching clients have made more progress than ever — and they’ve done it in record time. For example, my client Michael lost 25 lbs, cut 11% body fat, and went from no-pack to six-pack in only 10-weeks. You can see more of my success stories here.
Here’s a quick knowledge bomb to give you a taste of what I’m talking about: Research has shown consuming a post-workout shake immediately after training resulted in a 30% lower rate of protein synthesis compared to those that waited at least 60-min after training.
Say what? No, that’s not a typo…
That’s like gaining 30% less muscle just because you screwed up the timing of your post-workout shake and followed the advice of the fitness magazines. And that’s just one of the mistakes that could be killing your gains…
Want to know the other post-workout mistakes that are killing your gainz, screwing up your fat loss, and causing you to lose your precious muscle mass?
Good.
In this article you’ll learn:
- What the scientifically proven 4 goals of post-workout nutrition are and how to ensure you’re meeting ALL of them with your post-workout nutrition.
- The Big 3 ingredients every post-workout shake needs in order to accelerate fat loss and maximize muscle growth. Missing even one of these essential ingredients could be the reason you’re not hitting your fitness goals.
- Why fruit can actually be making you fat when taken post-workout… and what to have instead that will help you continue to burn fat AND build muscle at the same time.
- Why pure sugar is actually incredibly beneficial and even “healthy” in the right dose when taken in your post-workout shake. I not only explain why, but I also tell you EXACTLY how much to take for fat loss and how much to take for maximum muscle growth.
- How to modify the timing of your post-workout shake to meet your goals and why everyone shouldn’t take their post-workout shake at the same time.
But before we jump into the nitty gritty details let’s set the stage for our discussion by quickly covering the science behind how muscle is built…
The Science Behind How Muscle Is Built
For all the talk about building muscle in the gym, most gym-goers have no idea how the process actually works. Trust me, you don’t have to be Bill Nye the Science Guy to understand how this works. I’ll simplify… it’s nothing more a 4 step process repeated over and over again until you reach your genetic limit or get on the juice and become Phil Heath:
- Breakdown your muscles in the gym.
- Stop muscle breakdown.
- Promote protein synthesis.
- Repair and fully recover muscle cells.
Repeat.
I’ll expand: Contrary to popular belief you don’t actually build muscle in the gym. When you’re in the gym lifting weights, you’re actually breaking down your muscles and ripping apart the muscle cells, which is why it’s a somewhat painful process.
Upon completing your workout, the muscle breakdown process begins to accelerate rapidly. This breakdown process happens even faster if you’re practicing Intermittent Fasting, which you should be if you want to burn fat and build muscle. This accelerated post-workout muscle breakdown is the reason it’s critical to stop muscle breakdown.
This is also where the post-workout “anabolic window” myth got started. More on that later…
Once you’ve stopped muscle breakdown, your body begins the recovery process by repairing or replacing damaged muscle fibers. This occurs through a cellular process known as protein synthesis where your body fuses muscle fibers together to form new muscle protein strands or muscle cells.
These repaired cells increase in thickness and number which results in “hypertrophy”, muscle growth, or gainz. This often leads to increased confidence, happiness, ego-boosting compliments from others, long lustful stares from both men and women, and lots more sex… if you’re interested in that kind of thing finish this article then read 4 Simple Steps For More Muscle Mass.
To further simplify: muscle growth occurs whenever the rate of muscle protein synthesis is greater than the rate of muscle protein breakdown.
There are just 2 other points about the process of building muscle that are important to our discussion today:
1. Research shows resistance training (lifting weights) reduces muscle glycogen. Another way of saying this is that lifting iron burns carbs. Duh. Like I said, you don’t need to be Bill Nye the Science Guy smart to understand this stuff…
2. Research shows having adequate muscle glycogen or carbs stored in your muscles will, without a doubt, improve your athletic performance in the gym or on the field. This means lifting heavier weights, doing more sets, and lifting for longer periods of time without burning out.
If you didn’t catch that subliminal message, I’ll be more blunt: carbs aren’t the devil and they can actually be good when taken in moderation. Now, let’s transition into the goals of post-workout nutrition to address the problem of muscle breakdown, protein synthesis, recovery, and muscle glycogen in order of importance…
Goals of Post Workout Nutrition
In last section you learned:
- Muscle growth or hypertrophy occurs when the rate of muscle protein synthesis is greater than the rate of muscle protein breakdown.
- Building muscle is a continuous cycle of going into the gym to breakdown muscle and strategically resting to repair our muscles outside the gym.
- The faster and more frequently you can replicate the Breakdown-Repair Muscle Building Process the quicker you will build muscle, burn fat, and achieve your dream physique.
- The body uses muscle glycogen (carbs) as its primary source of fuel when lifting weights. And having some extra fuel improves performance allowing you to exercise harder, for longer periods, and lift more weight.
Given these 4 facts backed by scientific research, I came up with the following list of goals for post-workout nutrition in order of priority:
1A. Stop muscle breakdown.
1B. Stimulate protein synthesis.
2. Promote repair/recovery of muscle cells.
3. Replenish muscle glycogen.
Now, I’ll dive into each one of these goals providing details and specific action steps…
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Stop Muscle Breakdown
In order to stop muscle breakdown ASAFP, you’re going to turn to your good friend Mr. Insulin…
You might think of Mr Insulin as that old drunk jerk that wreaks havoc on your body and causes nothing but problems in the form of weight gain, diabetes, and death.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Mr Insulin isn’t as bad as you think. I like to think of him like one of the ol’ goodfellas or gangsters… he can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on how you treat him.
Treat him right and he’ll reward you handsomely by burning excess body fat and packing on slabs of rock-hard muscle mass. Treat him poorly and he’ll give you diabetes on your birthday and kill you on Christmas. Learn more about how to treat insulin right by reading 7 Steps To Improve Insulin Sensitivity.
What most people don’t know about insulin is that it’s actually the most anti-catabolic hormone in the human body. And it has the potential to stop muscle breakdown faster than you can say, “All aboard the Gainz Train.”
Given that, elevating insulin post-workout is going to be your #1 priority in order to stop muscle breakdown. There are 2 ways to do this:
1. Ingest 45g of whey protein.
Research has shown that ingesting 45g of whey protein can elevate insulin fairly high — at least, high enough to stop muscle breakdown for about 2 hours.
2. Ingest 30g of Dextrose.
Research has shown that ingesting carbs with your protein post-workout can elevate insulin levels even faster and for a much longer period of time — up to 5 hours.
Fact, Dextrose is the perfect post-workout carb to stop muscle breakdown. This is due to its high glycemic index of 100. Compare this to the glycemic index of a banana at 51, which is a much more common and ineffective post-workout carb. Which do you think will elevate your insulin faster and for a longer period of time? Exactly.
Save me the cries about it being a “natural sugar” so its “better.” You’ll learn more about why I hate fruit post-workout in the section about Replenishing Muscle Glycogen below. It’s not my opinion, it’s science. Deal with it.
Before you freak out about ingesting sugar, remember the #1 goal of your post-workout nutrition is to stop muscle breakdown. Dextrose will do that very effectively and in a low-moderate dose — there is no need to worry about fat gain.
You see, because you just worked out your body is a primed state. Research shows this state makes it possible to store sugar/carbs in your muscles and NOT as body fat until you completely restore your muscle glycogen. In other words, until you completely refill your gas tank — a small dose of a sugary carb like Dextrose isn’t going to cause any harm. In fact, it will be beneficial.
Knowing this information, here is my suggestion to sum up this section on stopping muscle breakdown:
- If your goal is aggressive fat loss ingest 45g of whey protein post-workout and skip the carbs. I like Muscle Feast Grass-Fed Hormone-Free Whey because it doesn’t contain any artificial sweeteners, it comes from grass-fed hormone-free cows, and it’s ranked #1 on Labdoor’s list of top protein powders.
- If your goal is to get ripped but maintain muscle mass then take 30g of Dextrose post-workout. Women go with 20g.
- If your goal is to get jacked AF then take in 40-60g of Dextrose in your post-workout shake. Lean closer to 40 if you put on weight simply looking at donuts. Up it to 60 if you’re a hardgainer and can’t put on weight to save your life. Women go with 25-35g.
Stimulate Protein Synthesis
Your next objective with your post-workout nutrition is to stimulate protein synthesis (i.e. build new muscle cells).
Research shows that protein, especially post-workout, will stimulate protein synthesis and initiate muscle growth. Additional research shows that post-workout protein increases muscle fiber size and improves strength gains.
When it comes to protein everybody and their mother thinks about whey protein… this is one of the very rare times that conventional wisdom is actually right when it comes to health and fitness.
The reason whey protein is often considered “the best” is because it’s absorbed very quickly by the body, it’s high in essential amino acids (not all proteins are created equal), and it has a high net protein utilization (NPU) score. A high NPU score just means that your body can use the majority of what’s supplied and there isn’t much wasted or left over.
As I mentioned in the last section, I like Muscle Feast Grass-Fed Hormone-Free Whey because it doesn’t contain any artificial sweeteners, it comes from grass-fed hormone-free cows, and it’s ranked #1 on Labdoor’s list of top protein powders.
If price is an issue, go with Muscle Feast Whey. You’ll save $17, it comes from 90% hormone-free cows (as confirmed by their CEO in an email to me), it doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners, and it’s #6 on Labdoor’s rankings. And no, I’m not an affiliate or associated with the company in any way. I’m just a fan of their protein powder.
The next most obvious question is how much protein should you take?
It depends. I hate that answer and I’m sorry, but the problem with that question is that is there is no right answer for everybody…
It largely depends on your weight, body fat, goals, activity level, etc. Here’s a general rule of thumb, but keep in mind this is just a general rule and does not take into account specifics of your situation:
- For fat loss, women should take 20-25g and men should take 30-40g of whey protein post-workout.
- For maximum muscle gain, women should take 25-35g and men should take 40-60g of whey protein post-workout.
For more information on how many calories you should eat, check out How Many Calories Should I Eat. If you rather work with me one-on-one to create a custom nutrition program for you, fill out an application for my online coaching program.
Promote Repair & Recovery of Muscle Cells
The next objective we want to optimize for is speeding the repair and recovery of muscle cells. Remember, the faster your muscles recover, the faster you can workout again and repeat the Breakdown-Repair Muscle Building Process.
One thing to keep in mind is that this is the icing on the cake or maybe even the cherry on the top. Without a doubt, the most important aspects of your post-workout nutrition are 1) stopping muscle breakdown and 2) promoting protein synthesis. If I was Tim Ferriss, I’d stop this article here because that would get you 80% of your results…
But I can’t help it, I’m a maximizer and I LOVE over-delivering value to you. I don’t want to give you a post-workout shake that is anything but the absolute best it can be, therefore we shall continue.
When it comes to icing on the cake nothing is better for optimizing the repair and recovery of muscle cells than creatine monohydrate…
If I was only going to recommend one muscle building supplement outside protein, it would be creatine.
Creatine is by far the most researched and studied muscle building supplement on the market today and it has been around for-ev-er. Yet, unlike Squints who was average at best – creatine is more like the Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez of the supplement world.
It’s the best player on the squad. I mean, c’mon – do you think Squints could outrun The Beast?
Back to creatine. The facts haven’t changed, it works and research has proven creatine helps you build muscle, get stronger, have more endurance, and it aids in recovery.
Research has also shown that post-workout creatine consumption is more effective than pre-workout consumption (when most people usually take it) which is why I recommend it as part of your post-workout nutrition.
Now, when it comes to creatine there is a LOT of marketing hype. Here are the cold hard facts: loading phases are a waste of money and “creatine transport systems” are complete and utter bullshit. Good old pure creatine monohydrate is all you need.
I like Bulk Supplements Creatine. It’s simple, it’s cheap, it’s high-quality, it’s effective, and it’s also #1 on the Labdoor rankings for best creatine supplement. As far as dosage, research shows that between 3-5g per day is optimal for best results. I’d go with 5g just to be safe, but like I said — I’m a maximizer.
The last ingredient for your post-workout nutrition cocktail is L-Carnitine L-Tartrate.
Whenever the supplement L-Carnitine or any of its derivatives is brought up, most people think of fat loss. This, however, is incorrect. I’m sorry, but Dr Oz had it wrong… studies show that boosting carnitine beyond its normal levels doesn’t increase fat burning. However, where L-Carnitine can really shine is when it comes to repair and recovery of muscle cells:
Research show that L-Carnitine improves muscle repair and reduces muscle soreness after intense exercise making it possible to train again sooner and with more intensity.
Keep in mind, there are many forms of L-Carnitine and the form most associated with the repair and recovery benefits is L-Carnitine L-Tartrate. The brand I like is Bulk Supplements L-Carnitine L-Tartrate for the same reasons above — it’s simple, cheap, high-quality, and effective. Research shows 1-2g is the clinically effective dose.
Replenish Muscle Glycogen
One of the reasons carbs are typically paired with protein in your post-workout shake is to replenishing muscle glycogen. As stated earlier, this is necessary because your body uses muscle glycogen (carbs) as its primary source of fuel when lifting weights. And having some extra fuel improves performance allowing you to exercise harder, for longer periods, and lift more weight.
But if I’m being totally honest, replenishing muscle glycogen isn’t that important… at least not with your post-workout shake. The carbs are really there to elevate insulin and stop muscle breakdown.
In fact, replenishing muscle glycogen is only necessary if you’re going to be training again later that day or if you’re going to be competing in some type of athletic event where you want to perform at your best. And let’s be real — most of you aren’t doing two-a-days or competing in strenuous athletic events on the same day you’re working out. This is why I only recommend a small dose of carbs post-workout, just enough to get the benefits of an insulin spike to stop muscle breakdown.
That being said, it is important to replenish muscle glycogen BEFORE your next workout or athletic event in order to maximize performance. But it doesn’t all have to come from your post-workout shake. In fact, if you’re eating an adequate amount of carbohydrates throughout the remainder of your day including brown/white rice, sweet potatoes, yams, oatmeal, and granola — your muscle glycogen levels should be just fine by your next workout.
When To Take Your Post Workout Shake
Ah, yes — we’ve arrived to the “anabolic window” myth. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I used to be one of those guys that believed you NEEDED to take in your post-workout shake within 30-minutes of training otherwise you’re “wasting your workout.”
As it turns out, this is just marketing propaganda pushed by supplement companies trying to get people to buy more protein powder. In fact, research shows the “anabolic window” — where your body is “primed” from your workout and more responsive to protein — actuallys lasts about 24-hours.
But this doesn’t mean the timing of your post-workout shake is irrelevant. It just means slugging down a shake as soon as your last weight hits the floor is overkill.
Here’s the final word on post-workout nutrition timing:
Ideally, take your post-workout shake about 60-90 minutes after you complete your workout.
This is ideal as research has shown consuming a post-workout shake immediately after training resulted in a 30% lower rate of protein synthesis compared to those that waited at least 60-min after training.
That being said, there are a few exceptions to this rule:
1. If you are practicing intermittent fasting and working out in the morning, take 10g of BCAAs post-workout instead of a shake. Wait until your “fasting window” ends to break your fast with your post-workout shake. This will not negatively affect your ability to build muscle.
2. If you are practicing intermittent fasting, you’re bulking, and you’re working out in the afternoon or evening… simply go ahead and take your post-workout shake near the tail-end of your workout. Otherwise, it’s going to be too difficult to eat as many calories as necessary to build muscle in only an 8-hour eating window.
The benefits you’d get from waiting to take your post-workout shake will be offset by your fast. Plus, it’s more important to eat a caloric surplus in this instance than it is to get your post-workout nutrition timing perfect.
Why Fruit Sucks Post Workout
I haven’t figured out why, but somehow or another eating a banana post-workout became a thing. Not like as much of a thing as avocados are for fat loss right now or how almond butter was all the rage for a few years… but still — a thing.
Unfortunately, science doesn’t support this… “thing.”
Fruit has a special kind of sugar called fructose, which must be processed and stored in the liver. Research shows this special kind of sugar cannot be stored in the muscle cells therefore it cannot replenish muscle glycogen levels.
Let’s go back to the gas tank metaphor… think of your body as a gas tank for carbs. Your muscles are the primary tank and can carry about 80-90% of the total carbs or fuel. Your liver acts kind of like an emergency tank. It can only hold 10-20% of your body’s total carbs or fuel. Therefore, it doesn’t make any sense to consume fruit post-workout.
In fact, because of this difference in the way fruit is processed I don’t recommend eating much fruit to my clients — especially those interested in fat loss. Fat loss clients are allowed 50-75g per day while clients on a bulk are allowed up to 150g of fruit.
Ideally, the fruit should come in the form of dark berries because those are the highest in antioxidants and also the lowest in sugar. Bananas, apples, pineapple, watermelon, etc. are all high in sugar and low in antioxidants and therefore almost certainly going to be stored in your ass as fat — unless you eat them immediately before a long workout or hike.
Tips For Your Success
- Muscle is built by breaking down muscle in the gym and repairing the muscles outside the gym. This is done by ensuring protein synthesis exceeds muscle breakdown.
- The 4 goals of post-workout nutrition in order of importance are to stop muscle breakdown, stimulate protein synthesis, promote repair/recovery of muscle cells, and replenish muscle glycogen.
- Muscle breakdown will stop once insulin elevates and the best way to elevate insulin is by ingesting a small dose of fast carbohydrates like Dextrose. Fruit sucks post-workout because it has a lower GI and it cannot be stored in the muscles as glycogen.
- Whey Protein is ideal to promote protein synthesis post-workout due to the high abundance of leucine and its high net-protein utilization score.
- Creatine has been proven to speed recovery, build muscle, boost strength, and increase endurance. While L-Carnitine L-Tartrate has been proven to improve muscle repair and reduce muscle soreness after intense exercise making it possible to train again sooner and with more intensity.
- Unless you’re training again on the same day or competing in an athletic event, taking in high-doses of carbs immediately post-workout is largely overrated and unnecessary. Just take in enough to elevate insulin and stop muscle breakdown.
- Research shows that the 30-min “anabolic window” is a myth and taking in a shake 60-90 minutes post-workout is ideal to maximize protein synthesis.
- All other supplements, tricks, tips, tactics, or “secrets” are a waste of time and won’t make much difference, are complete bullshit, or simply haven’t been scientifically proven.
Action Items For Your Success
- If you’re goal is aggressive fat loss and you’re a man, take 45g of whey protein 60-90 minutes post-workout. Skip the carbs, the protein will elevate your insulin just enough to stop muscle breakdown. If you’re a women, take 30g of whey protein 60-90 minutes post-workout.
- If you’re goal is body recomposition (burn fat, build muscle) and you’re a man, take 30-40g of whey protein paired with 30g of Dextrose 60-90 minutes after your workout. If you’re a women, take 25-35g of whey protein paired with 20g of Dextrose 60-90 minutes after your workout.
- If you’re goal is maximum muscle gain and you’re a man, take 40-60g of whey protein paired with 40-60g of Dextrose 60-90 minutes after your workout. If you’re a women, take 25-35g of whey protein combined with 25-35g of Dextrose 60-90 minutes after your workout.
- Regardless of your goal, always add 5g of pure creatine monohydrate and 1-2g of L-Carnitine L-Tartrate to your post-workout shake.