If you are a regular trainer with weights and you train in a gym there is a very good chance that you have seen the same bodies training every day or every other day without seeing any improvement. The simple reason is that they are not getting all the required nutrition in immediately after the hard workout is complete.
With weight training the damage that you do to the muscles is severe and your muscles are left with depleted carbohydrate stores as well as depleted protein stores. You need carbohydrate for two reasons and the first is to generate insulin into your bloodstream.
It is with this insulin release that you start to get the pushing of carbohydrates and all the required amino acids into the muscle to start protein synthesis and the repair of the damaged muscles. It is this repair which is going to help the body improve strength and improve the size of the muscle in order to be ready for the next onslaught that is coming.
Although research tells us that 0.8 grams to 1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight is required to maximize all protein synthesis as well as the carbohydrate replenishment, it is recommended by the experts in bodybuilding that you stick to 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight.
This is done in order to minimize any fat gain that you might get from having too much carbohydrate. Research shows that immediately after strenuous exercise the body decreases protein synthesis and increases the protein breakdown. But this can be easily reversed with the addition of amino acids and halting this breakdown in order to begin protein synthesis again as soon as possible.
This means that your post-workout meal or shake should only contain carbohydrate and protein and no fat should be added. Research shows that when any fat is added to this post-workout meal it can reduce the effectiveness of this meal. Consuming essential fats after exercise has shown to decrease the ability of your body to use the carbs and proteins in your post-workout meal.
Post-workout is a time when your muscles are bio-chemically primed for any and all nutrient intake so you need to use this opportunity the best way you can. If you do not use this opportunity then you will have missed the chance to get the best out of your hard workout.
