Replenishing your body after a grueling workout is vital to growth. After a workout, protein is broken down and your glycogen stores are depleted. This state causes your body to be in a “window of opportunity” meaning your body is a human sponge for about an hour after you train and will quickly absorb whatever you decide to feed it. It’s important you provide your body the proper nutrients to maximize the efforts of your workout. So having frozen yogurt and red licorice doesn’t quite make the cut. But wouldn’t it be nice if it did?

So Plan B, stick to the food that will do you best meaning give you the nutrients you need. The best postworkout meal comes in the form of a protein shake. Ideally, my shake usually includes:

• Carbohydrate: simple with a high GI (glycemic index). A complex carb which I will eat in my other meals breaks down slower and won’t be available during my “window of opportunity.”
• Protein: Whey protein is the best option here.
• Avoid fats. If you’re like me, you love almond or peanut butter. Do not add this to your postworkout meals because fats slow the digestion down. Not good when we’re trying to feed our muscles as fast as possible.
• Glutamine: added to my shake also helps with recovery. I add around 5 mg.
• BCAA’s: I also add this to my shake. I add around 10 grams.

Having the perfect postworkout shake will add tremendous gains your workout goals. If you have any post workout recipes, please feel free to share them with me and the Oxygen family!

With love and fitness,
Dr. Natalie Pennington