In the everyday life, many people fail to snack after a workout. Is it essential? What is the winning food combination for optimal recovery?
FAMOUS PROTEIN, HOW MUCH SHOULD I CONSUME?
Following a cardiovascular or muscle type workout, or even both, it is recommended to take a snack consisting of 10 to 20 grams of protein. In order to arrive at a precise figure, one can calculate its needs with 0.3g of proteins / kg of weight. That said, a 70kg person would need 21g of protein to properly repair his muscle tissue and improve his performance and endurance over the long term.
CARBOHYDRATES, IS IT NECESSARY?
When I talk about carbohydrates, I'm talking about fruits, grains, breads, crackers, soft bars, flavored yogurts, and so on. Their main role in physical recovery is to trigger anabolism, or to put the body in "creation and repair" mode. To do this, when a carbohydrate source is ingested, the pancreas secretes insulin. The latter stimulates the cells to capture the carbohydrates that are in the bloodstream and allows their use.
In short, carbohydrates are essential for a good recovery, because they allow the proteins to be able to carry out their work. Without carbs, it's a bit like having the room (protein) to repair your vehicle (muscles), but not having the tool (carbs) to perform the task.
10 GOOD FOOD COMBINATIONS TO RECOVER WELL
Flavored soy beverage
Homemade smoothie with frozen fruits and Greek yogurt
2 roasts with 1 egg and 30g of light cheese
Chickpeas roasted dry
A measure of protein powder with a banana
Cottage cheese 1-2% fat with crackers
A small bowl of Greek yogurt with fresh fruit
A handful of nuts with dried fruits
Sliced apple with light cheese
A bowl of oatmeal made with milk and sprinkled with berries
THE IDEAL RATIO CARBOHYDRIDES VS PROTEIN
Perhaps you have already noticed that many top athletes are promoting chocolate milk as a post-workout snack. Do you know why he is so promoted? Simply because the ideal ratio between carbohydrates and proteins should be 3: 1. Thus, chocolate milk respects this recommendation to the nearest gram. A small individual bottle of 250 mL thus contains 24g of carbohydrates for 8 grams of protein.
You will also notice that the snack suggestions listed above all form a carbohydrate and protein duo. In terms of quantities, go with your common sense, the important thing is mainly to take a nutritious snack mainly composed of carbohydrates without omitting a complementary source of protein.
Julie Lapointe-Larente
julie.lapointe-larente@loblaw.ca
Nutritionist
