Making Your Post Workout Meal Count For Muscle Building

Everybody knows you need to take care when planning your pre-workout meal, but some people may never even have heard of the post workout meal. This is the small meal or power shake you consume from 5 minutes to 30 minutes after your workout to help your body rebuild damaged muscle tissues and help you recover your energy. There are a few things you definitely want to include in this meal, as well as a couple of things your definitely do not want to be putting in your body right after your workout. Let's start with the bad news.

By now you have probably heard all about good fats and bad fats and how everybody needs a little avocado once and again. Well, right after your workout is not the time for that avocado. In fact, you want to cut down on the all the fat you are consuming during that post workout meal as much as possible. Why now? Because fat slows your digestive system and, in the case of this after-workout-recovery-meal, time is absolutely critical.

When you are dealing with a post workout meal, you want to plan things out so that you can get all the nutrients your body is craving after your workout where they need to be as soon as possible. This prevents your body from cannibalizing its own muscles (remember- those parts of your body you just spent the last hour sweating and straining to build?) to supply these nutrients to itself. So now on to what you need to replace.

There are three most important nutrients you will need to replace after a workout. The first, and possibly most important of these is carbohydrates. High carb foods like brown rice, fruit, pasta, popcorn, potatoes and whole grain breads are perfect for restoring much needed energy and sugars to where you body needs them most. The American College of Sports Medicine actually recommends that you get at least 50 to 100 grams of carbs after every workout for the best recovery.

Another key nutrient you will need is protein. When you work out, you break down your own muscle tissue so your body will have to rebuild it better and stronger. Protein is what your body uses to accomplish that task. For an after workout meal, lean proteins are best, for example turkey or chicken breast or tuna fish. Proteins also help to rehydrate your muscles and make them work more efficiently.

The third key nutrient is potassium, which your body needs to function, but which is also one of the main things you sweat out during a workout. Raisins, bananas and potatoes are great for recharging your potassium levels to ensure a quick recovery.

One other thing, which might be the most important thing of all but is not a nutrient per se, is water. In order for your body to recover from a workout, build muscle, burn fat or even just function properly, you have to be well hydrated. The best way to make sure you recover all the water you lost through a workout is to weight yourself before and after, and for every pound lost drink 20 to 24 ounces of water. This may sound like a lot, but remember- losing water weight won't make you healthier, just dehydrated, and when your body is dehydrated, your metabolism malfunctions and you build less muscle. So drink your water!