Exercise and movement are an important part of a healthy lifestyle and should be a regular part of your day. But not only sport, but also what you eat, the post-workout meal, is very important. With the right nutrients and the ideal nutrition, you can, for example, make sure that you lose weight healthily or build muscle. In today's blog post, we will show you why the right post-workout meal is important for your athletic progress and which food you should eat after training.
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Which nutrients are important after training
Those who train and exercise a lot are probably aware that a healthy diet is just as important as a strict training regime. The right combination of healthy nutrients can help you be more active and achieve your goals faster. But which nutrients are particularly important when eating after a workout?
Proteins are part of a perfect post-workout meal
The daily protein requirement for an adult human is approximately 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. On average, this is 57 grams for men and 48 grams for women. Proteins are your body's secret weapon because they support muscle building and help with recovery.
During training, proteins are broken down in the muscles. Depending on the intensity and type of sport, this happens to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, it is essential to consume sufficient proteins after exercise. This helps the body to recover faster and prevents the muscle from lacking the necessary proteins. Athletes in particular should ensure the necessary protein intake at breakfast time.
For optimized recovery after exercise, you should consume about 20-40 grams of protein. This helps you, your muscles and your body to recover faster and build muscle more effectively.
If you already do sports in the morning and then want to have a balanced and protein-rich breakfast, our Verival Sport products will help you. They allow you to start the day with plenty of protein and, above all, a healthy breakfast.
The right nutrients for training success
Healthy fats as an important part of the post-workout meal
Fats are an essential part of a balanced diet. About 30 percent of your daily nutritional energy should come from fat. That's about 66 grams.
But not all fats are the same – omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are important for the body and for nutrition. These healthy fats should be part of every diet.
You should avoid fatty foods in your pre-workout meal, as this will make the food feel heavy in your stomach before you start exercising. You should consume a moderate amount of fat in your post-workout meal. Your energy stores will thank you for it!
Carbohydrates make your post-workout meal even healthier
Carbohydrates are an important part of your post-workout nutrition. During exercise, your body's glycogen depots are attacked. Your body needs energy and it gets it from the available carbohydrate stores.
For women, 230 grams of carbohydrates per day are recommended, for men 300 grams. Carbohydrates are also responsible for recovery.
Carbohydrates are also important because without them, your body tries to produce them directly from proteins in your muscles after exercise. So if you want to build muscle, you should always eat enough carbohydrates so that your body has enough energy!
When should you eat after a workout?
The question of when you should actually eat after a workout is appropriate and hotly debated. But science has found a clear answer here.
So it is about a time frame of 45 minutes after exercise to take a nutritious post workout meal. But you should not eat immediately after exercise, the body is still burning and the heart rate is high – a short break or a shower before eating will help your body to properly adjust to the food intake.
The ideal nutrition for athletes is really an important part of a healthy lifestyle. If you eat the wrong things, too little or too late, you can cause muscle damage and your regeneration phase will take longer. This is how you hinder yourself and your body! That's why it's important to make sure you get the right nutrients at breakfast. Our porridges, mueslis and protein-rich breakfast products are particularly suitable for this.
Fast regeneration phase with the right post-workout meal
The right foods and nutrients also help with the regeneration phase. If you consume a lot of fat, your metabolism slows down and it takes longer to recover.
Healthy fats in moderation, carbohydrates and proteins are the most important components for a balanced post-workout meal and contribute greatly to keeping the regeneration phase as short as possible.
But not only the food is important, namely, who forgets on liquid, dries out in the truest sense of the word.
When Post Workout Meal must not be forgotten in any case on liquid
Due to the increased strain and sweating during sports, you lose more fluids faster than your body loses fluids during normal operation. You also need fluids or water to build glycogen – 2.7 grams of water are needed for 1 gram of glycogen.
The rule of thumb for the amount of liquid needed is as follows: for every gram of liquid you lose, you should consume 1.5 times that amount. So stand on the scales before training and after – if you have lost 300 grams, you should drink 450 ml.
Tap water, isotonic drinks, fruit juices in a ratio of 3:1 (water:juice) or sports drinks with little sugar are perfect for replenishing lost fluids. Unsuitable after exercise are soft drinks, sweetened drinks or alcohol.
These are the best foods to eat after exercise
So what foods are best as a post-workout meal?
You can get the carbohydrates you need after exercise from sweet potatoes, potatoes, porridge, rice, pasta or quinoa. Eggs, cheese, yogurt, chicken, salmon or tuna are perfect for protein intake. Nuts, seeds or an avocado are great for taking in the fats you need.
Post Workout Meal for muscle building
During training, muscle proteins are damaged and broken down, the muscle is, so to speak, injured. With proteins, you repair this damage and your muscle gets bigger. This is how muscle building works in theory. But which foods are particularly suitable for this?
To build muscle quickly, you should consume more calories than you burn. But be careful: you should definitely make sure you have a balanced diet. A healthy body builds muscle faster. A lot of proteins and carbohydrates are the key to building muscle quickly.
Post Workout Meal for losing weight
If you want to lose weight rather than “build” it, the calculation is exactly the opposite: you should burn more calories than you consume. That's why it's important to keep meals as nutritious as possible, but also as low in calories as possible. Without the right nutrients, you'll get thin, but your muscle structure won't be maintained, leaving only fat.
Proteins are also important here, because muscles need them urgently! Proteins and fiber are ideal for losing weight. Vegetables are a real help in this process! Mixed with fish or tofu and salad, you are on the right track to your dream figure.
If counting calories is too time-consuming and difficult for you, we have our calorie calculator to help you lose weight healthily.
Post Workout Meal: These are the best breakfast recipes
Green Protein Waffles with Cottage Cheese Topping
Ingredients
- Green Protein Waffles
- 4 tsp cottage cheese
- cress
- cucumber
Preparation
- Spread cottage cheese on the protein waffles.
- Add a little cress and cucumber slices.
Covered Green Protein Waffles with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- Green protein wafer
- 4 tsp cottage cheese
- Cress
- Cucumber
Preparation
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Spread cottage cheese on the protein wafer.
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Add a little cress and cucumber slices.
Fruity Strawberry Protein Bites
Ingredients
- 100g Strawberry-Raspberry Porridge Smoothie Bowl
- 175 g dates pitted
- 50 g almond sauce
- 40 g agave syrup
Preparation
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Remove the seeds from the dates and place them in a blender.
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Add the smoothie bowl, almond sauce, and agave syrup and mix well.
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Place the mixture in a bowl and knead with your hands to form a smooth dough.
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Separate the dough into approx. 4 parts and roll each into a roughly thumb-thick strand. Use a sharp knife to cut off small bites (approx. 1cm x 1cm).
Low calorie porridge with zucchini and oatmeal
Ingredients
- 40 g oatmeal
- 1/2-1 zucchini
- 30 g protein powder (optionally also with flavor)
- 1 tsp coconut flour
- 300 ml water
- 1 pinch of salt
Preparation
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Grate the zucchini first. It's best to grate them right into the pot.
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Then add the oatmeal and the protein powder.
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Next, add the water to the pot and another teaspoon of coconut flour. The coconut flour ensures that the porridge is rich and creamy while binding it together.
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Now put your porridge on the stove and cook for about 7 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.
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If your porridge is already creamy, remove it from the heat and let it steep for another 2-3 minutes. After that, your delicious porridge is ready without excessive calories.
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Of course, you can now enhance your porridge with toppings of your choice, such as fresh fruit, nuts, or seeds.
