What to eat to recover from a lunch time gym workout

Working out at lunchtimes is an increasingly popular activity for people who struggle to find the time to get to the gym. Also working out during the working day helps to relieve stress and boost energy levels, not to mention makes getting into a routine easier. However knowing what to eat after you have worked out to help you to recover isn’t quite so simple.

Many people make the mistake of either eating too much or too little after they have worked out. If you eat too little, then you will often find yourself feeling tired for the rest of the day. However if you eat too much soon after exercising, then nausea and bloatedness will often follow. So eating the right amount of the right food is very important for recovering after a workout.

The other factor to consider is that you may already be feeling quite full from taking on a lot of fluids during and after the workout, to replace those lost by sweating. This can stop you from feeling very hungry after working out, but it is always important to try to take in some protein as soon as you can post workout, so as to help with the repair and growth of your muscles. Also you may begin to feel faint if you don’t eat after burning a lot of energy.

Things like egg whites, lean meats or even protein shakes can be good for taking back on some protein, but you aren’t likely to feel in the mood for anything heavy like steak, so stick to white meats or higher protein fish. Turkey or chicken are probably the best to use for this purpose as they are the easiest to buy or prepare. Tuna can also be very good, so long as you don’t eat it with too much mayonnaise. Instead simply adding a little vinegar can spice up the taste, and do away with the blandness some brands have.

Protein shakes come in a large variety of ingredients and flavors, most of which don’t tend to taste all that great. To make them taste a little better, blending in some fruit into the shake will often make them a little more palatable. Most protein shakes tend to be derived from plant extracts of one kind or another, such as whey, and so are suitable for vegetarians as well.

Obviously you shouldn’t eat much of anything before your workout, as when your pulse begins to raise, or your stomach muscles are contracted, you will suffer from indigestion. In some people this can even bring about nausea and vomiting if you have eaten too heavily a short time beforehand. This is also true if you drink to much water while working out, which produces similar results.

Different types of workout can often require different types of food after, depending on what you are trying to achieve. For example if you are trying to build muscle and increase definition by lifting heavy weights, then taking on protein is essential after working out. On the other hand is you are trying to lose weight and have more of a cardiovascular workout, then eating something light like a chicken salad is probably the best option.

Avoiding fizzy drinks and soda is usually a good idea after working out, as is anything that contains a lot of caffeine. These might replenish your energy levels quickly, but come with a crash a few hours later where you will feel even more tired than before. Also sometimes fizzy drinks can also tend to make you bloated and less able to eat the right foods soon after.

Drinking a lot of water during and after a workout is something that many people tend to do, often to help them cool down as well as feel less thirsty. This also makes you less likely to eat a lot after working out, as the stomach being filled with water will often get rid of feelings of hunger.

For a quick burst of energy after your workout, and even before, fruit is often a good thing to have, although high citrus fruits like lemon or oranges can cause indigestion if eaten before rather than after your workout. If you do eat anything before your workout it is a god idea to wait a good twenty minutes or so before you start full intensity exercises, and have a thorough warm up as well, to minimize cramping and indigestion, which can leave you feeling sluggish and lazy in your workout.

Source: What to eat to recover from a lunch time gym workout helium.com