After a workout out, eating might be the last thing on your mind. You’re feeling energized, fit and fantastic but if you don’t utilize the post-workout period your muscles need to refuel, most of your hard work goes to waste. During exercise your muscles can become depleted of important nutrients needed to rebuild and develop stronger, more dense muscle tissue. Post-exercise nutrition is critical to the repair of muscle tissues, and replenishing glycogen stores means more to your body than you might think. Nutritionist recommend ample protein combined with carbohydrates to provide your body a fast-acting energy supply in order to achieve body composition goals.

Ever wonder how professional bodybuilders and pro athletes are able to continually develop new, lean muscle? Their secret may be the supplements, but the reality is that meals are one of the most important factors in maintaining muscle mass and lean muscle development. In order to get the optimal results from workouts, your body has to turn glycogen and protein deficits into surpluses immediately after working out to keep the body from pulling these nutrients from body stores. This process is time-sensitive so the sooner you eat after a workout, the faster your muscles will respond. Muscle cells are highly sensitive to insulin (a hormone involved in the transport of glucose, and protein into the muscle cell). This stage, or “window” is known as facilitated diffusion.