What You Should Be Eating After A Workout, According To Experts

Nutrition goes hand-in-hand with exercise when it comes to meeting your fitness goals and what you eat after a workout can be just as crucial as what you consume before it.

A January 2013 study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism said: "The post-exercise period is widely considered the most critical part of nutrient timing. Theoretically, consuming the proper ratio of nutrients during this time not only initiates the rebuilding of damaged muscle tissue and restoration of energy reserves, but it does so in a supercompensated fashion that enhances both body composition and exercise performance."

In a viral post on TikTok, which had over 129,000 views at the time of this writing, fitness coach Alyssa Glantz said the best post-workout snacks and meals focus on replenishing and recovering.

Rachel MacPherson, an ACE-CPT (American Council on Exercise-Certified Personal Trainer) and exercise nutrition specialist at Garage Gym Reviews, told Newsweek what you eat after exercising is vital for replenishing your stores of glycogen, which is "the stored form of carbohydrates that fuel your workouts and recovery, as well as protein to support tissue repair and growth."

Roxana Ehsani, a board-certified sports dietitian in Miami, Florida, told Newsweek that it's especially important for athletes who train extensively (5-6 days a week, for over an hour and a half each day) to have a post-workout snack, plus plenty of fluid and electrolytes, in order to maximize recovery time between training sessions at a faster rate.

"Blood flow to the muscles is much greater post-exercise, and the muscle cells are more likely to take up glucose and more sensitive to the effects of insulin which helps restore and refuel the glycogen tanks," she said.

Should You Only Have Protein After A Workout?

Lauren Helen Marsh is a clinical nutritional therapist, certified herbal medicine practitioner and Health Coach at Able, a wellness and weight care platform. Marsh told Newsweek that protein (amino acids) with complex carbohydrates make the best basic combination for supplying your stained muscles with nutrients following a workout.

She suggests having collagen protein, creatine protein, or whey protein to repair your muscles and get stronger, combined with berries, leafy greens, or yogurt "for even better results." Chicken, turkey, raw milk, yogurt, grass-fed beef, and fish are also great for muscle recovery, she said.

What To Eat In Between Workouts

For those who have their next workout scheduled for less than eight hours away, Ehsani recommends a smoothie that isn't too high in overall calories but still contains the following:

• A high-quality source of protein to help rebuild any muscle breakdown that occurred during activity such as one cup of plain non-fat Greek yogurt (contains about 20 grams of protein).
• 1 cup of berries; they add carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, and contain one of the highest amounts of dietary fiber among other fruits.
• 1-2 handfuls of baby spinach or baby kale; this adds vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
• 1 frozen banana, which provides a high-quality source of carbohydrates to help refuel the glycogen stores and a good source of potassium, an electrolyte that can get depleted post-activity.

What To Eat After A Workout When You're A Newbie

For those who work out less than an hour per day and don't do any high-intensity or long-duration activities, Ehsani said: "they could wait to eat until their next meal."

For example, if you workout at 5:30-6 p.m. local time, have your dinner within the hour after working out, consuming a "nutrient-dense" meal, such as the following, Ehsani said:

• A filet of wild Alaska salmon, as it's a high-quality protein choice and contains essential Omega-3 fats that help reduce post-workout inflammation.
• Also have a cup of mixed whole grains such as quinoa or farro, for its dietary fiber and to stay fuller for longer.
• Two cups worth of roasted vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and carrots. Making at least half your plate filled with vegetables is a great way to consume plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber as well as fill up to prevent feeling hungry too soon after a meal.

"This meal is nutrient-dense, contains high-quality protein, complex carbohydrates, plenty of dietary fiber, and healthy sources of fats," Ehsani said.

What To Eat After A Workout Foods To Lose Weight

Michael Giardina, a CrossFit Level 4 coach and senior manager of health education for CrossFit, told Newsweek that losing weight has less to do with what you're eating right after your workout and more to do with what you're eating throughout the day.

"If you're already undereating and then go into a further nutritional deficit, you will lose muscle, which is not the weight you want to lose. To lose weight, you will have to reduce the total amount you're eating from your baseline," he said.

Exercise nutrition specialist MacPherson recommends having carbohydrates and protein after a strength training session when you're trying to lose weight. "If you cannot spare the extra carbs, choose the protein. However, right after a workout, you are unlikely to store the carbs as adipose [fatty] tissue since they will be used to replenish glycogen stores. Aim for 25 grams of protein."

Those who feel the need to eat because they're hungry after a workout should try waiting until they're more relaxed and have a protein source with carbohydrates, such as some Greek yogurt with a banana or boiled eggs with toast, she said.

What To Eat After A Workout To Gain Muscle

Having a combination of carbohydrates and protein is best, MacPherson said. Carbohydrates bring the amino acids from the proteins to your tissues to start rebuilding them. "This is key if you are trying to gain muscle or preserve it during a weight-loss phase."

MacPherson added you also need to consume more calories than you burn in order to build new tissues and suggests eating plenty of "fast-digesting" carbohydrates and protein after your workout.

Ehsani noted: "A mistake I often see athletes make when trying to gain muscle is they only focus on eating lots of protein but skip out on eating enough carbohydrates and total calories. When trying to build and gain muscle, you need to focus on consuming enough calories."

For gaining muscle, she recommends having a higher-calorie smoothie or snack after a workout, such as the following:

• A smoothie post-workout containing at least 20-30 grams of protein, that could come from 1 scoop of whey protein powder (15-20 grams of protein depending on the brand), plus 1 cup of milk or soy milk (8 grams of protein). Protein is important, but you don't need to overdo it either, a maximum of 30 grams is sufficient for most people to repair muscle damage.

• Add healthy fats to help reduce post-exercise inflammation and a healthy dose of calories: add in ½ avocado or 2-3 tablespoons of nut butter (peanut butter or almond butter).

• Be sure to have plenty of high-quality sources of carbohydrates too, from whole grains or fruits. Try adding "high-quality carbohydrates," such as 100 percent orange, pomegranate, or tart cherry juice, or a half or full cup of oats to your smoothie. Or have a slice or two of whole wheat toast along with your smoothie.

After your post-workout smoothie, have a nutrient-dense meal within two hours of your workout (as outlined above earlier) and a post-dinner snack, such as trail mix, Ehsani said.

What To Eat After A Workout When You Want To Tone, Not Gain Muscle

Ehsani advises consuming "lean, high-quality sources of protein from whole food sources," such as below, instead of protein powders or sports foods:

• Almond butter and banana.
• Plain Greek yogurt and a cup of sliced-up mixed fruit, topped with muesli or granola.
• A slice of whole wheat toast with avocado slices and a hard boil egg.

"Then make sure you have a nutrient-dense meal within two hours post-workout that contains all macronutrients," she said.

Giardina said many people think the way to avoid getting bulky is to severely cut calories, but "that couldn't be more wrong."

If you want to "lean out or get toned," Giardina explained, you need to create more lean muscle and this process requires "the right types of food in the right amounts" and eating well throughout the entire day.

"Eat the right types of food and eat to meet your activity level. From there, you can adjust your macronutrient ratios to meet your goals," he said.

MacPherson said: "Toning is not an action your muscles can take. They either grow, shrink, or stay the same." Women who want to be "lean and curvy but firm" should stick to having a combination of protein and carbohydrates after a workout.

"Women will very unlikely ever get bulky without deliberately consuming plenty more calories than they need to maintain their weight, performing specific hypertrophy training plans, and eating a lot of protein. Strength training and eating after your workout will not make you bulky," she said.