When you regularly work out you usually have two motives: to keep in good health and good shape, and to lose weight. Depending on those two motives the food you put into your body after a workout will naturally differ. This is really important to know, because if you consume the wrong kind of food all that effort and energy you put into working out will go to waste.
In case you want to build you muscles protein is the best thing you can eat after a workout. Your body will spend a lot of energy in the gym or while jogging and your muscles will lose protein, after that you have a window of time of about an hour to restore the protein optimally. Below you can find some things that will surely help you after workout.
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1. Salmon
Aside from the usual protein perks, salmon has bioactive peptides. These are small protein molecules that play a role in inflammation reduction, helping to regulate insulin levels and give you joint support.
2. Chocolate Milk
Recent research has shown that chocolate milk is the best option when choosing a post-workout snack. That’s because it has all ingredients that help you recover faster in one glass: carbs and protein for muscle recovery, water content to replace the fluids lost as sweat and calcium, sodium and sugar.
3. Fruit Salad
Fruits are not only loaded with carbs, they also contain enzymes to help your body break down nutrients so they can be delivered to your tired muscles.
If your goal is to lose weight the story goes a little different. Your goal here is not to lose calories and fat, but to stay energized and healthy at the same time. Almost every kind of fruit and vegetable is your best friend if you want to lose some weight; they are low on calories and fat and will help you along the way. Also, the things recommended above wouldn’t be bad, because they’re very healthy.
With all this information don’t forget to stay hydrated and drink at least two glasses of water after your workout.