Help- post workout confusion!!

[Belsicilia]

Hi there

I am adjsuting my post workout nutrition routine because I feel I may not be recovering as well as I should be. I always read and have been told by my fellow gym goers that right after intense weight training session one should take simple carb (dextrose) and protein shake. The simple carbs help to shuttle the protein to the muscles, and that we have about a 40 minute window of time to fully take advantage of recovery andlimit muscle breakdown from the work out.

But I received an e newsletter from a supplement company that reccomended taking in NO simple sugars after the workout and instead take complex carb like oatmeal and whey protein instead. This they said was appropiate for those looking to get "ripped" and lose body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass.

So my goal will soon be to get "ripped" and lose more body fat. Should I resort to complex carbs and protein after workout? ANd use only SIMPLE carbs after workouts if I am in the muscle building phase of my program?? any advice would be appreciated!

THanks so much
Piera

[wildstang]

many tests are performed countless times and all of them come up with something slightly diferent each time it appears. gatorade has been around time tested and proven to be an adequate post workout drink. it will nourish the muscles with electrolytes and glucose quicker then the oatmeal in my opinion. true oatmeal is a better source of carbs but as far as quicker delivery if that factor is important to you, me personally i will stick to my post gatorade.
heres a link Formula & Nutrition Information - Gatorade®
in regards 2 osmolality gatorade has been designed to closely resemble the blood levels of glucose.
oatmeal dosent!

[Belsicilia]

Hey Wild

thanks for the reply. Yes I agree with you. But the article was stating that if you goal is fat loss, then your post nutrition food shouldn't be simple carbs, as that will spkie insulin levels too high. So when in fat loss mode they suggest that one should switch from the gatorade to complex carba dn protein post workout.

I personally think it doesn't matter if fat loss is your goal, ONLY when talking about the post workout meal. I think regardless, the muscles are at thier hungriest, and its the the best time to give them the pure simple sugars. Otherwise I would think recovery would be compromised. At all other times carbs should be complex, and mainly coming from veggie sources when you are looking to get ripped.

I was just curious to see if anyone heard of this kind of nutritional protocol and has tried it.

Back to my gatorade ......

[wildstang]

in the end, its the diet and extra cardio that does the most for you on fat loss. but yes i also agree the oatmenal is a cleaner source of carbs wich can be used in other areas of the diet other then post workout in my opinion.
like for instance when im cutting fat i'll run first thing in the morning then have a protein drink big sip of gatorade, make breakfast then add my oatmeal into the mix, keeping all my clean good carbs at the begining of the day and none (very little) in the evening, justs meats & veggies.
and finish the night out with another HIIT run.

[pliny_2001]

Your fellow gym-goers are right - immediately PWO (resistance training) you need simple carbs and some protein. There's alot of discussion as to what's "best," (mostly due to supplement companies hiring out tests designed to show their own formula is superior), but general consensus is 3-4 parts simple carbs to 1 part protein -- here, in fact, protein's of lesser importance; it's better to just have sugar water than a zero carb, protein shake (like every gym sells).

If you're in weight-loss training, then you'll want to minimize calories; the best answer is 8g protein and 24g carbs IMO. If you're trying to build muscles, then by all means drink a 40g protein, 24g carb shake or whatever - but it's just excess calories. Don't drop below the 8/24 numbers - it'll probably be insufficient nutrition. Within an hour or so of training, have a meal that includes fats, protein, and complex carbs.

There are innumerable packaged products that contain that mixture; just be sure to read the labels to keep HFCS and other chemicals out of it (only powdered gatorade if HFCS-free). Products can be made more complex (BCAA's, glutamine, creatine, etc.), but if you're currently working on getting your nutrition together, then these additions are a complexity that you really don't need to worry about. I don't recommend oats or other complex carbs immediately PWO - they won't get the job done IMO.

My recommendation post-lifting is simply organic skim chocolate milk - it's cheap, healthy, and the 8oz. portion minimizes calorie intake while maximizing results. I usually drink accelerade during long cardio sessions. Hope this helps.

[MsMarvel]

Hey P, not sure if this will help but Troy never ever changed our post work out shake regardless of our training goals. Either trimming or gaining muscle you always want to supply your muscles with fuel immediately after a work out. I'm sure that would change if I was ever to prep for a comp but that is a long ways off. My post work out shake consists of 15g hydrolyzed whey protein, 15g WPI, 5g BCAA and 30g dextrose. Gatorade is way to expensive for my budget and even though chocolate milk is cheaper, it still adds up. I go the the Bulk Barn and buy me a couple pounds of dextrose for around $5 and it lasts me a long time. When I switched from early morning work outs to evening I had a hard time getting it through my head that the sugar was OK even so late in the day. I'm still using that same post work out mix during this challenge and so far it has been working

[wildstang]

im not overly worried about the price i just go to our local wal mart out of a meens of conveinience and just buy the powder version in several different flavs and mix as i need. cheaper that way then paying for their water when you can provide that part at home cheaper. besides my kitchen sink and ice/water on the fridge is all filtered.

[Belsicilia]

Thankyou all so very much for your advice and feedback. I am noticing since trying the dextrose immediately after working out , that I feel better the next day. It seems I recover better. I wasn't taking in enough sugar after my workouts.

So what I plan on doing in a month or so is transition into more cutting regime. I'll only have the simple carb post workout once I start fat loss. And also cut the carbs from the last two meals of the day. That should get me leaned out.

Does anyone know how many grams of sugar there is in a tablespoon of dextrose?? I am going to buy the dextrose in bulk now that I know where to get it. I had bought some really expensive electrolyte supplement that had dextrose in it called ELoad. Not a bad product, but just too expensive for sugar, and salt lol

thanks very much all

[Carnitas]

9.6 grams of sugar in 1 tablespoon of dextrose
CalorieKing - Calorie Counter - Calories in Sugars: Dextrose (Now Foods)
3 teaspoons is 1 tablespoon

[Italianangel]

I try to time my workout, especially cardio, before a meal, so I can eat right after.
I have a supplement from pvl I am trying called extendavol which you take pre and post. I tried it once or twice and so far so good!
Not sure about using it for extreme cutting though.......and I know I would not test it out myself so by 2 month pre contest I would prob not use it although yo never know, if I get lean fast I may be able to balance the burn so you may want to try it and see, if you don't lean then drop it.

[napoleon]

Ive been taking about two scoops of whey and one scoop of malto PWO. I read somewhere that I should be taking in way more of the maltodextrin. Is that true? should I switch to dextrose?

Thanks

[Italianangel]

I don't know, if you are not fighting any weight issues I would go with the malto, but I personally prefer using whole foods and simpler supplements, to me thats just sugar powder.
Linda