The Best Post-Workout Snacks, According to Sports RDs
The Best Post-Workout Snacks, According to Sports RDs A post-exercise banana-based fruit smoothie serves up some much needed potassium, which gets lost when we sweat，sports fitness .
Fueling your body with nutrient dense calories is an important part of staying energized to move. But can your post-workout snack choices actually help you reap more benefits from exercise?
Yes, post-exercise nutrition (and the food you eat the rest of the day) certainly affects how your body responds to physical activity and what your body is able to do, says Terence Boateng, RD, a certified exercise physiologist nutrition and dietetic counselor in private practice in Toronto.
Think of your body like a race car. “When that car is speeding around a track, it’s going to need plenty of fuel to keep it going,” he explains. “Similarly, our bodies will burn through carbohydrates and fat during exercise, so refueling efforts after a workout are important for replenishing the tank.”
For most people not doing excessive amounts of exercise or training, eating enough is more important than what you eat when it comes to exercise, says Ashley Leone, RD, CDE, a Toronto-based sports dietitian and owner of Gazelle Nutrition Lab. "For recreational exercisers, the more important thing is spacing protein throughout the day, eating enough protein, and eating enough carbohydrates."
That means you need to eat enough calories to fuel your workout, she adds. Not eating enough calories could stunt muscle growth or could leave you with too little energy to physically exert yourself to your fullest.
“Be sure you are meeting your protein needs,” Leone adds. Protein allows muscles to grow and get stronger. Get enough after exercise and all day long. People who exercise regularly should consume between 1.1 and 1.7 grams (g) of protein per kilogram of bodyweight each day, depending on how much and what type of exercise you do, according to Mayo Clinic.
If you’re snacking after a workout, rather than eating a full meal, focus on a combination of carbohydrates and protein to help replenish energy stores, as provide the longer-lasting energy your body will need to repair the muscles you just worked.
