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Post Workout Protein Shake

The Importance of Protein Shake after Your Workout

What you have after a workout is important for building the body up and preparing the muscles for the next workout. This is a vital path for the muscles and should not be neglected.

According to Belinda Jenks, PhD, RD, (and a senior nutrition scientist) "during exercise, heat, free radical production, and cell breakage cause muscle damage. But unlike stress, exercise provides an anabolic stimulus which results in the muscles becoming stronger when they repair the damage caused by training." ... The body needs time, as well as key nutrients, to recover from each bout of exercise...

Carbs Count

In the beginning of the post workout recovery process the focus was all about carbs. This is probably because runners – marathon and others – led the charge, and they were all about carb reloading. And indeed it turns out your body does need carbs after a workout to help recover. But it’s not all about carbohydrates. It is also about protein.

Importance of Protein

The word for protein means "prime" or of first importance, and that is true for the post workout recover as well. You not only need carbohydrates but you also need protein.

Research has shown protein to be just as vital – or even more so – for the post workout nutrition recovery. Your body desperately needs protein after a hard workout. It needs to repair and rebuild the muscles. Why? The workout tears the muscles up and they need to be rebuilt right away. No fooling around – they need the protein immediately for rebuilding. Those who overlook this factor end up short-circuiting their training while those who pay attention to their post workout nutrition make good gains.

How Much?

The question then becomes how much? How much protein is needed in the specific post workout time frame. Studies have been conducted on this issue, and one study found that 20 grams was ideal while the other determined that 25 grams was best. So if you shoot for that range and give your body 20-25 grams of protein after a workout, you will give the body what it needs to build your muscles bigger.

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