Excuse the funny face, I wear a mouth guard when I lift.You know, the kind football players wear? (sorta) I know, most people think that's overkill, but when my dentist looked at my teeth a couple years ago he said I was clenching my teeth and cracking them, along with causing the gums to recede, only on the eye teeth! That was the give away, the gums are only affected on the eye teeth.
SO, he made a custom made guard for me. It fits on the upper teeth only, it's not a pretty sight.
"R" took this picture a couple weeks ago. She is very patient with me.
So, what to eat after training? I am going to discuss what to eat when trying to gain lean mass. If you are trying to lose weight, it's not the right ratio for you. The concept is the same, but oh that fat loss is a whole other world!
Carbohydrates:
You need high glycemic load carbohydrates , so they can quickly fill your empty stores. A smaller amount of lower glycemic carbs are also good, to provide a longer, steady release into the blood.
Glucose is good for the quick high glycemic carbs. What is glucose?
It is the sugar in starchy foods such as potatoes, rice or grains.
Fructose is good for the slow steady carbs. What is fructose?
It is the sugar in fruit and fruit juices.
Protein:
You need amino acids for resynthesis of protein that may have been damaged during exercise. In an intense 1 hour workout, it is possible to use 30 grams of muscle protein for fuel.
Protein, especially sources high in branched chain amino acids should be taken in with your carbs.
The ratio should be 4 to 1 ( carbs to protein).
Ideally, a liquid form is best, as it is absorbed more readily and it begins the re hydration process.
You can buy a recovery drink, you can make your own, or you can eat whole food. It's not critical for the average fitness enthusiast, just make sure you don't wait to refuel!
I personally aim for about 40 grams glucose, 10 grams fructose and 20 grams protein. You will find many thoughts about this, people have lots of opinions. I aim for this ratio because I try to ingest whole food instead of liquid as I need the food to satisfy my hunger. Liquid just doesn't do it for me.
What you should notice is that I am taking in about double the amount of carbs that I normally would at a meal.
There is a recovery drink that does this already:
Pacific Health Endurox R4
It's great tasting, I like the tangy orange. It's not cheap though. If you need the specific ratio and are not prepared to make it yourself, this is great.
This is not to be taken if you are not training really intensely though, you will gain weight! If your training is less intense, you can cut the servings or just calculate it yourself. Endurox R4 was developed for an endurance athlete, so if you haven't really busted your butt at the gym, its probably a bit too much for you.
One serving of Endorox R4 is:
270 calories
52 grams carbs
13 grams protein
But, I can eat this:
As soon as I am done, I fill up my water bottle with a homemade mixture (L- glutamine, beta-alanine, amino acids, L- leucine).
I get home then have 1 cup egg whites with 3/4 cup brown rice mixed in, and a half a grapefruit (or some fruit).
Or, 3/4 of a bagel, 1 Tablespoon low sugar jam, and 1 cup of microwaved egg whites
Or, oatmeal with a small amount of fruit and the egg whites.
Or, my homemade oat/egg white waffles.....all in one.
There are many choices, just take the time to figure out the carbs and protein and feed your body!
Be very careful with dried fruit, for instance, 1/4 cup of raisins is not an unusual amount to add to some oatmeal, yet look at the nutritional breakdown:
130 calories
31 grams carbs
29 grams sugars
So if you have one serving of oatmeal and 1/4 raisins, you are getting way too many calories and carbs, double the numbers above and that's what you have...opt for a heaping teaspoon of the raisins at most.
There are many theories about post training feeding, most people will agree that this meal "doesn't count" meaning don't worry too much about the higher calories and carbs as your body really needs it. I chose to be a bit more conservative, I increase but I don't go overboard.
When I am dieting for a competition, I change it completely, no fruit, no dairy, no bread, very little fat, very little sugar.
Nice post: Your concept is very good. Eating plan is very fruitful for weight loss. keep it up.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, lots of things are at work here. Eating after an intense training could really mean meticulous, and with the right mix of carbohydrates, lost energy will be stored without gaining extra weight.
ReplyDeleteThe mouth guard should really prevent your teeth from breaking and damaging, as you train. Because you tend to clench your teeth, it's quite risky for the teeth.