Q and A: Snacks After a Workout?
November 20, 2008 by Kelly Turner
Filed under Fitness
Kelly,
I was curious on your opinion on that article that was on Kaths website yesterday. you being a personal trainer and all
http://healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=620471 Daisy Melo
For those of you too lazy busy to click, its an article that states having a snack after a workout is only necessary for athletes, and may hinder any weightloss efferts for the average exerciser.
And I completely agree.
It is so much easier to eat 300 calories than it is to burn 300 calories (and more yummy.) If you bust your butt in the gym and eat those calories right back, you negated the whole calorie deficit portion of your workout (the health benefits remain so don’t use me as a rationalization to skip your workout!) and in terms of weightloss, you are right back to where you started.
I can hear it now……”But what about protein!!?”
Chances are, you aren’t shredding your muscles to the point you need extra protein. In fact, I’d be willing to bet money that most of you are eating more protein than you need.
“But my metabolism is revved!!?”
It’s revved, it’s not freakin’ David Copperfield. Those calories don’t just magically disappear. While its true you burn a bit more calories than normal after a tough workout, its not anything that’s going to make a massive difference. And wouldn’t you want to take advantage of your body burning more calories at rest anyway? Let it eat a little bit more fat that usual.
Athletes need to refuel after a workout- they need to reload all those carb stores they depleted (not to be confused with the shoe stores I usually wipe out) and make sure their muscle rebuilds properly. Totals are what matter. If that snack just happens to fall after your workout, then fine, go ahead and eat it, but if that post workout snack is an extra one you feel you earned because you worked out- I’d think twice.
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GREAT advice – I always make sure to refuel after my workouts, since I need to make sure that I consume enough fuel.
it’s hard to get so much conflicting info and also to know what “category” to put yourself in. athlete or just someone working out? i have always considered myself an athlete (grew up 2-sporter year round, then played bball in college)… and i never really thought a lot about what to eat when, it was just when the team went to eat around practices and stuff. but NOW that i’m 2.5 yrs out of college and have turned into a runner i find that i am really struggling with the whole what to eat when… and i’ve actually GAINED some weight since starting to increase my mileage cuz i am that much hungrier. i’m not overweight or anything but nobody really enjoys gaining weight. but i also don’t want to obsess over it. anyway. those are just my thoughts…
I am curious about the protein thing. I am a vegetarian, and I have read over and over again (and completely believe!) that most people eat too much protein. However, I have also read and heard from my trainer that if you are in a period of trying to intensely gain muscle you should supplement with protein during the hour after your strength workout for optimal results. My trainer pointed out that I shouldn’t be ADDING protein to my daily diet at this time; just making sure I HAVE some of the protein from my daily eating plan at this time. In your opinion, is this a more correct way of looking at it, or is her advice still off? Is there anything else I can do to make sure that my weight training efforts are paying off to the full extent (considering it is my least favorite workout element and I only do it for my appearance and osteoporosis prevention?) I love cardio and I really enjoy yoga, but my trainer said that yoga is not sufficient weight bearing exercise for osteoporosis prevention and will not give me the defined muscle appearance that I want. I like my current weight plan and have seen results with it. What is your take on this?
Lacey- dont over think it. An after workout snack is NECESSARY for athletes (people who train like crazy, everyday, its their job, think olympians, college pros, marathon runners, etc) other than that- its all about calories. You can eat those calories anywhere you want (before a workout, after a workout, etc) but if you are trying to lose weight- dont have an EXTRA snack after your workout because you think you need to. You dont NEED to. Its all about your total calories for the day. if you are gaining weight, then you are eating too many calories.
To figure out how many calories you should be eating for your activity level check out this post:
http://everygymsnightmare.com/?s=harris+benedict
“It’s revved, it’s not freakin’ David Copperfield” This is my new fave line of the week! Hilarious!! And so very true. Plus, I often don’t really feel like eating right after my workout. So I wait until I’m hungry – usually an hour or two later. It works.
Sarah- I thought i did a post on protein a while back, but i ran a search and didnt find it. i think its on my old blog. either way, Im due, so I will get a post up answering your question later tonight.
Charlotte- i almost said david blaine, but then realized he doesnt do magic. my bad. these are hilarious though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxu_MQSTTY
Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou Kelly! I’ve been saying this for years. It’s nice someone “official” backs it up. My boss the triathlete always argues with me…I’m sending him this link. (He can easily devour nearly 6K calories a day and not gain an ounce he’s such a workout freak – and with great genes to boot.)
Completely agree with you about the protein stuff.
My question is, at what point does one become an “athlete”? What’s the definition of athlete?
I like to just have a small snack after working out- but then, I workout in the morning so its my breakfast.
The article states that a lower-carb post-exercise snack did not have the same deleterious effects on insulin levels as a higher-carb snack.
“For the second study, volunteers cycled for 75 minutes. Immediately after exercising, half of the participants ate a meal high in carbohydrates while the other half ate a meal low in carbohydrates but containing the same number of calories.
The ability of insulin to clear sugar from the blood was greater among people who ate the low-carb meal, the researchers found.
“It seems as though giving people back carbohydrates blunts or diminishes this exercise benefit,” Braun said.”
Marks Daily Apple did a good post recently on fasting post-workout that some of you might enjoy: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/post-workout-fasting/
Yeah, refueling with a 300-calorie protein bar after 30 minutes on the elliptical makes as much sense to me as carbo-loading before a 5k. However, I’ve noticed I recover faster from tough workouts when I eat a combination of protein & carbs afterwards (I’m talking a glass of chocolate soymilk or a mini Clif bar– doesn’t take much). I guess we just have to be honest about what a “tough workout” is.
I totally get this. I often have a post-workout snack but it is usually because it has been about 3.5 hours since I last had any food and I’m hungry. I eat smaller meals throughout the day so this works for me.
I can see how confusing it is for the average exerciser though. I see so many people in the gym do cardio for 20 minutes and then guzzle down a Gatorade. I would venture to say that most people in the gym aren’t doing so much cardio that they need a Gatorade after their workout. Ads/commercials make it seem like playing a short pickup game of basketball depletes you so much that you need a sports drink.
I totally get this! When I would train for a half-marathon, I didn’t carb-load until the night before the race. I felt like I wasn’t working out to the point where I need all that extra fuel. When I switched to full marathons, I was hungrier and did need that extra fuel. I always thought I had a skewed (sp?) view of things, but I don’t really feel like I need extra fuel unless I’m sweatin’ a whole lot for a long time. But, like everyone said, it’s easy to see how athlete vs. working out everyday gets confusing….
I cringe whenever I see someone drinking a sports drink at the gym. I just do not see the point of drinking in extra calories when you are only lifting for an hour with rest in between. There was a girl at my old gym that would always run on the treadmill with a Jamba Juice Smoothie (24 oz, approx. 450 calories) for about 45-60 minutes. I am pretty sure she is still at a deficit in terms of calories by 100-200 calories, but that is just too much effort in my book. If you don’t drink the Jamba Juice, then you only have to run for less than 15 minutes to burn that 100-200 calories.
Kelly; well said! I totally agree with you. I personally eat a snack after I workout, because I’m not trying to lose weight, and I love eating snacks! But as you said, it;s SOOOO much easier to eat 300 calories (hello gingerbread lattes) and burn 300 calories (hello treadmill), and most people eat a snack thinking they NEED to refuel, when they just need a glass of h2o.
And if you’re wondering weather or not you’re an athlete; correct me if I’m wrong, but most exercise enthusiasts are NOT considered athletes. Athletes have multiple practices/games a day, and need to refuel FAST so they can get through the next practice (like morning practice and afternoon practice) If you don’t fall into that category, you don’t need a big snack!
anyway, this is turning into an essay! I just wanted to say; great post!
I meant it’s easier to eat 300 calories THAN burn 300 calories. Not “and”. ooops. I was just really getting into this whole topic!
hmm, it’s SO easy to overeat, too, especially after working out! I try to plan my workouts right before a meal though… to try and avoid the extra? (not that it’s been working lately… doh!)
Thanks for breaking that down to the average exerciser.
And, I just about spit my tea out at the David Copperfield line. That ish was funny.
I totally agree with you, Kelly! It’s almost like basic math at the end of the day. That after workout snack isn’t “free.”
Love reading your blog Kelly! I really liked your post the other day about suppressing appetites. I wanted to know what you thought about “gendered foods”. I think there are a lot of foods specifically market to women (low-fat, low calorie, sugar-free etc.), and I think these foods give us the impression that we are taking care of ourselves when really they are just manipulating our conceptions of what is healthy and wholesome and ALSO perpetuating gender stereotypes. It seems you have strong opinions about these things and was wondering what you thought….do you think gendering foods effects women’s perceptions about themselves and their relationship with food?
P.s. I’m writing a paper on this, if it seems like a random question!
Kelly,
Great post.
However I have a question regarding calories. I know you posted that link to figure out how many calories you need in a day but my question is: how much do genes play into calorie needs? My entire family is slim and we can all eat whatever we want and not gain weight (case in point-my first and second year of university I ate an entire big bag of chips a day and didn’t gain any weight-and I wasn’t exercising then). In the past year I’ve gotten really into exercising and now I’m wondering if I’m eating ENOUGH. Basically my question boils down to: If I can eat 3000 calories in a day, with no exercise, and not gain weight, is that how much my body needs? Should I be eating >3000 calories when I am exercising?
Thanks!
Sarah
Yes! I’ve always wondered why people think they need to eat after doing a few light weights and a short walk on the treadmill. This does not equal an Olympic marathon, people!
And don’t even get me started on the guy who drinks Gatorade the whole time he’s on the elliptical.
bdaiss- Im just going to call you badass from now on, cause thats what I htink of everytime i see your name. ANYWAYS if there’s one thing i’ve learned, especially about marathoners/triathletes: dont mess with their routine. so be nice when you tell him- i dont want you getting fired because of me! but if you do, ill give you 20 bucks a week to clean my house. deal?
sagan- its a slippery slope, but i would say someone that trains twice a day, or for over 3 hours a day. i consider being an athlete one that works out for for living- to prepare for competitions. i suppose you could be a recreational athlete, but if you are working out over 3 hours a day, i think yoou need a hobby :)
Sally- Mark is a big fan of the low carb thing- Im not so much, mainly because im against any kind of elimination/restriction. Mark and i have discussed his anti-carb stance many a times and have agreed to disagree (carbs are energy!!) but in this particular instance I agree- not just for carbs, but food in general.
tfh- people overestimate how hard they workout/how many calories they burn. for someone losing weight especially, you want the workout effects to last as long as possible (ie: revved metabolism.) Take advantage.
keyalus- so true! dribble the ball a few times and you are dripping gatorade. i have to eat BEFORE i work out, otherwise i feel like crap. after im done working out i never have an appetite. gimme about 2 hours though, and then im starving.
Holly- yeah its a fine line. marathoners are kind of a different breed. its likie Michael Phelps said “eating is a chore.” some have to wake up in the middle of the night to eat to refuel. BUT, alas, that is very few of us. very, very few.
asithi- i usually hate most commercials but i like the one (i think its for propell) where the gym folk are staring at a vitamin water saying “so if i drank this i would have to walk another 20 minutes?” its so true!
Julia- i will not correct you because i think you are right. and, gingerbread lattes? no way. PEPPERMINT ALL THE WAY!!
ttfn300- im the opposite- i eat right before. Not too much, usually just a snack, but it makes a big difference if i go to the gym on empty.
FBG- come on! he can make the statue of liberty disappear! Carmen San Diego stole Mt Rushmore, but thats not magic, shes just a bad ass.
Elina- nothing in life is free! no matter how much i wish it were….
Liz- I actually have never thought of foods as being gender specific, but now that i do, i think its true. i think beer is a perfect example. Light beer is always advertised towards women, like no matter what, we should be watching our weight. Its like companies just assume we want to lose weight so, “here, fatties, a light version for you!” except with beer i can have a pint or 2 of Mack and Jacks and be good to go, but need considerably more Bud Lights to get the same effect. God, I sound like a binge drinker.
SarahF- You better start running, girl cause i know some girls that want to strangle you right now, lol.
metabolisms are different, and fortunately for you, you have a very kind one. BUT being underfed is just as bad as being over fed. Obviously you have a different metabolism than most. Since your family seems to be the same way, its just genetic (if the rest of your family wasn’t the same i would probably say to get your thyroid checked to be on the safe side.) The only way to know for sure how much you need is to see a nutrtionist, but if eating whatever you want doesn’t cause you to gain weight, and you are fine at the weight you are- i would consider wearing a heart rate monitor, seeing how many calories you burn and eat them back on top of what you normally would. that way you still get the health benefits of exercise, but no calorie deficit.
and can i just take a second to say THANK YOU for starting to workout for reasons other than a weight problem? its refreshing
runjess-lol, its so true. to add to asithi’s comment, there is ajamba juice across from my gym and people always leave the gym and go get a smoothei. its ICE CREAM people! i know, i used to work there! (my first job. frozen mangoes, mmmmm)
Kelly,
I agree with your last point and I think that you should definitely stress that. If that after workout meal is part of your caloric deficit, than there is no reason to skip it just because it’s after your workout. That being said, there are benefits of not eating after your workout, as intermittent fasting has shown us.
Thanks for the post!
All the Best,
Andrew R