Is there a minimum exercise/energy expenditure threshold that should be met before consuming a post workout drink? What is the best pre and post workout nutrition for HIIT? I assume a post workout drink like SURGE is optimal, but would you follow he same protocol for weights, i.e., a solid P+C meal 1 hour later.
What is your goal with regard to this question, bulking or cutting? Also, how do you quantify exercise/energy expenditure threshold?
Your cardio sessions (including HIIT) should be 15 minutes minimum. Your weight workout should be dictated by the number of sets/reps and body parts that you are working during a session, but should be held to 70 minutes or less. Given that you meet those requirements, the PWO drink would be the same. SURGE is a great choice, but you can also mix your own. Mine generally consists of a high GI carb like maltodextrin (50g), Whey Protein Isolate (50g) and Glutamine or BCAA (5-6g) mixed with 16oz of water. I will tweak this depending if I’m bulking or cutting, but the deviation isn’t far from the above. SURGE will get you both maltodextrin and protein.
If you are doing HIIT and your interest is cutting, you should still follow with a solid P+C meal. The total number of calories should be reduced and I would lean more toward P than C; however, you do need both.
Since everyone’s physiology differs, you need to try and tweak until you find out what is right for you.
Good luck.
It isn’t necessary to eat again 1hr after the training session. Instead I just get back onto my normal eating schedule with a meal every 2-3hrs after my PWO beverage. If your looking to gain weight make sure that it is a P+C meal and make sure that you eat enough extra calories to compensate for the training session.
I think that the timing of the meal depends on how intense tour training session was. I normally perform 10 30sec sprints with a minute rest imbetween each one. JB recommends sprinting for 30 seconds then jogging for 90secs then sprinting for 30secs etc… He recommends repeating this cycle until you have completed 15 sprints!! I tried this once and it was the most difficult training session of my life lol! If you train like that then I would eat the whole food P+C meal 1 hr after training… if your still have energy to lift a fork 
Hey guys thanks for the feedback. I lift twice a week, compound lifts (deadlifts, squats, chins, etc…) with a goal of trying to improve strength. I do 2 –3 running sessions per week (on days I don’t lift) comprised of interval sprints. I mix them up, but I usually do a tempo day and then a sprint day. My goals are to improve strength and speed, and maintain endurance.
Tommy, my running workout is a little different than yours, I lean towards 30-90 runs. Longer rest periods for the sprints, but needless to say when I’m done with a sprinting session of 4x300 (5 minutes rest) and 3x200 (3 minutes rest) , I’m VERY fatigued. I’m already pretty lean, I just don’t want my performance with the weights or on the track to suffer.
gar18, if you goal is to maintain your current BF% AND energy levels, it’s just a case of raising or lowering carbs.
You’re onto something, though, re optimizing PWO nutrition. But if your HIIT sessions are 20 minutes, as they’re supposed to be, I would not recommend taking Surge. Just have your next regularly scheduled P+C meal.
There’s nothing wrong with being wiped out post-HIIT. That alone is not a reason to raise carbs. Raising carbs would be indicated if you were losing scale weight and/or your energy levels are suffering in general, not just post-HIIT.
Terry,
You make a very good point. My confusion is essentially over the amount of glycogen depletion that occurs as a result of HIIT. Maybe I’m just comparing apples to oranges, because the energy systems used for HIIT and weight lifting are different. I suppose that exhaustion does not always equal glycogen depletion, even as a result of sprinting. I certainly wouldn’t mind using Surge only for my lifting days to save money.
gar18, actually steady-state cardio at lower percentages of MHR are aerobic (with oxygen). HIIT and resistance training are anerobic (outside of the presence of oxygen).
The benefit of doing HIIT is that it elevates your metabolism for up to 12 hours after your exercise. It is the most anabolic form of cardio you can do and is the most protective of LBM.
You may deplete glycogen to some degree when doing HIIT, but you don’t need Surge to refill glycogen stores. That is just as effectively done with a P+C meal after HIIT. The reason for taking Surge is to spike insulin (which causes cortisol to drop). Cortisol levels start to rise when doing resistance training. Even though Surge starts the process of refilling glycogen stores, you still need the whole-food P+C meal that follows.
So the bottom line is you can save Surge for you resistance training. Just eat a good P+C meal post-HIIT. Oatmeal and a serving of fruit would be ideal.