I had forgotten how sore I get when I squat heavy. I can barely move. Does anyone have tips on post workout nutrition to reduce the utter destruction of my legs for the rest of the week.
It sounds to me like you haven’t squatted in a long time. I know exactly how you feel. I’m not sure about nutrition, but lots of stretching should help with some soreness, maybe a couple ibuprofen always helped me.
[quote]jss11483 wrote:
I had forgotten how sore I get when I squat heavy. I can barely move. Does anyone have tips on post workout nutrition to reduce the utter destruction of my legs for the rest of the week.[/quote]
I have something to share here…
After a grueling squat session one day, instead of downing my normal protein shake, I immediately drove over to the local all you can eat sushi buffet. I loaded up on all sorts of sushi, Japanese and other stuff. The next day my legs were a bit sore but not too bad and I didnt feel as drained as I normally do after legs.
Give it a shot.
foam roll
stretch
eat well
sleep well
we generally squat 4 times a week for Olympic Weightlifting (Loads, reps, front/back, varying of course). By managing these 4 factors, you’ll be able to hit it hard every workout.
As for specific advice on postworkout nutrition, I have not noticed a difference in recovery between the inclusion of a specific postworkout shake and without a postworkout shake (sometimes I forget). But the absence of a good amount of food prior, recovery time (sleep), and recovery techniques can be felt.
100g protein
100g carbs
Obviously eating anything with a decent amount of macros will have some benefit, but what I used to do when I would always squat on weekends, was take my PWO shake and pop tart with me to the gym, down 'em as soon as I was done, and then walk to the mall about half an hour away. I’d usually grab some lunch in the foodcourt (just trying to get as much protein as I could), and then walk home. I’m sure all the walking sort of flushed everyhing out because I’d always be a little less of a cripple the next day.
S
There are a few activities that can help to combat soreness; some of which were mentioned above:
- Foam Roller
- Stretching
- Active Recovery (Swimming)
- Contrast Showers
- Increased sleep
For PWO nutrition the quality is more important than the grams or ratio. Something like this would likely be most effective:
*Immediately Post Workout: MRP Shake (Protein Blend, Isolates) - 5 grams fat, 40 carbs, 40 protein
*45 Minutes Post-Workout: Meal & Shake - 25 Grams Protein Blend Shake, 100 grams carbs (oats, whole grains, sweet potato), and 35-50 grams protein (chicken or fish)
*2-3 Hours Post-workout: 30-50 grams carbs & 40+ grams protein (25 gram protein blend shake).
I have found that this feeding pattern will ensure that your body has sufficient nutrients for recovery. Once I am outside of the carbohydrate window I will sometimes use lean meat, natural peanut butter, or another calorically dense snack that is low in carbs prior to bed.
The quality of your protein shakes is very importance since there is a huge variance from brand to brand. Look at it this way, if you are using whey concentrates or a lesser quality brand then despite drinking 4 shakes you may only end up with 70-80 grams of protein. An individual using higher quality products would get 90-95 grams of protein from the same shakes.
Some poeple have also been able to reduce DOMS with a product called Microlactin.
Consistency is key and your body will adapt to intense training after a period of a couple of weeks.
There are countless threads on this. Use the search function and you’ll find everything you need.
SURGE! The first time I used Surge after a grueling squat session I noticed a drastic decrease in the level of soreness the next day and the even worse second day after training when the soreness is worst. That was about five years ago and still using Surge after every workout (especially squat day).
D
[quote]hardgnr wrote:
100g protein
100g carbs[/quote]
I average around 200g protein, 120g carbs primarily from fruit and whole grains
[quote]jss11483 wrote:
hardgnr wrote:
100g protein
100g carbs
I average around 200g protein, 120g carbs primarily from fruit and whole grains[/quote]
120g carbs post workout or the whole day? If that’s a whole days worth of protein and carbs I’d say you are drastically undereating.