Ok, I think I’ve gotten the concept of nutrition down (the broad strokes at least) to get a good foundation for my program. I’m getting the gist of nutrient timing as well, but one sticking point for me is the ‘post workout nutrition’.
I know I need carbs. I know I need protein. I know I need BCAA’s as well, but when, where, how, etc?
I had one guy tell me to eat a pop tart after a workout. I thought he was kidding, but he went on to tell me how insulin levels are low and the body needs the sugar kick start.
I tend to chew bubble gum during my workout. I’m not really sure why. I think it goes back to childhood when I played baseball and we always got bubble gum before the game. Old habits die hard. With that in mind, is chewing gum bad during a workout?
Just as a point of reference:
37 years old
185 lbs
BMI - 24
BF% - around 17%
Goal - get BF down to 10% and gain about 20 more lbs.
My routine (post workout) is:
BCAA’s - immediately following a workout
Protein shake - after my shower (about 30 minutes after workout)
Meal rich in protein and carbs within 90 minutes of workout.
Chewing gum is fine during a workout, as long as you don’t choke.
How many BCAA’s you taking after the workout?
I wouldn’t wait 30 minutes after a workout to have a shake - I drink mine within 5-10 minutes after I’m done. Also, as mentioned before, you need carbs to spike insulin levels (insulin is very anabolic) and along with protein they make a mean combination to speed up recovery and help with growth. Have a meal 1-1.5 hours after your shake.
Lastly, pick 1 goal at a time - either lose fat or add muscle but don’t chase both it will leave you frustrated.
[quote]rsg wrote:
I wouldn’t wait 30 minutes after a workout to have a shake - I drink mine within 5-10 minutes after I’m done.
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agreed. kevinguy: mix the bcaas with the protein and a high-glycemic carb and drink as soon as you are done lifting.
30 minutes later would still work as your “window of opportunity” is anywhere from 45-60 minutes post-workout, but during that wasted 30 minutes you are in a catabolic state.
I agree you don’t want to wait 30 minutes. You only have between a 30-45 minutes window to get protein and carbs, your pretty close to missing that window.
Good info, guys. I appreciate all of it, but naturally, now I have new questions. Primarily, what is this ‘glycemic’ drink you guys are talking about? Is it a mix of carbs and protein? Where can I get it, or do I make it myself?
Also, the amount of BCAA’s I take is 4 capsules of MM (Max Muscle) brand BCAA’s (which is 2.4 grams all together).
As for protein, I take BSN’s Syntha 6, which tastes pretty good I guess.
[quote]kevinguy wrote:
Good info, guys. I appreciate all of it, but naturally, now I have new questions. Primarily, what is this ‘glycemic’ drink you guys are talking about? Is it a mix of carbs and protein? Where can I get it, or do I make it myself?
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Lately I’ve been using Gatorade and whey, plus creatine and glutamine if only because we have that shit sitting around at Gold’s. If you can afford to, throw in some BCAAs. I just bought a crapload, gonna give Thib’s high dosage recommendation a shot.
Since I brought him up, I also recall Thib recommending just the BCAAs and glutamine for those who don’t handle carbs as well (for example, if your body fat is high).
Kevinguy
just use a product like Surge for your PWO meal. It has fast absorbing carbs for the insulin spike and fast absorbing protein to feed your muscles when they are primed to absorb the most nutrients. Dr. John Berardi who wrote the two referenced articles also designed Surge. The articles may have seemed a little general because while a product like Surge maybe the easiest form of PWO nutrition it is not the only way to go.
Also at the time those articles were written, it was not well known what was the best combination of nutrients, amounts and timing postworkout to optimize muscle growth and recovery.
You said you were taking Syntha 6 as your post workout protein shake. If i’m not mistaken, I think syntha is casein protein which takes longer to digest.
After a workout, you want the protein to be absorbed as fast as possible, so you should use whey protein.
As for the carbs, you can add dextrose or maltodextrin.
If you don’t feel like buying something like Surge, just have a couple scoops of whey and 6 or so slices of white bread. Small amounts of sugar do not hurt, either.
This is my experience, though I’m an ecto, meaning I do not gain fat (or muscle, god dammit) very easily.
[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
If you don’t feel like buying something like Surge, just have a couple scoops of whey and 6 or so slices of white bread. Small amounts of sugar do not hurt, either.
This is my experience, though I’m an ecto, meaning I do not gain fat (or muscle, god dammit) very easily. [/quote]
Maybe you’d make better gains if you improved your post-workout nutrition.
Milk is also very insulinogenic meaning it creates an insulin spike in your body when you drink it. If you put a scoop of whey in 16oz skim milk youre getting about 25g sugar and 41g protein (28whey/13casein). This will provide you with 2 absorption rates of protein, mainly fast but some slower as well, keeping you anabolic longer. Add in more high GI carbs if you prefer/depending on your goals.
Milk is low GI but has a high insulin index. The glucose index is based on glucose but the main sugar in milk is lactose. This is why it is low on the GI and high on the II.
[quote]kevinguy wrote:
Good info, guys. I appreciate all of it, but naturally, now I have new questions. Primarily, what is this ‘glycemic’ drink you guys are talking about? Is it a mix of carbs and protein? Where can I get it, or do I make it myself?[/quote]
take some dextrose or glucose and yes, mix it with some whey protein
[quote]bodycraft wrote:
kevinguy wrote:
Good info, guys. I appreciate all of it, but naturally, now I have new questions. Primarily, what is this ‘glycemic’ drink you guys are talking about? Is it a mix of carbs and protein? Where can I get it, or do I make it myself?
take some dextrose or glucose and yes, mix it with some whey protein
ratio : sugar 3/protein 1
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Change regular whey to WPH and add in the right BCAA and you’re on the way.
