3 Best Things To Eat After Working Out

While many people think about what to eat and how to prepare before they work out, knowing the right things to eat following a tough workout can make a huge difference in how quickly you recover and how your body responds to whatever stress and strain you just put it through. Because of this, it’s vital that you pick the right foods to consume as part of the cool down process.

To help you with this, here are three of the best things to eat after working out.

Get Some Protein

Whether you’re working out to try to lose weight, exercise your lungs and heart, or hoping to put on some muscle, eating protein after you’ve exercised should be your main priority.

According to Katherine Marengo, a contributor to Medical News Today, protein is what your body needs to heal your muscles after working them out. Additionally, eating a decent amount of protein can help with the muscles definition you crave as a result of your hard exercises. Some of the best sources of protein that you could be eating after a training session include things like dairy protein, eggs, and fish containing omega-3 fatty acids. All of these items will get your body the protein it needs without weighing you down by eating something particularly heavy just after you’ve exercised.

Keep Up Your Carbs

While many people who are trying to get fit or lose weight are told to steer clear of eating too many carbs, consuming carbohydrates after you have just worked out is essential to the health and wellness of your body.

Darla Leal, a contributor to Very Well Fit, shares that when you eat carbohydrates after a workout, you can have a greater rate of glycogen synthesis taking place. What this means is that the energy that you lost from your cells during your workout will be restored to them as quickly as possible. To get the right carbs into your system, try eating things like brown rice, quinoa, or whole grain tortillas.

Don’t Forget About Water

Aside from refueling your body with the right food after working out, you also need to ensure that you’re giving your body the water or other fluids that it needs to replace and replenish anything you lost in sweat while you were exercising.

While drinking just water after your workout will usually work for proper rehydration, Shawn Radcliffe, a contributor to Healthline.com, shares that if you’ve had a particularly grueling workout, you may need to replace some lost electrolytes as well, which will mean adding some sodium and potassium to what you’re already consuming.

If you’re wanting to get the most out of your workout and recover as quickly as possible, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you know what to eat after you’ve exercised.