Fitness experts recommend eating proteins after a workout session to rejuvenate the cells, promote their growth and enhance their recovery. Many fitness enthusiasts do this, but some are not aware of how much they should eat. Luckily, reading relevant articles like this one and consulting with experts can help you to be on the right track.

Going overboard with proteins after a workout is not recommended at all. New studies have shown that it can harm your body. After all, the body can only process so much. Let us explore this issue in detail to understand what is best for you.

Your Body Needs More Than Protein

Drinking a gallon of protein shake after exercise is not what you need. Rejuvenation of the body requires the replenishment of all nutrients that were used during exercise. You need more than protein alone. Here are the foods that you should eat.

Proteins – to promote recovery and cell growth, you can drink protein shakes or eat high-protein meals. Most studies advise consuming approximately 20g of protein. The best sources of protein include meat, dairy products and legumes.

Carbohydrates – workouts drain most of the energy stored in the body. This is why sportspeople eat a banana or drink an energy drink during a break. A meal that is rich in protein and sugar is recommended after exercise. However, do not consume too many calories especially if the aim of working out is to lose weight or get ripped.

Vitamins and minerals – the reasons to consume these nutrients after a workout session include replenishing the lost nutrients and enhancing the proper functioning of the body.

Supplements – according to experts at this website, fitness enthusiasts use different supplements after a workout session for many reasons. It all depends on your goals and recommendations by the experts. However, use supplements sparingly to avoid adverse health effects.

Water – hydrating is as important as consuming other nutrients that we have discussed here. Make sure that you keep a water bottle with you and drink more water after exercise to replenish what was lost through perspiration.

How Much Protein?

Undeniably, protein is the most crucial nutrient to consume after an exercise session especially for bodybuilders. Knowing the best amount and form of nutrients is paramount. Although we mentioned that 20g is often ideal, some men engaged in heavy weightlifting and extreme sports consume over 20g. Women can do well with the average or slightly less. More protein than necessary stresses the body because protein takes longer to be digested and assimilated into the body. This is even more of an issue when excess protein is consumed.

How to Tell You Are Eating Too Much Protein

It is possible for people to eat too much protein. Sometimes, it is tempting especially if you have a desire to gain muscle mass. It is true that one of the benefits of eating additional protein after a workout is muscle gain, but there are side effects that you may want to avoid by only eating the recommended amount. The extra protein may not be helpful to the body. Here are the signs that reveal you are eating too much protein after a workout.

Weight gain – although the excess amino acids are excreted, this might not be the case with other components of protein. The body will store them as fat, and this adds weight to the body.

Constipation – studies have proven that excess protein leads to stomach problems, and constipation is the major problem. Mainly, most protein-rich foods do not have fiber like whole grains, fruits and vegetables do.

Damage to organs and increased risk of illness – health experts do not recommend consuming excess protein at any time. Research has linked an especially high level of protein to heart attack, high risk of cancer and damage to the kidneys among many other health challenges.

The Best Time to Eat After a Workout

After a workout session, the body can process protein and glycogen faster. As mentioned, the metabolic rate is now enhanced. This is why both carbs and proteins are highly recommended. Just like the portion size of protein is a crucial consideration, the timing is equally important. According to experts, the meal does not have to be at an exact time but should be within one hour after finishing the workout.

Health and fitness experts explain that the meal consumed before exercise may allow you to delay post-workout protein consumption. Protein takes much longer to be digested and assimilated in the body. Because of this, its benefit is still felt especially if the training session was short.

Conclusion : Overall, about 120g to 150g of protein per day is the recommended amount. But this needs to be distributed throughout all the meals. From this, you can see that it is logical to have just enough post-workout protein and save the rest to be consumed during other meals of the day.