A lot of men and women today who are into bodybuilding and toning endure the long-term chores of strength training in order to achieve their fitness and muscle goals. The road towards gaining strength, endurance and muscle sculpting can be long and difficult, and the journey doesn’t even end once the desired body has been attained; maintaining the form and sculpture takes more time, patience and effort, which not every gym rat could provide.
Since strength training has grown to be a fad among bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts alike and there have spawned out various theories, practices and advice which talk about how to build muscle fast and quickly. Different opinions work on different people, thus it is not a guarantee that the same workout routine would produce the same effects and results on two different people following them at the same time. Some persons who go to the gym to work out on a regular basis may build muscle only after a few months, while their contemporaries may achieve the same goals just within a few weeks.
But what’s more stressful about strength training routines is the post-workout regimen. Of course, when one has already achieved the desired body sculpture he has been working on for months, he just can’t let go and allow all his efforts to go to waste-he has the greater and more stressful job of maintaining his muscle tone and figure, which may be a lifelong ordeal. Nowadays there have been various post-workout regimens which claim to help the human body keep up with its needs to build muscle, as well as reduce the risks of accumulating fat once again. However, not all these advice work and some of them may even leave the body not only in poor shape, but as well as in poor health.
This article aims to provide the ten most common post-workout nutrition fallacies in the world of strength training in order to help us learn how to build muscle fast and quickly, as well as the proper solutions to correct such procedures. As we all know, strength training is not only achieved through the workout, but as well as through proper diet, which should be continued even after the whole training routine has ended. By being informed about these myths you then get to have a better understanding on how to maintain your post-workout figure, and as well reduce the risks of health issues and conflicts due to nutrition problems brought by post-workout diet and nutrition practices.
1. Pre-workout nutrition should be avoided in order not to divert blood circulation during strength training.
One of the most common fallacies in the world of strength training is that of pre-workout nutrition getting in the way of blood flow during training. A lot of trainers advice their gym rats to avoid eating before going to the gym as the food they have consumed will only block the blood from circulating well into the muscles. However, food intake does the opposite and even encourages the blood to flow more efficiently through the different organs of the body, including the muscles being toned during workout. Liquid pre-nutrition meanwhile speeds up muscle growth more than double as compared to post-nutrition fluid intake, and its effects last for more than an hour’s worth of workout. With more energy you’ve got, the more your body works to build muscle!
2. You need to replenish glycogen during post-workout nutrition.
Glycogen is one of the nutrients lost during strength training workouts, and indeed it has to be replaced during post-workout nutrition. However, it is actually easy to get back all the glycogen you’ve lost, and there are many other nutrients which prove to be more important and have to be replenished right away. This myth only came to life since common theories state that the loss of glycogen during workout may result to cellular hydration and swelling, which in turn may lead to anticatabolic effects on the muscle.
Glycogen is produced once again when one starts to eat after workout, thus there is no need to put them on top of your priority list. Through regular consumption of carbohydrates along with the right amounts of protein and amino acids, glycogen is restored and even maximized within 24 hours after workout.
3. The post-workout meal is always a must.
People pay most attention to post-workout meals in order to gain back all the nutrients they have lost during training. However, you do not gain back all the nutrients you’ve lost with just one meal-trying to do so will only lead you to feeling sick towards the rest of the day. Why? it’s simply because your body is already too tired to process your food intake, and it will only absorb as much nutrients as it can using the remaining strength.
Hence, it is better to opt for pre-workout meals and other food intake schedules such as bedtime and other regular meals in order to achieve the right nutrients you need to stay fit. These not only prepare your body for the actual workout, but as well keep the organs from feeling stressed and pressured after workout. These also give the body more time and space to work out on its own before being given a new chore to focus on.
4. The best protein synthesis can be derived through the post-workout drink.
One of the first things gym enthusiasts do after workout is to sit down, breathe and take a drink-the “post-workout” drink. But the truth of the matter is, slugging that drink doesn’t have to do anything about protein synthesis; it only gives one a better feeling after a stressful day at the gym.
If there’s anything the post-workout drink does right, it’s that the heart is relaxed and refreshed, and blood circulation will be more regulated. However, protein synthesis takes time to actually work, and the results of waiting will be more fulfilling in the long run.
5. Protein synthesis lasts for only one hour after workout.
Among the reasons why gym buffs rush to consuming their post-workout meal is because they believe that the protein synthesis and buildup of muscles would last for only one hour after the training session. Actually, that is a big myth.
There are various studies which try to pinpoint the exact timeframe of protein synthesis after workout, and most believable estimate would be up to 24 hours. Yes, a whole day. This is because the body has to cool down first after workout, and only after it cools down will it be able to absorb all the necessary nutrients to build muscle. Hence, there would be no difference if you take that protein shake at any time of the day-even 24 hours after the workout, as it would still be absorbed by the body and be used during synthesis.
If there are people who get to enjoy better protein synthesis, then that would be the elderly. For one, they have different diet requirements as that of normal people, and two, they eat and digest the protein in a slower pace than normal. Most health and fitness experts even suggest us to consume high-protein diets and supplements within 48 hours after the workout session, as this would enable the body to better process the protein levels and use them for building stronger and more packed muscles.
6. A solid meal is the best post post-workout meal.
Consuming a solid meal after the post-workout meal is usually deemed to be the best way to go in order to promote better protein synthesis, but since it takes 24 to 48 hours for muscle to build-up to take place after workout, then the best meal after the post-workout meal would be the kind you had first. In this case, it would be more beneficial to consume another protein shake after the post-workout meal as the body will find its nutrients highly useful during protein synthesis. With two protein shakes being digested by the body, you will build muscle fast without actually feeling the pressure on it.
7. Whey is the most ideal protein during post-workout.
Whey became popular among gym rats and fitness enthusiasts as it is known to be a “fast” digesting protein, as compared to other types of protein such as casein. But in reality, whey only became “fast” as casein absorption is really very slow.
The only way that whey protein became easily digested is by means of whey protein hydrolysate. In this form, the whey protein has already been ground up into large peptides, thus rapid absorption takes place and reaches the blood within 80 minutes upon absorption. Thus, it is important to remember that whey isn’t actually a fast digesting protein; it only has a faster digestion speed compared to its contemporaries, which really take a slow pace in digestion and absorption. Only whey hydrosylate and amino acids act really fast.
8. Insulin sensitivity levels are increased for an hour after strength training.
What does insulin sensitivity actually mean in the first place? While it is among the most ambiguous concepts in the world of fitness and nutrition, in layman’s terms it means as the state where the body requires lower levels of insulin for protein synthesis. But that claim has already been debunked.
Since the genesis of muscle buildup after training is all a matter of timeframes and a play of schedules, most people are concerned as to how long insulin sensitivity lasts after workout. However, this should not be the main concern here, as what matters more is increasing one’s insulin sensitivity for a long-term basis. Only regular exercise can do the trick, thus if you want to maintain good-even better insulin levels and reduce risks of diabetes or hypoglycemia.
If you are wondering how long insulin sensitivity lasts after workout, the answer would also be over 24 hours, just like protein synthesis. The effects would be even greater after another 24 hours from the time of training.
9. Inflammation issues are best treated with aspirin and ibuprofen.
Aspirin and ibuprofen are among the most common pain relievers used by people who go to the gym and workout, but these do not really reduce muscle inflammation or swelling; they only keep the brain busy thinking about other things by blocking the stimulus of pain from actually coming in. These drugs indeed have an anti-inflammatory effect, but they don’t have to do anything in limiting muscle swelling.
There are many ways to treat muscle swelling, but it is actually best to endure all the pain so that the muscles would be able to recover naturally and strengthen themselves without all the artificial pressure brought by drugs.
10. Antioxidants increase muscle recovery after workout.
It is normal for the muscles to get damaged during workout, and a lot of gym buffs believe that the intake of antioxidants will help reduce such issues and speed up the body’s recovery process. But the truth is, this claim has not yet been proven true. To this day, there’s no clear evidence about antioxidants being useful on muscle recovery.
If there’s anything Vitamin C and N-Acetyl Cysteine could contribute to the body after workout, then that would be strengthening the person’s immune system. This is quite useful since the body tends to be prone to colds and fatigue after strenuous workout, and it should be kept protected against disease-causing agents that might do their dirty work. Some studies even show that muscle cells can be susceptible to microtrauma due to antioxidants, thus they should be taken at moderate levels.
Conclusion
In essence, post–workout nutrition should be given equal importance as that of the workout itself, but at the same time we should not get too exaggerated as to the claims and advice related to the matter. By playing on the middle ground and considering your own body’s needs and requirements, you will be more capable of knowing which regimens and practices to follow or avoid after strength-training exercises. It is still best to consult not just your trainer but your fitness expert so that you know which post-workout regimens are safe and recommended in supporting your goals towards building, toning and maintenance of your muscles.
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