Weightlifting Nutrition: 5 Ways To Supercharge Your Post-Workout Shake

You’ve hit the gym hard and need to replenish your post-workout shake. As a serious weightlifter, you know your post-workout shake is just as important as your weightlifting, and you understand the need for healthy nutrition when trying to build lean muscle. So let’s look at five ways you can supercharge that smoothie for even more benefits…

add more protein
Since the most important part of nutrient replenishment is protein, let’s add a little more, but not more whey protein. Whey protein can only be absorbed at a certain rate and is cleared by the body in about 90 minutes, so adding more whey protein would be wasteful. Instead, add liquid egg whites. One cup (250 g) of egg whites contains 0 fat, 0 carbohydrates, and 28 grams of protein. Egg whites still have a very high Biological Value (BV), but they stay in your system longer and are digested more slowly, meaning you’ll still be absorbing protein after the whey has been eliminated from your body.

Use chocolate milk as a base
Instead of mixing your protein with water, juice, or white milk, use part-skim chocolate milk. Since you need protein, carbs, and fat as part of your healthy nutrition and especially after your post-exercise shake, chocolate milk fills the bill nicely. A cup of 1% has 2.5 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of protein, plus many brands also add vitamins A and D. And once you add your whey protein and liquid egg whites, you’ll see the breakdown of resulting nutrients is excellent for your recovery.

Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Without getting too technical, the sugars in your shake cause a spike in insulin, and that insulin is needed to transport nutrients to your muscles. But if you’ve been reading about healthy nutrition, you know that too much insulin over a long period of time leads to type 2 diabetes. Among many other health benefits, cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar levels; it is not a prevention, but a step to maintain the balance of the body. Of course, it helps that most people love the taste of cinnamon: how long has it been since your last cinnamon roll?

Take a fish oil, krill oil, or omega-3 supplement
There has been a lot of press lately about all the benefits of supplementing with Omega-3, an essential fat that your body needs for a wide variety of bodily functions. In this case, it helps with both nutrient absorption and muscle cell health, so don’t skip this vital step. Do not add it to your shake, just use your post-workout shake to wash down the capsule.

Add a vitamin D-3 supplement
You probably already knew that vitamin D helped build healthy bones and teeth, right? But did you know that vitamin D helps the absorption of some nutrients? Include a vitamin D-3 supplement (the most common form) when taking your Omega-3 to ensure your body can more easily use all the great nutrients in your post-workout shake.

These 5 inexpensive steps will go a long way in supercharging your post-workout shake and help you get the most out of your weightlifting session. Try it and drink it within 30-60 minutes of your workout to take advantage of the window of maximum absorption, the sooner the better. As with any supplement, make sure the ingredients have been approved by your doctor for your particular use, in case any pre-existing conditions are affected, and barring any issues, you’ll be well on your way to your healthy nutrition goals while maximizing results. of your time in the gym!