Post-Exercise Carbohydrate Recovery Choices
You should know by now that getting in carbohydrates and protein immediately after a workout is going to play a big role in your success. Not only will the post-workout meal help you replenish your energy stores for the next workout you do, but it’s going to be important to promoting proper muscle re-synthesis, which is critical for maintaining or building new muscle mass.
While most people will choose a protein powder for directly after their workout since it’s quick, easy, and readily digestible, the carbohydrate source often gets a little more confusing for most.
Should you use a really quick digesting source or mix it with a slow digesting source? Is pure dextrose the best way to go? What about fruit post-workout? Does it have a place in your shakes?
These are some of the questions that many people find themselves wondering.
Recently, researchers out of the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences in Birmingham looked at the difference it makes when you consume pure glucose post-workout in comparison with consuming glucose and fructose.
The design was to have two groups of six endurance-trained men perform exhaustive exercise that depleted their glycogen stores.
One group was to have a pure glucose solution, consisting of 90 grams total, while the other ingested a glucose-fructose solution, with 60 grams of glucose and 30 grams of fructose. They had this drink immediately following the workout, and then every 30 minutes thereafter for a total of 4 hours.
The results of the study demonstrated that the immediate post-exercise muscle glycogen concentration was similar with both drinks, therefore demonstrating that both fructose and glucose can be used in the post-workout beverage.
It is important to note the concentrations however, in that there was still more glucose than fructose in the combined beverage.
The results might have been different had the proportions been reversed, and fructose was the higher concentration of carbohydrate source.
So, the take home message here is that it is fine to use some fructose post-workout – a banana thrown into your shake, or if you’re the post-workout candy type, one that does have some fructose, just don’t go overboard with it.
The most important thing will be making sure that you get enough carbohydrates in total to promote full recovery.
Reference:
Hulston, CJ. (2008) Post-Exercise muscle glycogen synthesis with combined glucose and fructose ingestion. Med Sci Sports Exercise. Oct: 40(10):1789-94
