Post-workout Routine and Nutrition: Dos and Don’ts to Remember
Establishing healthy and effective habits that supplement training is important to ensure that training-related muscular and physiological adaptations are maximized. Thus, instead of randomly throwing things together to see what works, you should aim to create a sound post-workout routine based on empirical evidence to maximize training benefits. Let’s look at the do’s and don’ts of what to do post-workout, along with post-workout nutrition and recovery strategies.
Post-workout meals
There is a consensus that post-workout protein is important for muscle growth and repair. After resistance training, the muscle becomes primed and there is an increase in muscle protein synthesis (ie, increased sensitivity to amino acids). Thus, early hypotheses circled around the concept of an “anabolic (growth) window” post-workout, whereby there was a limited time (of around 45 to 60 minutes) to ingest protein after a workout to maximize muscle adaptation processes.
However, in the past decade, there has been considerable work done in this area, which has refuted many early beliefs. Currently, the research indicates that post-workout protein intake may not be as crucial compared to total daily protein intake for promoting exercise-induced muscle development.
Indeed, it appears that muscles are sensitized to protein intake for at least 24 hours after a training bout, and so the “anabolic (growth) window” is far wider than first thought
In fact, the closeness for post-exercise protein consumption following a workout will depend on the timing of the pre-workout meal. If the main training goal is to maximize muscle growth, then consuming high-quality protein (at a dose of approximately 0.4g/kg-0.5g/kg of lean body mass) is important during both pre-exercise and post-exercise meals, within about four to six hours of each other, depending on meal size. Overall, research indicates that consumption of around 1.6g/kg of protein per day (with an upper limit of 2.2g/kg per day) is needed to optimize training benefits.
Also read: How Does Nutrition Help in Exercise Recovery?
Post-workout recovery
Post-workout recovery techniques are solely designed to decrease delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and improve muscle tissue repair processes, with the overall goal to improve physical performance outcomes over time. Considerable evidence exists that explores and contrasts the benefits of post-exercise recovery strategies, including the effects of passive stretching, massage, cryotherapy, contrast water therapy, and self-myofascial release techniques.
Overall, there is good evidence that massage and self-myofascial release techniques (ie, foam rolling) are effective methods for reducing pain associated with DOMS, as well as perceived fatigue levels.
For foam rolling post-exercise, a slow bout of 30-60 seconds rolling, three to five times (sets) with 10-30-second rest periods between each set may be optimal
Furthermore, active recovery strategies (ie, swimming, walking, cycling etc), contrast water therapy (ie, using short-burst periods of interchanging cold and hot baths), and cryotherapy (ie, using extreme cold) may offer some positive effects on DOMS. The evidence though is mixed across different population groups, and so, further exploration is needed on these recovery strategies.
Also read: Stretching: Does It Have Any Benefits?
What not to do post workout
From a scientific perspective, there is really no such thing as “things you should not do”, but rather point to activities that are considered less effective. Therefore, all pre and post-workout strategies may have their respective place across varying levels of ability and age etc.
However, certain activities may be considered less fruitful in terms of optimizing recovery in contrast to the methods outlined above. For example, passive (static) stretching undertaken either before or after a workout, is not considered optimal for reducing DOMS or improving performance outcomes. In fact, there is some evidence that static stretching may actually increase the severity of DOMS.
So, where does static stretching fit in, exactly? Well, some may claim that static stretching is important for improving range of motion, which is an important quality when undertaking resistance-based exercises. However, recent evidence has proposed that resistance training in itself may be equivalent to static stretching for improving range of motion. That is, resistance training using elongated muscles under tension (ie, eccentric contractions) may actually increase muscle fascicle lengths comparable to static stretching. More evidence is needed comparing the two modes though. For now, static stretching may well have some therapeutic/ perceived benefits, but it does not seem to improve performance outcomes or decrease DOMS.
In addition, while eating high protein-based nutritious foods are beneficial for performance benefits and recovery post-workout, eating processed foods that are high in fat/ sugar and low in protein may be detrimental
Moreover, since fluid losses (through sweat and urine) continue during the post-exercise period, effective rehydration requires the intake of a greater volume of fluid (ie, 125%-150%) than the final fluid deficit. If the water deficit is not made up during the post-exercise period, there may be negative effects associated with reduced aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance and muscular strength. Therefore, it is recommended that 1.25l-1.5l of fluid (water, or water + electrolytes) is ingested for every 1kg body weight loss post-workout.
References
1. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. Is There a Postworkout Anabolic Window of Opportunity for Nutrient Consumption? Clearing up Controversies. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018; 48: 911-914.
2. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med 2018; 52: 376-384.
3. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA, Krieger JW. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2013; 10: 53.
4. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon A, Wilborn C, et al. Pre- versus post-exercise protein intake has similar effects on muscular adaptations. PeerJ 2017; 5: e2825.
5. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2018; 15: 10.
6. Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, et al. An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Front Physiol 2018; 9: 403.
7. Bieuzen F, Bleakley CM, Costello JT. Contrast water therapy and exercise induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2013; 8: e62356.
8. Hendricks S, Hill H, Hollander SD, et al. Effects of foam rolling on performance and recovery: A systematic review of the literature to guide practitioners on the use of foam rolling. J Bodyw Mov Ther 2020; 24: 151-174.
9. Herbert RD, de Noronha M, Kamper SJ. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011; CD004577.
10. Afonso J, Ramirez-Campillo R, Moscão J, et al. Strength Training versus Stretching for Improving Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9: 427.
11. American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, American College of Sports Medicine, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41: 709-31.
12. McCartney D, Desbrow B, Irwin C. The Effect of Fluid Intake Following Dehydration on Subsequent Athletic and Cognitive Performance: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med Open 2017; 3: 13.
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