What can you eat after training in the evening? Post-workout nutrition: expert recommendations

July 5, 2018
Diets
Valieva Olga

The fashion for a healthy lifestyle and a slim, athletic body is not going away. Hundreds of thousands of girls and men all over the world regularly visit the gym, developing an optimal exercise program to achieve slimness. Nutrition occupies a special place in bodybuilding: without a competent diet, muscle tissue will never grow. It is necessary to cut back on simple carbohydrates and increase the proportion of protein foods. What to do if you feel hungry after a hard evening workout? After all, food taken at night may not be fully absorbed. The answer to the question of what you can eat after training in the evening interests almost all amateur athletes.

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates: their role in an athlete’s nutrition

Any food product contains greater or lesser amounts of any of the three vital nutrients. These are proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Each of these components plays a specific role in the body:

After digestion, protein breaks down into amino acids. It is a building material for cells throughout the human body. Muscles, organ tissues, blood vessels - all this is built from amino acids. Proteins in the diet affect digestion, respiration, and blood clotting. They are also responsible more than other nutrients for muscle contractions and nerve conduction. A deficiency of amino acids and protein leads to muscular dystrophy, weakness, low performance, and increased excitability. Eating after an evening workout requires the presence of protein - this is necessary in order to saturate the muscles with amino acids and prevent the process of catabolism (muscle breakdown) from starting at night.
Fats are a source of energy. With an excess of this nutrient, excess weight begins to accumulate. The layer of subcutaneous fat increases. As a result, the person is diagnosed with obesity. You cannot completely give up fats, but you should strictly regulate their amount in the diet. Foods containing fats are indispensable during heavy physical activity and in cold weather. The quality of the fat also matters. For example, unsaturated fatty acids are essential and enter our body only with food, mainly vegetable oils. You should opt for cold-pressed unrefined olive, flaxseed, sunflower, cottonseed, sesame oil.
Carbohydrates are the main element that supplies the human body with energy. Carbohydrates can be simple - glucose, fructose, galactose; as well as sucrose and lactose. They are absorbed instantly, contribute to a jump in insulin, which is why a person begins to feel hungry and eats more than necessary. As a result, the layer of subcutaneous fat increases and excess weight accumulates. Complex carbohydrates are not so dangerous in terms of obesity - they are starch, fiber, glycogen. Carbohydrates must be present in moderate amounts in an athlete’s diet for normal muscle growth. Complex carbohydrates are also an excellent source of energy. With their deficiency, a person becomes lethargic, incapacitated, and depressed.

Fats in the diet: should you give them up?

Lipid intake is an important point that must be observed during regular intense training. You shouldn’t give up on them, since fats are simply necessary for effective weight loss. They are part of a considerable number of hormones that promote the burning of fat deposits. In addition, fats included in the human diet make it possible to slow down the production of insulin. It is this component that converts glucose into subcutaneous fat deposits. If you eat foods rich in fat, the volume of your hips, waist or abdomen will gradually decrease.

The human body needs the right fats, which it does not produce. These are Omega-3 and Omega-6. Lean fish fillets, shrimp, mussels and squid are rich in similar components. Add such foods to your diet to ensure that physical activity brings the desired results. Fish can be baked, steamed or boiled.

But avoid fried foods, as they contain high levels of cholesterol. Animal fats are not as healthy, but they are necessary for the absorption of various vitamins. To replenish your supply of ingredients, eat a sandwich with butter in the morning.

What to eat for dinner when gaining muscle mass

Most working people exercise in the evenings. A visit to a sports club is often carried out around seven or eight o'clock in the evening. Having got home at nine o'clock, the training athlete wants to eat. This is quite normal: the body is trying to replenish glycogen stores in the liver.

Mostly girls prefer to starve themselves. Many of them believe that eating in the evening after training is the path to gaining excess weight. This opinion is a gross mistake!

When working with dumbbells, barbells, and strength training equipment, you need a high-quality protein-carbohydrate dinner. It should not contain heavy food. It is optimal if it consists of easily digestible foods and contains about 20 g of protein and 80-100 g of complex carbohydrates. Can I eat in the evening after training? It’s not just possible, but necessary. The main thing is to choose the right ingredients for dinner.

To drink or not to drink: quench your thirst

All fitness enthusiasts agree on one thing: it is simply necessary to drink your daily allowance. After training, our body loses fluid much faster, and we can help it. Some people suppress their appetite by pouring warm water or green tea into themselves. Proponents of this approach claim: hunger goes away, and vigor returns, replacing fatigue and weakness.

Heated water can really suppress the desire to eat. However, you cannot leave your stomach empty: dinner should be complete and healthy. Stop dreaming about delicious dishes while lying in bed: eat regularly, leaving the hunger strike to those who are ready to run to the doctors with a “bouquet” of acquired ailments.

What can you eat for dinner when losing weight or cutting?

People who are far from sports do not understand the difference between regular weight loss and cutting. Depending on your goal, your post-workout diet will vary.

Weight loss is the loss of body weight through both muscle and fat. After radical weight loss, a person simply becomes very thin, as people say, “skinny.” It adds neither beauty nor grace.
Cutting implies the presence of muscle mass. That is, you need to work with weights for about a year to build muscle. They are most often covered with a subcutaneous fat layer, so they are not visible. Cutting is a special protein diet that an athlete follows in order to achieve relief.

If a person’s goal is to lose weight, and he goes to workouts to get rid of obesity, then he can either eat nothing at all or drink tea without sugar. It’s definitely better to give up carbohydrates. The maximum that obese people can eat after training in the evening is a pack of low-fat cottage cheese, a piece of boiled chicken breast, and a glass of kefir.

If a person’s goal is to dry out, then he needs to cut down on carbohydrates. The ideal answer to the question of what to eat after training in the evening for such a person would be a protein shake. You can make your own smoothie from kefir, cottage cheese, and berries. The main thing is that the amount of carbohydrates does not go beyond the daily BZHU. During the drying period, athletes reduce the amount of carbohydrates to a minimum - about 1-2 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Authorized Products

It is important to understand what it is advisable to eat before and after training. To lose weight, as well as to grow muscles, the diet should consist of foods enriched with all trace elements, minerals and vitamins.

Authorized Products

When planning meals, you need to take into account that food should not be low-fat. Proteins and carbohydrates are powerful resources for building tissue, but fats contain essential fatty acids - unique components for creating a beautiful body.

Protein

Protein products are important components of nutrition on rest days after physical activity. You need to consume food with a full range of amino acids. The meat should be lean; chicken, beef, and turkey are suitable. Fish in the diet can be of any fat content. It is important to include seafood in the menu.

Protein is also found in eggs. Dairy products should often include cottage cheese, cheese, and kefir. It is important to include vegetable protein found in nuts and legumes in your menu.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates serve as a source of energy for body functions and training. It is important to consume both fast and slow carbohydrates.

The first type of these nutrients should be obtained from fruits, dried fruits, and vegetables. Preference should be given to fruits that contain little starch and sugar: apples, grapefruit, apricots. Crisps, crackers and energy bars can also quickly satisfy your hunger and give you a surge of energy.

Slow carbohydrates are an indispensable part of the daily diet.

In the morning you can have breakfast with oatmeal or pasta. Cereals (rice, buckwheat) and vegetables can be part of lunch or dinner.

Fatty

It is very important to include fats in your diet, as they help maintain optimal testosterone levels in the body. This hormone is involved in the processes responsible for muscle growth and also makes bones strong. It plays an important role in regulating blood composition.

To consume healthy fats for the body, you need to eat nuts and fatty fish. Vegetable oils should be added to dishes. Animal fats should not be excluded from the diet. It is advisable to include butter in your breakfast.

What can you eat after training in the evening?

You can eat pure protein without restrictions. The main condition is that the dish should not be fried and no oil should be added to it. You don’t have to be afraid to dine on carbohydrates - in some cases (if the athlete is gaining mass), even eating one or two bananas is acceptable. It should be noted that when adding oil, syrups, sugar or other ingredients, the total calorie content will increase and the ratio of BJU will change.

Depending on personal preferences, you can use a ready-made protein mixture or make your own smoothie or cocktail from cottage cheese and berries. Instead of sugar, it is better to add a sweetener - this way you can significantly reduce calories and prevent simple carbohydrates from entering the body. Why are sucrose and lactose dangerous, and why should you be wary of consuming them? They are absorbed instantly and enter the bloodstream, contributing to a surge in insulin. A person begins to feel hungry and eats more than necessary. As a result, the layer of subcutaneous fat increases and excess weight accumulates. Sports cocktails should not contain sugar. You can use erythritol - it is a fine powder with a sweet taste that has zero calories.

Chicken fillet

Chicken breast is good with vegetables (Photo: pixabay.com)
The breast is not only the most dietary part of the chicken, it is also the healthiest meat you can buy. Professional athletes include it in their diet every day, and for good reason. Containing virtually no fat, breast is rich in protein, which is easily absorbed by the body. The product does not burden the digestive system and saturates well.

An excellent pairing for chicken fillet would be baked, stewed vegetables or a salad of fresh vegetables.

Carbohydrates after training - harm or benefit?

As mentioned above, carbohydrates are different from carbohydrates. Here is a list of products that can be used to make a post-workout shake:

Durum wheat pasta

Pasta with tomatoes is healthy for dinner (Photo: pixabay.com)
The recommendation to eat pasta for dinner seems strange only at first glance. If they are made from durum wheat, this is a truly healthy and high-quality product that helps you lose weight. Carbohydrates from them are absorbed slowly, blood sugar does not jump, and the feeling of satiety lasts for a long time.

It is important not to combine pasta with fatty sauces, which greatly increase the calorie content of the dish. Limit yourself to a small amount of cheese and fresh vegetables.

Protein dinner after strength training

You can safely prepare any dishes for dinner that consist of protein products. Post-workout meals include the following:

omelette made from proteins and milk (you can add herbs or stewed vegetables);
lean veal goulash;
stewed chicken fillet;
fish baked on a grill or baking sheet (without adding oil or garnish - you can only use spices or herbs);
low-fat kefir, cottage cheese and dishes made from them;
kefir cocktails with berries.

You should try to use either low-fat products or those with minimal fat content. It is important to remember the dangers of simple carbohydrates and not to add sugar, bread, or crackers to protein dishes. It is also better not to eat cereals and porridge in the evening - there is a high risk that this will affect subsequent weight gain. It is best to eat complex carbohydrates in the morning - this will give you vigor and energize you for the whole day.

Product selection rules

The choice of products that make up the daily diet depends on the time of day and the nature of the load. High-calorie foods are a must after workouts.

In the morning, it is best to consume slow carbohydrates (oatmeal, pasta). They are able to charge the body with energy for a long period of time. It is advisable to drink juices, sources of vitamins and glucose, in the morning.

Fast carbohydrates are consumed when there is a need for a quick burst of strength.

This could be in 30 minutes. before training. Also, fast carbohydrates will serve as an excellent snack during the day.

Product selection rules

A vegetable or fruit salad would be a good solution. An alternative option would be muesli and bread, as well as drinks.

Eat protein foods after training and for dinner. If the work in the gym involves strength training, then the food consumed after it should consist of 6/10 proteins. If we are talking about aerobics, then carbohydrates should dominate the menu.

Cottage cheese and kefir are foods that should be included in meals at the end of the day.

What meat to choose for dinner and how to cook it

Optimally - poultry meat. It's chicken or turkey. It is also acceptable to eat lean veal, beef, and rabbit meat. Fatty meats - pork, lamb, venison - are heavy foods. Such food takes many hours to digest.

Most athletes go to bed two to three hours after dinner. It is worth considering that if you have a heavy dinner - for example, potatoes with pork or a venison steak - then the food simply will not have time to be digested and the person will literally fall asleep “with a full belly.” Therefore, a protein dinner after a workout should not contain fatty meats. The simpler the food taken before bed, the better.

What to eat for dinner from fish and seafood? These are shrimp, squid, and any type of lean fish. You should be careful with salmon - as a rule, these types of fish contain quite a lot of fat. Although it is a healthy polyunsaturated nutrient, too much of it can cause excess weight to accumulate around the waist. Once a month you can allow yourself salmon, trout, chum salmon, and pink salmon for dinner. On other days, it is better to prefer less fatty fish.

After what time should you eat?

There are two main criteria in this matter:

“Anabolic windows” (time intervals after 30-40 minutes and 1-1.5 hours)
Own appetite

If you work hard and want to eat right after class, then why not. Your body knows better when it needs to eat.

The feeling of hunger after a workout is an individual matter. It is advisable to listen to the signals of your own body and eat food when you have an appetite. But still, it is better not to delay the post-workout dinner.

Homemade cocktails and smoothies for dinner: recipes

Making your own cocktails is a fun process. What to eat after training at night? Try making your own protein and berry smoothie.

200 ml of kefir with minimal fat content, a handful of strawberries, a few rowan or blueberries (for those who like a sour taste), a teaspoon of sweetener - place everything in a blender bowl and mix until smooth and thick.
The banana smoothie is quite filling. Contains 190 kcal per two hundred ml. You need 200 ml of low-fat kefir, 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, one ripe banana. Mix all ingredients until smooth. You can add a pinch of vanilla to the banana smoothie for flavor.
Peel two kiwi fruits and cut into cubes. Grind in a blender with liquid baby curd 2.5% fat. This smoothie will appeal to those who like a sour taste.
Beat the egg white until it reaches peaks (that is, so that it does not flow, but stands vertically). Add 100 ml of vanilla protein, a handful of your favorite berries. mix everything with a whisk or spoon - you get a protein-berry cocktail. Those who cannot tolerate raw eggs will not like it. When whipped, egg white resembles an airy cream, so you should try this recipe at least once to get an accurate impression of this taste.

Sample menu

You need to plan your meals daily. When compiling a diet, the calorie limit and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in food are taken into account.

Sample menu

The following menu option serves as a clear example of how to distribute food throughout the day:

7:45 – breakfast

oatmeal with water 200g;
butter 15 g;
tea without sugar.

10:30 – snack

coffee 200 g;
1 banana.

14:00 – lunch

vegetable soup with rice 200g;
poached fish 100 g;
buckwheat porridge 40 g;
fruit drink 200 g.

16:30 – snack

cocoa 200 g;
bread 30 g.

19:00 – dinner

chicken fillet 110 g;
zucchini stew with carrots 100 g;
herbal tea 200 g.

21:00 – snack

cottage cheese 5% 100 g.

This menu is especially suitable for girls working out in the gym in the afternoon. The afternoon menu contains a lot of proteins. For the body and muscles, they serve as a source of recovery after exercise.

For girls whose training takes place in the morning, the following menu is suitable:

7:30 – 1st meal

orange juice – 200 g;
bread - 30 g.

9:45 – breakfast

white omelet from 2 eggs;
milk – 200 g.

13:00 – lunch

brown rice – 40g;
boiled meat – 100 g;
vegetable salad – 100 g;
olive oil – 2.5 ml;
compote – 200 g.

16:00 – snack

cocoa – 200 g;
muesli – 30 g.

19:00 – dinner

boiled chicken fillet – 150 g;
steamed vegetables – 80 g.

21:00 – snack

kefir 2.5% fat – 180 g.

You can create a diet yourself, but if necessary, you can seek professional help from a trainer or nutritionist.

Don't miss the most popular article in the section: Morning exercises for those over 40, 50. Gymnastics exercises for weight loss, video lessons.

Types of sports protein nutrition

For experienced athletes, there is no question about whether to eat after an evening workout. Why? Because every night before bed they take sports shakes.

There are the following types of protein supplements:

Protein concentrates, or, as they are popularly called, cocktails. They are a fine powder that can be diluted with water or milk. Accordingly, when diluted with water, the calorie content will be less. But when diluted with milk, the taste is much more pleasant - you get a real tasty milkshake that perfectly satisfies the feeling of hunger. Protein concentrate is absorbed very quickly - within twenty minutes after consumption. The amino acids from the cocktail rush to tired muscles to nourish them with strength. To obtain protein powder, the following natural products are processed and evaporated: whey, eggs, meat, milk, chickpeas, peas, soy. The most popular protein concentrate around the world is whey. It is cheap, has no side effects, and contains a minimum of carbohydrates. This is the best option for both beginners and experienced athletes.
Gainers are powders for dilution with water, milk, juice, kefir and for oral use. The difference from a protein mixture is the presence of carbohydrates. And quite a lot: a serving of gainer, as a rule, contains from one hundred to three hundred grams of carbohydrates. Protein is about 15-23 grams. The gainer is used exclusively for mass gain. There is no point in taking it while drying. A large amount of carbohydrates can contribute to the growth of subcutaneous fat. Almost all girls avoid using gainers and opt for regular protein mixtures.
Creatine is a concentrate of methyl guanide acetic acid. This substance is also found in small quantities in fish and meat. Creatine can be a protein drink that can be used to replace dinner. This supplement is also available in capsule form for oral administration. Promotes rapid recovery of muscle tissue after exercise. increases endurance, vitality, improves mood.
L-carnitine is an amino acid that promotes weight loss. Often used by athletes during the drying period. Available in the form of a sweet drink (contains a sweetener), which can replace dinner or breakfast. Carnitine is able to accelerate metabolism - as a result, subcutaneous fat leaves the athlete’s body faster. Regular consumption of carnitine allows you to achieve a sculpted, muscular body without a hint of fat folds.
Amino acid complexes, often called simply “amino acids,” are a supplement that optimizes metabolic processes so that all the substances used by the athlete are absorbed by the body correctly and efficiently - they go to build muscle mass, and not to fat depots. Produced in the form of a sweet cocktail or in tablet form. You can take them separately from meals, or as a dietary supplement.
Nutritious protein bars are a real treat for athletes. They can replace either breakfast or dinner. they taste far from ordinary chocolate. In their production, muesli, nuts, protein nougat, sweetener, seeds, and honey are used. The total calorie content of 100 grams of such bars is about 400 kcal. That's quite a lot. But if you really want something sweet, you can afford one bar. You can eat it immediately after training to close the so-called “carbohydrate window”, when the body needs a portion of carbohydrates and protein.

Sports nutrition for dinner: which one to choose?

Protein shakes are an ideal choice to replace a heavy dinner. One serving, as a rule, contains from 20 to 25 g of pure, easily digestible protein, 1-2 g of fat, 3-15 g of carbohydrates. During the drying period, you should choose a protein mixture with a minimum carbohydrate content.

Even during the period of mass gain, you should not eat a gainer for dinner. It is better to opt for a casein protein shake - it is absorbed slowly and will feed your muscles with protein throughout the night. Thanks to this action, it is possible to avoid morning catabolism, in which muscle fibers begin to break down due to a lack of proteins and amino acids.
During weight loss, the best choice for post-workout dinner is an amino acid drink. It will restore strength, nourish muscle tissue, and help you fall asleep soundly and quickly. If it is not possible to buy a bottle of such a drink after each workout, you can skip dinner altogether. When losing weight, people usually do not try to maintain muscle tissue, so there is no need for high doses of protein.
During the drying period before the beach season or competitions, you should opt for regular protein concentrate. If possible, you should try casein protein. You can safely combine a protein shake with amino acids: such a mixture will only bring benefits. You can combine sports cocktails with homemade protein smoothies made from kefir, cottage cheese, and berries.

Fish

Fish dishes are rich in protein (Photo: pixabay.com)
Baked or boiled fatty fish will provide the body with high-quality protein and unsaturated fats needed by the circulatory system. Fish is digested easier and faster than meat, after it there is no feeling of heaviness in the stomach, and the digestive system does not experience excessive stress. In addition, the product contains valuable minerals for the skeletal system: calcium and phosphorus. They strengthen the musculoskeletal system, reducing the risk of fractures.

Choose any fish that you like: salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, which can be alternated with seafood (squid, mussels). Limit seafood consumption to two to three dinners per week.