It’s great that you had an excellent workout, but no, you’re not done. Post workout, your body wants the kind of protein that will help it repair the damage you just did, in other words, build muscle. It also wants to replace the carbohydrates, glycogen and fluids that you just burned up. Forbes Health is helpful here, quoting Leslie Bonci, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Active Eating Advice in Pittsburgh. Bonci recommends a post workout meal that includes protein, carbohydrates and fluids, with 10 to 20 grams of protein and a protein/carb ratio that varies with the type of exercise. After a strength-training workout, Bonci would go with a 2-to-1 ratio of carbs to protein (meaning 20 to 40 grams of carbs and 10 to 20 grams of protein). After an endurance (aerobic) workout, on the other hand, the better ratio is to 3-to-1 (with 30 to 60 grams of carbs and 10 to 20 grams of protein).
For most of us, meaning recreational exercisers who train two or three times a week, Forbes offers advice from Nina Kolbe, a registered dietitian and Forbes Health Advisory Board member. She suggests a balanced meal that contains carbs (to refuel) and protein (to build and repair muscle), such as oatmeal and eggs, yogurt and granola, a sandwich and milk, or chicken and rice. Harder chargers should go with a 200-calorie snack consisting of carbs and protein and those who train up to 4 hours a day should refuel rapidly, aiming for a much higher-calorie, carbohydrate- and protein-based snack. Drill down at Forbes Health.