Post workout, supplement or natural food?

[123 MMA]

Hi everyone,

I am wondering what peoples opinions on this matter are, I know after a tough workout e.g with Clubbells/ Kettlebells, most people will have a protein supplement because the amino acids can be absorbed faster than in natural foods.

What do you do?

[Chuck Kechter]

Natural when I can. Supplement occasionally. Fast occasionally.

[Coach Gottschalk]

The idea of hitting a post-workout nutritional window as a training necessity is grossly exaggerated, in part thanks to supplement peddlers. The sum total of your diet throughout the day is far more important. In that respect I would side with natural foods (I prefer to just say whole foods, since natural is somewhat ambiguous).

That said, I'm sure either would do you fine. Choose whichever suits you best. While I think the post-workout window is overrated, I still down a pretty hefty 24oz+ of whole milk and whey protein after I'm done in the gym. Why? Because at the same time I firmly believe in meeting certain nutritional demands like X grams of protein per day. Whey supplementation helps me meet that particular goal easily and with little preparation.

[Kathryn Woodall]

Coach Gottschalk is right on with his comment about the post-workout window being a necessity and how the idea came about. The quality of your food all the time will matter a whole lot more than what you choose to eat (or not eat) after a workout.

I put on 16 pounds of muscle earlier this year and I did it purely with whole food and exercise matched to meet my needs (no powders, no whey, no supplements - just real food and water)...eating 2-3 meals/day and sometimes fasting for 24 hours. I've maintained it within a small range since then.

Coach Sonnon and I have teamed up for a nutrition book that will be out later this year. I go over the basics and how to use nutrition to meet your goals while he covers nutrition for the competitive and elite athlete. There is no one right way, but there are ways that will get you where you want to be health-first and faster.

[BrainSquirt]

123 MMA, Your personal metabolic (etc) tendencies are the most important considerations for how to feed and supplement post workout.
Your goals and concomitant type of workout is next in importance. Examples: If endurance (generally - lighter weight, higher rep) is accentuated, then ‘whole day’ quality and quantity of food is more important than post workout food or supplement. If maximizing strength and / or building muscle mass (generally - heavy weight, lower reps), then PRE-workout, post workout (and overall diet) can make a huge difference. Anywhere along the above spectrum, if repetive ‘overtraining’ is involved (btw CST’ers should know better), then post workout fast protein (and fast carbs) can ameliorate the ‘exhaustion’ to a limited degree. If you are going to an elite level, you will be best served finding your own personal best cycles and dosages of fast protein in the form of undenatured, low molecular weight whey (ie the powders in GNC, on the internet, etc are almost junk food), di and tri peptides, BCAA's, select insulinogenic aminos, fast carbs, high quality lipids, and adatogens to supplement a generally ‘alkaline forming’ healthy food diet. hth... all the best