Pre and Post-Workout Nutrition

Nutrition

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Research Review: Pre and Post-Workout Nutrition
by Curt Pedersen

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts' need to be aware that every meal they eat plays a major role in the results they achieve in the gym. Eating the wrong foods, especially before and after a workout can significantly slow or prevent one's progress. Fortunately, sports science research has recently provided athletes with the information they need to eat properly before and after a workout to maximize their results.

In one recently performed study, researchers had a group of physically fit athletes consume a liquid protein/carbohydrate drink or placebo before and after a weight-training workout. The protein/carbohydrate and placebo meals were consumed 2 hours prior to and immediately after exercising. Various blood hormone levels were measured after both meals were consumed at pre-determined intervals. Also measured during the study were each subject's percent bodyfat, muscle mass, and muscular strength.

Results from the study showed that the protein/carbohydrate meal produced a significant increase in post-workout growth hormone, blood glucose and insulin levels. No change was found in these hormone levels in the placebo group. Muscle mass also increased after the subjects had consumed the protein/carbohydrate drink over a period of seven days. There was no change in bodyfat or muscular strength in either group during the study. Testosterone levels decreased in the group consuming the protein/carbohydrate drink and increased in the placebo group following the post-workout meal.

Increases in growth hormone, insulin, and blood glucose following the post-workout meal may allow for more a greater amount of amino acids to be shuttled into one's muscle cells improving recovery and strength and muscle mass gains made from workout to workout. This could be one explanation for the increase in lean body mass and not bodyfat during the study. The decrease in bound testosterone levels in the protein/carbohydrate group could indicate that the meal increased free blood testosterone levels more than the placebo group, allowing for greater increased in muscle mass. Unfortunately, this was not measured in this study. The exact type of proteins and carbohydrates consumed at each meal also needs to be studied further before more definitive conclusions can be made with regards to the pre and post-workout meal.

Source
Kraemer WJ, Volek J, Bush J, Putukian M, Sebastianelli W. Hormonal responses to consecutive days of heavy-resistance exercise with or without nutritional supplementation. Journal of Applied Physiology. 85(4): 1544-1555, 1998.