Day 22: Should You Eat After an Evening Workout?
Figuring out what to eat, and more importantly when to eat it, can be confusing.
Food as Fuel
Working out later in the day may mean that you have more power and better performance than if you were to work out in the morning. Your strength is at its peak, your muscles are warmer and more flexible, your reaction time is shorter, your blood pressure and resting heart rate are lower and so is your perceived exertion.
Food plays an important role in fueling your performance and helping you reap the benefits of your workout. What time you eat is just as important as what you eat. Timing your meals properly can help improve muscle recovery and tissue repair, enhance muscle protein synthesis.
For your evening workout, you should plan your day such that you can eat before and after you exercise. You need to eat before you work out because your body cannot run, lift weights, swim, or jump without energy. Exercising after eating is linked to better workout performance than exercising on an empty stomach.
Post-Workout Meal Suggestions
You can plan your meals depending on what time you normally work out in the evening. If you work out early, you can just eat your dinner afterward. Your meal should have both protein and carbs, as well as fiber and other essential nutrients. If you eat meat, you can pair chicken, fish, turkey or eggs with mashed potatoes and a salad. If you’re vegetarian, you can opt for quinoa or tofu with grilled vegetables.
If you prefer to exercise later in the night, you can have a light dinner and then eat a post-workout snack or beverage when you’re done. Apart from food, you also need to replenish your bodily fluids to prevent dehydration. You should drink approximately 2 to 3 cups of water for every pound of weight you lose during the workout.
