Post workout nutrition intake

[David]

Hello to all of you awesome healthy eaters! :-)

I'm a crossfitter with some questions about the post workout nutrition intake.

First of all, is it OK to have eggs (not egg whites, simply boiled eggs) as post workout protein, or is the fat from the yolk too much?

Second, what about relatively but not totally lean pieces of roasted chicken?

Third, is canned tuna digestible enough to work as post-WOD protein?

Fourth, is it preferable to have a large post-WOD snack and a limited meal after that, or are the main meals to be respected as such?

I'd be grateful for any kind of advice.

[Tom Denham]

The more fat included in a post-workout meal, the slower it will digest and the longer your hungry muscles have to wait for nourishment. The result is slowed recovery. The fat from whole eggs is not awful, but it does slow the process, so is not ideal. Fattier pieces of chicken are the same. Tuna canned in water is probably lean enough, but the tuna packed in oil has more fat and so is slower.

You need to eat something after a hard workout and if you can eat a full meal, that's fine. I eat whole meals after workouts when I train at home. The thing to think about is that we call pre- and post-workout meals bonus meals. If you combine a post-workout meal and a regular meal, make sure you eat plenty overall that day so that you do get extra calories to compensate for the workout.

[Runningforme82]

So glad I clicked to read this! For some reason I was thinking we needed both protein and fat post work out! Whoops!! Thankfully I've just been grabbing a chicken thigh, for example, for most of my post WOD snacks.

[David]

Thanks a lot, Tom. I'll keep my post-WOD proteins as lean as possible.

[David]

So glad I clicked to read this! For some reason I was thinking we needed both protein and fat post work out! Whoops!! Thankfully I've just been grabbing a chicken thigh, for example, for most of my post WOD snacks.

Sounds great! That little bit of luck comes in so handy at times :-)

[Laura B]

I have canned or smoked salmon post workout. I think it's better than tuna plain. I've been doing CF in the evenings so I eat the salmon right away, drive home, help the BF finish up dinner and eat. Seems to be working well for me.

[Fergatron]

I have canned or smoked salmon post workout. I think it's better than tuna plain. I've been doing CF in the evenings so I eat the salmon right away, drive home, help the BF finish up dinner and eat. Seems to be working well for me.

Do you just eat the salmon on its own? Or do you add any carbs? Theres days that I don't really feel like adding sweet potato or squash to my PWO meal... And was a bit confused if it would make a difference if I just ate some meat!

[Laura B]

Do you just eat the salmon on its own? Or do you add any carbs? Theres days that I don't really feel like adding sweet potato or squash to my PWO meal... And was a bit confused if it would make a difference if I just ate some meat!

I used to, but I kind of got lazy with it. I try to save the sweet potatoes for my boyfriend since his job is a lot more strenuous than mine. I like to have carbs after, but if I do I will usually just eat them with dinner. I just eat the salmon plain.

[Robin Strathdee]

You totally don't need the carbs if you aren't feeling wasted after. They're really just a cue to your body that you're going to give it some food now. Plus it helps energy recovery for some folks. If you're doing well without, by all means skip the taters :0)

[Fergatron]

You totally don't need the carbs if you aren't feeling wasted after. They're really just a cue to your body that you're going to give it some food now. Plus it helps energy recovery for some folks. If you're doing well without, by all means skip the taters :0)

I found I've been sluggish and tired after starchy veggies PWO. Though they come in handy 1-2 times a week when I train hard!

Thanks for the information