Blog / Food
What to eat after a workout
A normal meal with a good serving of protein within a couple of hours of training. There is no thirty minute window to panic about, and you can drive home, shower and eat properly.
The window is wide
What matters is the protein across the whole day and a decent serving within a couple of hours either side of the session. The idea that the muscle is lost if you do not drink a shake within half an hour was always sold harder than the evidence. How much the whole day needs.
What the meal looks like
Thirty to forty grams of protein, some carbs and some vegetables. Chicken, rice and vegetables. Eggs on toast with fruit. Greek yoghurt with oats and berries. Last night's dinner reheated counts too.
If you are not sure what thirty grams looks like, here are three breakfasts that get there.
When a shake helps
A shake earns its place when the next meal is hours away, or when you are simply not hungry after training. One scoop of whey in water or milk is about twenty-five grams of protein, and it is food that happens to come in a tub.
Carbs are not the enemy
After a harder session, the rice and the potatoes are refilling what you used. The plate rule keeps them at a sensible quarter.
Sleep finishes the job
The meal starts the repair. Sleep is where most of it happens. Seven hours or more, as often as you can manage. Why recovery takes longer now.
