| Simple Steps to Optimal Post-Workout Nutrition | | | | minimize carbohydrate intake during most meals of the |
| John M. Berardi is a scientist and PhD candidate in the | | | | day and feed the body most of the carbs during the 6 |
| area of Exercise and Nutritional Biochemistry at the | | | | hour recovery period. I’ve used this strategy |
| University of Western Ontario, Canada. His company, | | | | with extreme success in all types of athletes from elite |
| Science Link: Translating Research into Results, | | | | endurance cyclists to female fitness competitors who |
| specializes in providing integrated training, and nutritional | | | | need to minimize total body weight and fat weight |
| programs for high-level strength and endurance | | | | while recovering well and maintaining a high level of |
| athletes. | | | | performance. |
| Through his consulting businesses, John works with a | | | | But almost as important as the carbohydrate |
| diverse client population including high-level athletes | | | | strategies, the protein content of the post-workout |
| wanting to win medals and championships. | | | | period is critical. My studies are demonstrating that |
| Furthermore, John will be completing his PhD with a | | | | post-workout nutrition should contain protein and |
| specialization in exercise and nutritional biochemistry | | | | carbohydrates in a ratio of 2g of carbohydrate to |
| this fall. To say that this guy knows his stuff is an | | | | every 1g of protein. My athletes consume a liquid |
| understatement. | | | | recovery drink of 0.8g/kg of carbs and 0.4g/kg of |
| In this issue, we decided to pick John’s | | | | protein immediately after training. |
| oversized brain (no really, he does have an abnormally | | | | GA: Based on your research, what is the optimal |
| large head) to get his thoughts on a very important | | | | approach for a team sport athlete, say a female |
| topic — Post Workout Nutrition.grrlAthlete.com: | | | | basketball player, to take after a game or practice? |
| John, what have you found to be the biggest mistake | | | | JB: How about I give you an optimal daily strategy for |
| in post-workout nutrition by athletes, and female | | | | a female basketball player who practices from |
| athletes in particular? | | | | 4:00-6:00pm? |
| John Berardi: The biggest mistake people are making is | | | | Here’s what I might recommend (remember this |
| not doing anything at all about post-workout nutrition! | | | | is just a sample and doesn’t apply to all female |
| Nutritionally, most people don’t plan for success | | | | basketball players). Notice that the bulk of the |
| — not even many of the most elite of the elite | | | | carbohydrates come during/after exercise. |
| that we regularly work with. | | | | 8am Breakfast — 6 egg white omelet with |
| I learned this lesson when I started working with a | | | | 1-cup veggies and 1 piece of fat free cheese. |
| group of Canadian Olympians a few years back. | | | | 10am Snack — Protein shake in water with |
| When I spoke with them about their nutrition and | | | | added flaxseed oil |
| supplementation I was flabbergasted with their lack of | | | | 12pm Lunch — 3oz Chicken breast and large |
| nutrition knowledge. | | | | salad with fish oil capsules |
| Now, prior to this time I would have anticipated | | | | 2pm Snack — Protein shake in water with |
| nutritional ignorance or misinformation from the | | | | added flaxseed oil |
| average person but not from elite athletes. But I was | | | | 4pm-6pm Practice — Glucose-electrolyte |
| wrong. In fact, the athletes were just about as | | | | beverage like Gatorade |
| misinformed as the general public. | | | | 6pm Post-workout — Liquid drink containing |
| GA: That’s too bad. What steps did you take | | | | 20-25g fast digesting protein (like whey) and 40-50g of |
| after that? | | | | simple carbohydrate (like Gatorade) |
| JB: After re-evaluating my premises, I realized that | | | | 8pm Dinner — 4oz burger, large salad, medium |
| because most athletes can stay lean and fit from high | | | | sized baked potato, fish oil capsules |
| volumes of training their poor nutritional choices could | | | | 10pm Snack before bed — Plain yogurt, 2 |
| be masked by a body that looks well nourished and | | | | pieces of fresh fruit |
| healthy. Also, because they are already elite, they think | | | | GA: What if an athlete has another game or practice |
| they must be dialed in. It’s unfortunate | | | | the next day? |
| that most of them never know just how outstanding | | | | JB: There is no difference. Remember, the |
| they could be if they really took care of their nutrition. | | | | post-workout carbohydrate and protein consumption |
| So, once I get a hold of their programs, those already | | | | can rapidly replenish muscle carbohydrate stores; |
| good-looking bodies usually change as their fat mass | | | | much more rapidly than trying to do so during the other |
| decreases and muscle mass increases. But even | | | | meals of the day. So the athlete such as a basketball |
| more importantly, they also improve their performance. | | | | player should be ready by the next day. |
| This is why I spend a lot of time with my clients and | | | | GA: Would an endurance athlete need to take any |
| athletes (even the ones that already look great); | | | | additional measures? (Again, with a training session |
| educating them about making appropriate food | | | | scheduled within 24 hours). |
| choices and helping them improve the timing of their | | | | JB: The strategy for a hard training endurance athlete |
| intake. | | | | would be to double up on the post-workout recovery |
| GA: John, could you describe some case studies or | | | | drink. I have my endurance athletes take two post |
| examples? | | | | exercise recovery drinks as discussed above; one |
| JB: For example, most athletes don’t know that | | | | immediately after training and one an hour later. |
| certain food choices before exercise can actually | | | | My research has shown that this strategy (especially |
| reduce their performance. Furthermore, few know that | | | | with the inclusion of the protein) can improve muscle |
| the 6 hours after exercise are absolutely critical to | | | | glycogen recovery by 22% when compared to |
| recovery. My PhD work has focused on the latter. | | | | carbohydrate only ingestion. But even more importantly, |
| As a result of my academic training and my laboratory | | | | when endurance athletes come back to exercise on |
| data, I’ve learned how to use food timing to | | | | the same day, they perform over twice as well when |
| maximize recovery after exercise. And while this is | | | | protein and carbohydrate drinks are ingested when |
| easy to do in athletes who don’t mind gaining | | | | compared to when carbohydrate only drinks are |
| weight (i.e. just eat A LOT), it’s much harder to | | | | ingested or food meals are eaten later in recovery. |
| do in the athletes who want to lose weight (i.e. most | | | | GA: So it really is critical to have carbs and protein |
| female athletes and athletes in whom the power to | | | | after training for both muscle recovery and |
| weight ratio must be high). | | | | performance? |
| GA: So what types of things can someone do to | | | | JB: Yep, we’re in the process of publishing the |
| maximize their recovery during these 6 hours? | | | | first ever data conclusively demonstrating this in |
| JB: Well, for starters, there is a key principle at work | | | | endurance athletes. |
| here. Basically, the muscles are most efficient at | | | | GA: And finally, for this interview (we’ve got lots |
| carbohydrate and energy uptake during this time. | | | | more to ask in future editions!), what post-workout |
| Therefore the bulk of an athlete’s calories | | | | regimen have you found most effective on |
| (especially carbohydrates) should come during this | | | | tournament days (for basketball in this example, with 3 |
| post-workout period. | | | | games on one day and the games 90 minutes apart)? |
| Since fat is burned at high rates during the post | | | | JB: During tournament days, I think liquid nutrition is |
| exercise period regardless of what food you eat, | | | | paramount. |
| during this time most of the ingested energy (protein | | | | Besides a good breakfast containing low glycemic |
| and carbohydrates) will go to replenish the depleted | | | | index carbohydrates (like oatmeal, fruit, and whole grain |
| muscle energy stores and to enhance recovery. | | | | breads), high quality protein, and good fats, it’s |
| Think of it this way. If you were to eat 100g of | | | | critical to fuel up with liquid protein and carbohydrate |
| carbohydrates for lunch and 50g were to end up in | | | | drinks all day between games. Keeping the ratio of |
| muscle stores to promote recovery and 50g were to | | | | carbs to protein the same (2:1), sipping recovery drinks |
| end up in fat stores to make you fatter, your body | | | | all day will maximize muscle energy stores and |
| composition wouldn’t be improving and | | | | performance during each subsequent game. |
| recovery wouldn’t be maximized. But if you | | | | As long as the athlete is sure to have a good |
| were to save those 100g of carbohydrates until after | | | | breakfast (as mentioned) and a good lunch meal |
| exercise, all those carbohydrates would go to the | | | | (similar to the breakfast guidelines), the rest of the day |
| muscles for recovery with none of them going to fat | | | | should be spent sipping protein and carbs. |
| cells. So which scenario do you prefer? | | | | GA: Well thanks for the informative interview John. |
| GA: Are you suggesting that athletes should only eat | | | | We’ve got lots more questions to ask you |
| carbohydrates after exercise? | | | | about nutrition and training but we’ll save those |
| JB: Nope, what I’m saying is that you should | | | | for a later day. |
