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A Bad Low-Carb Mistake After Exercise
Fuel right today so you can train well tomorrow
Despite the low-carb trend, avoiding carbs after exercise is a mistake. Immediately following a workout is when the body may actually need carbs most. What we eat before a workout is important, but what we eat afterward is even more important, so we can refuel optimally.
Starches, rather than sugar or fruit, replace glycogen most effectively. Glycogen is how the body stores carbohydrate, and that’s what we need to replace so we can exercise daily and keep working out well. This is true for recreational exercisers, too, not just athletes.
Avoiding carbs in the key 30 minutes after a workout will make the muscles temporarily insulin resistant. That insulin resistance makes it harder to replace glycogen, even if you eat perfectly the rest of the day.
Bottom line, the idea is to fuel right today so you can train well tomorrow. Starch plus protein in a 3-to-1 ratio within 30 minutes after your workout will help you do that. Skipping carbs will not, even if you’re trying to lose weight. If you’re on a keto plan, count the starch you eat after exercise in your daily carb total.
Difficulties with glycogen replacement become more exaggerated if you also avoid carbs before exercise. If you exercise regularly…
