Post Workout Meal

Hey guys, the topic today is the post workout meal, and it's importance. There has been much debate over the concept of the post workout meal. Some believe that it doesn't make a difference, and that as long as you are hitting your macronutrients for the day, that is all that matters. Some believe you need a large meal to replenish, and some believe you shouldn't eat until your body settles from the workout. So what are my thoughts? A lot of what I believe centers around my experience, and what makes sense to me based on my knowledge of the human body and performance. It's my belief that while working out, you are breaking down your muscles, literally causing micro tears, and depleting them of their protein. Therefore, I believe an element of the post workout meal should include adequate protein for muscle recovery. I typically recommend 30 or so grams. I also feel that a carb source is a good idea as well. While working out, you deplete your muscle's glycogen supply, so I like some carbs post workout as well, however, I prefer more of a complex carb source rather than a simple carb source. Finally, I recommend using a liquid form ie a protein/nutritional shake post workout. My reasoning here is that while working out, your blood is obviously in your muscles. Rather than forcing that blood back into the digestive tract to break down a big meal into a liquid form to absorb, I prefer taking it easy on my body and giving it a quickly absorbable already liquid meal for quick recovery. Hope this helps!