Once you’ve got your workout routine on track, the next step is figuring out what to eat after you’ve expended all your energy at the gym. With protein powders, energy bars and supplements constantly hitting the market, it can be a lot to wade through. We spoke to three celebrity fitness trainers about the post-workout foods and snacks they tell their clients to dig into.
Punching fit
Celebrity fitness trainer and former world kick-boxing champion Drew Neal trains the likes of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Farhan Akhtar and Shibani Dandekar, and was also part of the team that made Salman Khan look and play the part of a wrestler in his 2016 film, Sultan. Neal believes that the timing of the meal in should be as close to finishing the workout as possible. “It’s a common belief that muscles develop while we are working out in the gym when in fact they only do so after the workout, when the body is at rest and recovering. This is why I always put emphasis on eating good nutritious food around the workout window, in particular post-workout. While exercising, the muscles essentially become depleted of their fuel and become damaged. This is not a negative thing but in fact a positive, as when the muscles recover, they rebuild stronger and become more adapted,” explains Neal. “In order for the muscles to recover well from the workout, they need to be provided with the correct raw materials, namely carbohydrates and protein,” he adds.
And though every case is unique, based on different factors such as body goals and the time of the workout, Neal tends to shoot for around 0.6-0.8g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight with his clients. When it comes to protein, Neal aims for 0.2-0.4g per kg of body weight. “Fat should be avoided in this meal. I find that liquid meals are perfect for convenience; they are absorbed quickly and with the right ingredients, the muscles get exactly what they need after the workout,” says Neal. That’s why his personal go-to post-workout favourite is whey protein supplement mixed in water with a banana and some oats, which has all the nutritional necessities the muscles require to heal. Another convenient option that Neal uses with his clients is a protein bar—his favourite is by the UK-based brand Grenade. But when one has access, Neal prefers sticking to fresh food. “If my clients are able to get whole foods in quickly after the workout, I will always select a good protein source like fish, chicken and maybe paneer along with a carbohydrate source such as white rice, white potato or pasta,” explains Neal.
To eat or not to eat
Like several fitness enthusiasts today, celebrity fitness coach Sohrab Khushrushahi (who trains Alia Bhatt) follows intermittent fasting on several days. “I do not eat at the end of the workout if I am following intermittent fasting. What you eat depends on the time of your workout and what your routine is. But when you can eat something, you need a good amount of protein to help muscle recovery, as you have broken down the muscle and to aid the repair, you need to have that protein and get in as many complex carbs [as you can]—to help you recover and to keep your body going few hours more,” says Khushrushahi. If working out in the evening, he prefers a shake with a fruit as a post-workout meal, or going straight for dinner. Khushrushahi always prefers real food. “If you have had an endurance based workout such as running, you should have carbs—you need carbs to digest protein. You can’t go for a workout and have a chocolate bar. Eat real food, either grown off the ground or something that was alive before it reached your plate, not what comes out of coloured packets,” he explains. So if it’s straight dinner after a workout, meat with grilled veggies fit the bill, and if it’s just before lunch, grilled meat with sweet potato is what Khushrushahi prefers. “Certain food items can make you sluggish, so I try to avoid bread, rice and pasta as it spikes your sugar. One needs to learn and understand what works for their body.”
Smooth transition
Choosing what you want to eat, while keeping your goal in mind—whether it is to increase your fitness level or lose weight—is important, believes celebrity fitness trainer and Pilates expert Yasmin Karachiwala. “Everyone has a different method when it comes to pairing exercise forms with foods. Some like to do cardio on empty stomach, and have a combination of carbohydrates and protein post it; some people like to eat before exercising to get energy to sustain their workouts,” she explains. Karachiwala personally reaches for a banana and seven almonds post cardio. Another option she suggests is a smoothie made with almond milk, banana, gluten free oats and a little yoghurt. If it is strength training, Karachiwala likes to eat two eggs for more protein. “Different people require different snacks. I evaluate their body type, their requirement, the amount of energy spent during workout and what their plans are for the rest of the day before suggesting a snack,” says Karachiwala.
But her favourite post-workout food is a smoothie, be it an avocado-coconut milk, banana and oatmeal, or a green boost smoothie. “Smoothies help the body feel good. These are again designed based on your workout—strength training needs a protein-based smoothie, while cardio can do with a vegetable green juice. I like to have different things every day; you can rotate between four to five in a week. Depending on the time, if you are really hungry it can even be a two egg omelette with mushroom and spinach, a cob of corn with salt-free butter, or some sweet potato mash.”
Christopher Meatto