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- ExRx.net: Dietary Tips and Rationale
- Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: Evidenced-Based Recommendations for Natural Bodybuilding Contest Preparation: Nutrition and Supplementation
- Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: Evidenced-Based Recommendations for Natural Bodybuilding Contest Preparation: Nutrition and Supplementation
- Medicine and Sport Science: Chocolate Milk: A Post-Exercise Beverage for Endurance Sports
- Medicine and Sport Science: Chocolate Milk: A Post-Exercise Beverage for Endurance Sports
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Timing Your Nutrition
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: The Role of Milk- and Soy-based Protein in Support of Muscle Protein Synthesis and Muscle Protein Accretion in Young and Elderly Persons
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: The Role of Milk- and Soy-based Protein in Support of Muscle Protein Synthesis and Muscle Protein Accretion in Young and Elderly Persons
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The Best Muscle-Building Drinks After a Workout
Whether you're building muscle for strength or bulk, what and when you eat matters. The best post-exercise drink for muscle building requires the right balance of carbs and protein and varies for endurance athletes and bodybuilders.
Endurance vs. Bodybuilding
After exercising, endurance athletes need to replenish glycogen stores, in addition to repairing and building muscle, which means a drink that contains 3 grams of carbs for every 1 gram of protein, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Bodybuilders need more protein after their workout, according to a 2014 report published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2. For them, a post-workout drink should provide 0.4 to 0.5 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 27 to 34 grams of protein for a 150-pound person. The amount of carbs bodybuilders need with their post-workout drink varies, but may range from 1 to 2 grams for every gram of protein.
- After exercising, endurance athletes need to replenish glycogen stores, in addition to repairing and building muscle, which means a drink that contains 3 grams of carbs for every 1 gram of protein, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- The amount of carbs bodybuilders need with their post-workout drink varies, but may range from 1 to 2 grams for every gram of protein.
Chocolate Milk for Endurance Athletes
P90X Recovery Drink Substitutes
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A 2012 article published in Medicine and Sport Science noted that drinking low-fat chocolate milk immediately after exercising improved recovery and muscle repair 3. Chocolate milk does not have the exact carb-to-protein ratio as recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, but it is close. With a ratio of 4-to-1, it is still considered a good post-workout drink. In addition to the carbs and protein, chocolate milk also helps replace fluids and electrolytes.
- A 2012 article published in Medicine and Sport Science noted that drinking low-fat chocolate milk immediately after exercising improved recovery and muscle repair 3.
- Chocolate milk does not have the exact carb-to-protein ratio as recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, but it is close.
High-Protein Drinks for Bodybuilders
The best post-workout drink for bodybuilders needs to be high in protein, so a simple drink like chocolate milk may not cut it; you may need a dietary supplement. A good drink supplement should contain both carbs and protein to maximize muscle recovery. A supplement with added creatine may also be beneficial for muscle building and recovery, according to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition review article 2. Whey protein supplements may improve muscle gains more than soy protein supplements, according to 2009 article published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition 4.
Post-Workout Smoothie
Cashews: Good Post-Workout Food
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The best post-workout drink for muscle building may be the one you create yourself. This way you have control over the ingredients and can create the right balance of carbs and protein to fit your needs. Fruit smoothies made with milk or yogurt provide both carbs and protein. To up the protein content for bodybuilders, use Greek yogurt, which has three times the amount of protein as regular yogurt, tofu or nut butter.
- The best post-workout drink for muscle building may be the one you create yourself.
- To up the protein content for bodybuilders, use Greek yogurt, which has three times the amount of protein as regular yogurt, tofu or nut butter.
Related Articles
References
- ExRx.net: Dietary Tips and Rationale
- Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: Evidenced-Based Recommendations for Natural Bodybuilding Contest Preparation: Nutrition and Supplementation
- Medicine and Sport Science: Chocolate Milk: A Post-Exercise Beverage for Endurance Sports
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: The Role of Milk- and Soy-based Protein in Support of Muscle Protein Synthesis and Muscle Protein Accretion in Young and Elderly Persons
- BBC Good Food: Best Sources of Protein
- McColl P. 9 things to know about how the body uses protein to repair muscle tissue. ACE Fitness. Updated March 5, 2018.
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
- Snijders T, Trommelen J, Kouw IWK, Holwerda AM, Verdijk LB, Van Loon LJC. The impact of pre-sleep protein ingestion on the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise in humans: An update. Front Nutr. 2019;6:17. doi:10.3389/fnut.2019.00017
- Holwerda AM, Kouw IW, Trommelen J, et al. Physical activity performed in the evening increases the overnight muscle protein synthetic response to presleep protein ingestion in older men. J Nutr. 2016;146(7):1307-14. doi:10.3945/jn.116.230086
- Kouw IW, Holwerda AM, Trommelen J, et al. Protein ingestion before sleep increases overnight muscle protein synthesis rates in healthy older men: A randomized controlled trial. J Nutr. 2017;147(12):2252-2261. doi:10.3945/jn.117.254532
- Trommelen J, Van Loon LJ. Pre-sleep protein ingestion to improve the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise training. Nutrients. 2016;8(12). doi:10.3390/nu8120763
- Res PT, Groen B, Pennings B, et al. Protein ingestion before sleep improves postexercise overnight recovery. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012;44(8):1560-9. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e31824cc363
- Snijders T, Res PT, Smeets JS, et al. Protein ingestion before sleep increases muscle mass and strength gains during prolonged resistance-type exercise training in healthy young men. J Nutr. 2015;145(6):1178-84. doi:10.3945/jn.114.208371
- Sahni S, Mangano KM, Hannan MT, Kiel DP, Mclean RR. Higher protein intake is associated with higher lean mass and quadriceps muscle strength in adult men and women. J Nutr. 2015;145(7):1569-75. doi:10.3945/jn.114.204925
- Robinson MM, Dasari S, Konopka AR, et al. Enhanced Ttranslation underlies improved metabolic and physical adaptations to different exercise training modes in young and old humans. Cell Metab. 2017;25(3):581-592. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2017.02.009
- Pesta DH, Samuel VT. A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: Mechanisms and possible caveats. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2014;11(1):53. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-11-53
- How many calories are in one gram of fat, carbohydrate, or protein? U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Pritchett K, Meyer EL Eds. Nutrition, Health and Athletic Performance. MDPI. 2017.
- Deeth HC, Bansal N, Eds. Whey Proteins: From Milk to Medicine. Academic Press. 2019.
- Witard OC, Wardle SL, Macnaughton LS, Hodgson AB, Tipton KD. Protein considerations for optimising skeletal muscle mass in healthy young and older adults. Nutrients. 2016;8(4):181. doi:10.3390/nu8040181
- Miranda JM, Anton X, Redondo-valbuena C, et al. Egg and egg-derived foods: Effects on human health and use as functional foods. Nutrients. 2015;7(1):706-29. doi:10.3390/nu7010706
- Marangoni F, Corsello G, Cricelli C, et al. Role of poultry meat in a balanced diet aimed at maintaining health and wellbeing: An Italian consensus document. Food Nutr Res. 2015;59:27606. doi:10.3402/fnr.v59.27606
- Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, et al. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: Research & recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15(1):38. doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y
Writer Bio
Jill Corleone is a registered dietitian and health coach who has been writing and lecturing on diet and health for more than 15 years. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, Diabetes Self-Management and in the book "Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation," edited by John R. Bach, M.D. Corleone holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition.