What should I eat after I workout?

Athletes and competitors often ask me when and what they should eat before and after a workout. When you work out your body under goes stress and releases stress hormones. These hormones reduce the release of insulin to promote the circulation of glucose. Basically, your body forces itself to use stored sugar for energy. It also promotes the release of amino acids from the proteins in the muscle tissues and converts them into glucose for energy. After a heavy training session this continues and is known as a catabolic state. (I like to think of it as your body eating itself for fuel) This is why what you eat before and after exercise if so important.
In order to recover quickly from intense exercise, you need replenish your body’s fuel storage and restore insulin levels to combat loss of amino acids from the muscle tissue. After a heavy training session, such as weight lifting or and intense cardio session such as HIIT or plyometrics. However, it can take up to 2-hours for insulin levels to peak post exercise. This is why researchers suggest that you should consume simple carbohydrates within 30 minutes of completing your session. Simple carbohydrates are fast acting carbohydrates, such as simple sugar. They also suggest that you consume amino acids from whey protein source so that protein synthesis is increased over the 2 hour period of time. This provides the body with the necessary amino acids needed for protein synthesis or muscle repair. In addition researchers have found that when whey protein is added to a carbohydrate beverage, it increased muscle recovery significantly, delayed on-set muscle soreness. Therefore, the ratio of 4:1 simple carbohydrates to protein is suggested for optimal muscle recovery.
So what should you drink? One study showed that low fat chocolate milk was an effective recovery drink. The sugar provides the simple carbohydrates needed and the milk provides the whey protein. Gatorade now has their recovery drink created for this very purpose. What do I drink? Depending on the training session I either drink my BeachBody Recovery Drink or I will treat myself with a StonyField organic yogurt. It really depends on my mood and where I am. I find the recovery drink is much more convenient than the yogurt. It is hard to keep yogurt cold while working out in a sweaty gym.