When weight training, it is essential to follow up the workout with a good quality workout shake. My roommate makes shakes with whey protein powder and creatin. However, I prefer an all natural shake which doesn’t require me to take supplements with questionable side effects and will provide nutrients which you won’t get from whey protein or creatin.
A good post workout shake should contain protein for muscle recovery(0.2-0.4g/kg body mass), carbohydrates to rebuild muscle glycogen stores(approx 0.8g/kg body mass) and liquid to rehydrate the body. Fats should be avoided immediately following excercise because they can inhibit protein and carbohydrate uptake.
For a 80Kg guy like me that would be:
- 16 – 32 grams of protein and
- 64 grams of carbohydrate
I included the following ingredients in my Post workout shake.
- Baby Spinach is rich in nutrients and contains large amounts of vitamin K, vitamin A , manganese, folate, magnesium, iron Vitamin C and other nutrients too numerous to list.
- Crasins (dried cranberries)add taste and a good source of simple carbohydrates to the mix
- Eggs good source or protein. Unfortunately they also contain colesterol and a high amount of fat. You could just use the whites but I am not prepared to waste food.
- Avocado adds to the flavour and is a source of nutrients and high quality oils.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk provides the liquid and is fortified with similar nutrients as found in milk.
Nutrition Breakdown
| Quantity | Ingredient | Protein | Carbohydrates | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (225g) | Banana | 2.5g | 39.6g | 0.7g |
| Large Handful (100g) | Baby Spinach | 2.9g | 0.4g | 0.4g |
| 2 | Eggs | 12.6g | 0.8g | 10g |
| 1 Cup | Unsweetened Almond Milk | 1g | 2g | 2g |
| 28g | Craisins | 0g | 18.2g | 0.4g |
| Total | 23.3 | 43.5 | 13.4 |
Post workout raw food shake
Add all the ingredients to the blender, blend until smooth, and drink as soon after workout as possible.
As you can see the amount of protein is within the recommended range, carbohydrate is a bit low. I would recommend increasing the carbohydrate load by adding some honey.I would like to increase the carbohydrate load with a high glucose food. Dried fruit does contain a lot of sugar but it is fructose which is not as good as glucose.
I will continue to work on this shake to try and up the carbohydrate and protein content while keeping the fat content low.