Simple Steps to Optimizing Post-Workout Nutrition by grrlAthlete.com

JB: How about I give you an optimal daily strategy for a female basketball player who practices from 4:00-6:00pm?

Here’s what I might recommend (remember this is just a sample and doesn’t apply to all female basketball players). Notice that the bulk of the carbohydrates come during/after exercise.

8am Breakfast – 6 egg white omelet with 1-cup veggies and 1 piece of fat free cheese.

10am Snack – Protein shake in water with added flaxseed oil

12pm Lunch – 3oz Chicken breast and large salad with fish oil capsules

2pm Snack – Protein shake in water with added flaxseed oil

4pm-6pm Practice – Glucose-electrolyte beverage like Gatorade

6pm Post-workout – Liquid drink containing 20-25g fast digesting protein (like whey) and 40-50g of simple carbohydrate (like Gatorade)

8pm Dinner – 4oz burger, large salad, medium sized baked potato, fish oil capsules

10pm Snack before bed – Plain yogurt, 2 pieces of fresh fruit

GA: What if an athlete has another game or practice the next day?

JB: There is no difference. Remember, the post-workout carbohydrate and protein consumption can rapidly replenish muscle carbohydrate stores; much more rapidly than trying to do so during the other meals of the day. So the athlete such as a basketball player should be ready by the next day.

GA: Would an endurance athlete need to take any additional measures? (Again, with a training session scheduled within 24 hours).

JB: The strategy for a hard training endurance athlete would be to double up on the post-workout recovery drink. I have my endurance athletes take two post exercise recovery drinks as discussed above; one immediately after training and one an hour later.

My research has shown that this strategy (especially with the inclusion of the protein) can improve muscle glycogen recovery by 22% when compared to carbohydrate only ingestion. But even more importantly, when endurance athletes come back to exercise on the same day, they perform over twice as well when protein and carbohydrate drinks are ingested when compared to when carbohydrate only drinks are ingested or food meals are eaten later in recovery.

GA: So it really is critical to have carbs and protein after training for both muscle recovery and performance?

JB: Yep, we’re in the process of publishing the first ever data conclusively demonstrating this in endurance athletes.

GA: And finally, for this interview (we’ve got lots more to ask in future editions!), what post-workout regimen have you found most effective on tournament days (for basketball in this example, with 3 games on one day and the games 90 minutes apart)?

JB: During tournament days, I think liquid nutrition is paramount.

Besides a good breakfast containing low glycemic index carbohydrates (like oatmeal, fruit, and whole grain breads), high quality protein, and good fats, it’s critical to fuel up with liquid protein and carbohydrate drinks all day between games. Keeping the ratio of carbs to protein the same (2:1), sipping recovery drinks all day will maximize muscle energy stores and performance during each subsequent game.

As long as the athlete is sure to have a good breakfast (as mentioned) and a good lunch meal (similar to the breakfast guidelines), the rest of the day should be spent sipping protein and carbs.

GA: Well thanks for the informative interview John. We’ve got lots more questions to ask you about nutrition and training but we’ll save those for a later day.

JB: I look forward to doing future interviews and helping your athletes out whenever I can. For more information about the Science Link team or their services, please visit www.johnberardi.com. Also, be sure to check out www.johnberardi.com/seminars right now. Here you will find out how to purchase and/or attend one of John's dynamic and information-packed seminars.

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grrlathlete.com. Our goal is to create an online source of training information, research articles and interviews with women who are positive role models for the female athlete who is looking to improve and develop a deeper understanding of training. These readers are the grrlAthletes of the world.

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