In bodybuilding, training is only one piece of the puzzle that must be completed, among other things, by a good recovery.
There are things to do after training (see our article: 6 things to do absolutely after your strength training) and things not to do (see our article: 7 things not to do after weight training).
Choosing the wrong foods clearly falls into the second category and can undermine your efforts.
So here are the 10 worst things to avoid eating after a weight training workout.
1. Nothing
Skipping food, especially protein after a workout, is a bad idea.
Although the concept of anabolic window isn’t as true as it once was, eating after a workout is still a good way can still positively impact your adaptations.
We are talking about eating a healthy snack 3 to 6 hours after your pre-training snack.
So if you ate 2 hours before your workout and then trained an hour, you have 2-3 hours to eat something again to optimize your recovery.
According to this review(1), a high protein snack (0.4-0.5g per pound of body weight) would be ideal to induce maximum acute anabolic effect.
Aiming for more protein would, according to this same study, not have more benefit, while consuming less could make you miss your full potential for muscle gains.
Although total daily protein intake is more important than the time you take it, consuming a post-workout protein snack is one of the best approaches to maximizing protein synthesis.
2. Sweet food
You’ve probably heard it before, consuming carbohydrates after physical exertion is essential for recharging glycogen stores.
But the fact is that a traditional strength training session does not significantly deplete glycogen…
Furthermore, there would be no no particular benefits with regard to hypertrophy(2) to consume post-workout carbohydrates, especially if you are already taking care to provide protein.
So don’t use your workout as an excuse to send you high-glycemic foods (like energy sports drinks, baked goods, or protein bars).
Very intense workouts can leave you feeling drained and hungry, making you want to swallow anything in your way on the way home.
Don’t fall for palatabilityit is the open door to caloric over-consumption.
3. The (too) salty food
No, Whistle and Lays Pack aren’t really recommended options, they too fall directly into the palatability category.
In French, we speak more of palatability, which refers to foods whose taste and texture are very pleasant to the palate.
We typically talk about processed food, created by Satan himself to plunge us into a daze of bulimia that prevents us from removing our hand from the packet of chips.
So yes, salt is important for many functions in the body and we lose it through sweat (see our article: The Secrets of Sweat in Athletes: 9 Amazing Facts You Need to Know About Your Sweating) when exercising. coaching…
But no, that’s no excuse to pounce on the Curlys!
Too much consumption of these electrolytes (through this type of too salty food) can upset the balance with, for example, potassium and calcium (to name but a few).
4. The Mr. (and the others)
The smell of your favorite fast food cleverly placed next to your weight room tickles your nostrils every time you walk through the doors…
And each time, proud to have completed your session, you tell yourself that you have well deserved the happy meal.
But you know it very well, such a meal can quickly erase hard-eaten calories during your session: a simple Big Mac at 458 kcal will suffice in 95% of cases.
And don’t let yourself be blinded by its 25 g of protein (for as many fats and 41 g of carbohydrates), it’s far from being a qualitative source!
Moreover, this type of high fat food can slow down the digestion process, delaying the delivery of essential nutrients to your muscles.
You better set your sights on a good home-cooked meal to optimize your recovery and muscle growth.
But you already knew that!
5. Raw vegetables
This is the first time you’ve heard of avoiding raw vegetables and salad!
Yes, they are very healthyit’s just that they shouldn’t be your number 1 choice, because what your body needs right there, right now, they are proteins.
Your kale is not going to repair your damaged muscle fibers, no matter how good it is.
Understand, you can accompany your post-workout meal with raw vegetables, but your raw vegetables should not be mostly your meal.
If you want a salad, fine, just make sure it has a solid source of protein.
6. Fruit
Fruits are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, no complaints about that.
But they are also made up of carbohydrates and can create a rapid rise in sugar levels in the blood.
This can cause an insulin response that triggers the storage of excess sugars as fat.
So, you can reasonably eat your banana, but add a source of protein to it.
Take a look at our protein smoothie recipes, for example.
7. Energy drinks
Especially those that contain caffeine.
Although pre-workout espresso is a great idea for boosting performance, consuming caffeinated beverages post-workout could do more harm than good.
According to individuals, the body can lose large amounts of fluids during training which is important to replace by hydrating properly.
Caffeine is seen more as a diuretic (promote the urinary elimination of water and mineral salts).
Most importantly, caffeine can alter the quality of sleepbut sleep is a legal drug when it comes to recovery!
Also read: 11 evening habits to change your nights (and your life), just copy them!
Finally, these caffeinated energy drinks often contain high levels of sugar… Stick to water.
8. Alcohol
Alcohol consumption (no matter which) will dehydrate muscle cells which only require glycogen and protein to recover.
Moreover, alcohol increases cortisol levels(3) while reducing testosterone and muscle protein synthesis.
Friday night’s post-training binge is therefore not a good idea at all! Not to mention that the sleep will probably not be qualitative that night!
So we forget the alcohol and we jump on the water to replace fluids lost during training.
Even a little dehydration can affect recovery and performance, don’t forget the H2O!
A beer out of practice probably won’t do you any good, but you know the saying (or not, I just made it up), moderation at the bar, not on the bars.
9. Anti-inflammatories
NSAIDs, these drugs with analgesic properties (like ibuprofen for your headache) are sometimes taken by some practitioners in the hope of reducing their aches…
What counter-productivity!
Some studies have shown that subjects who took anti-inflammatories saw their muscle protein synthesis drop drastically!
Opt instead for mobilization work, active recovery and quality sleep!
What to remember?
If you want to annihilate all your work done in the roomI think the fastest is to go directly to the aperitif.
Don’t skimp on the crisps and the whistle, consume certain mixtures like red bull vodka, interspersed with ibuprofen to avoid the headache the next day, but above all don’t drink water!
Around 4 a.m., order a good old McDonald’s before going to bed for a few hours of sleep.
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