Tara’s Friday Bite – What’s the Most Important Meal of the Day?

It is not necessarily breakfast as commonly perceived (although it’s a very important meal, too, so keep eating breakfast and thank your mother for teaching you such good habits!). It’s actually what you put into your body the hour after you work out; often called the “Power Hour” or “Golden Hour.” But why is this meal and, more specifically the timing of it, so important?

When you work out the first source of energy that you use is your short term energy stored in your muscles and liver. This is called glycogen. Glycogen is your “flight or fight” energy. Historically speaking, this would be the energy that you would use to run away from dinosaurs; now it’s the energy that allows you to swerve out of the way of the guy driving while texting or quickly grab your kids as they chase their ball into the street. You deplete these glycogen stores during a vigorous workout. Since this is such a critical form of energy, the 30 to 60 minutes after you finish your workout becomes prime time for your body to refuel its glycogen stores. If you refuel these stores properly, you will notice an improvement in your recovery, better appetite control for the rest of the day and more energy for your next workout! The best and most efficient way to refuel these stores is with a meal based in carbohydrates (sprouted or whole grains, etc.) and containing a serving of protein (lean meat, eggs, peanut butter, etc.).

Here are some examples of quick bites to grab immediately after working out:

• Chocolate milk
• Peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and honey sandwich
• Eggs and toast
• Stir-fry with brown rice and a lean protein (i.e., chicken, tofu, etc.)
• Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread.

For some people the idea of eating after working out makes them feel nauseous. For those people or others on the go, there are some great pre-made recovery drinks and protein bars that you can find at your local sports performance store. When choosing a bar or drink look for a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. For instance, if the label says it has 24g of carbohydrates it should have around 6g of protein.

One final note:  Notice I said that you deplete your glycogen stores after a “vigorous” workout. Although all exercise should be applauded, the post-workout recovery meal applies primarily to a 45-minute or longer session where you are working up a good sweat. So make sure to plan a few minutes after your toughest workouts to refuel with some good food. You earned it!

Tara Coleman, Clinical Nutritionist

Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist in San Diego, CA. She’ll be guest blogging twice a month with “Tara’s Friday Bite.” Leave us your comments with ideas for future topics or email Tara directly at tara@taracoleman.com.