Monday 12.3.12

CROSSFIT GYM BAG ESSENTIALS, PART 3

Thing #3 you should have in your gym bag: your post workout nutrition. YOU HAVE TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR POST WORKOUT NUTRITION. "But I go home and have breakfast/lunch/dinner! Isn't that enough?" you might say. The answer is: not usually. There's this magical window right after you've finished sweating it out during a workout that most people agree is about 30 minutes long. During that window is when you need to consume the nutrients that will speed up recovery time as well as build and replenish your muscles.

You should have something in your gym bag that you can consume right after your WOD. If you come to the afternoon classes, you've probably seen me eating my baked sweet potato/banana/egg white mixture (1 banana + 1 sweet potato + 3 egg whites and bake on 350 for about 20 minutes) literally right after I'm done with my WOD. Some people prefer a protein shake, and whey is largely regarded as the best option. The great thing about shakes is that your body is able to absorb all the good stuff in there very quickly because its easier to break down than solid food.

Whatever you choose, your post-workout nutrition should include both protein and carbohydrates. If you already have a straight protein that you like, try mixing it with some coconut water to get the carbohydrates that you need. Choose something, whether its a protein shake, some sort of bar, or something you make and try it out for a few weeks, taking note of how you feel the day following each workout. Not everything works the same for every person, so you'll have to play with types of recovery and quantities to figure out whats best for you.

Some of the more popular post workout recovery shake options in CrossFit: