After a grueling cardio session, your body craves food and rest. However, is it healthy to drink a protein shake after cardio?
Some people have weak stomachs, so, after a stressful exercising routine; they can’t hold their protein shake. Also, your stomach can get upset if the protein shake contains lactose. Check the article below to see plant-based protein shakes:
Best Plant Based Protein Powder that Makes You Healthy
If you don’t feel like drinking or eating anything after a workout session, that’s absolutely fine. In fact, you don’t have to drink anything right after your workout because the anabolic window is not real. It’s a made-up concept that somehow there is a magical period that you should eat your food after exercising. There isn’t any, so, you don’t have to stress about it at all.
Like we said it’s fine if you don’t eat or drink anything right away; however, of course, you should eventually. If you exercise and don’t eat anything within the day; your body won’t be able to find a source to feed and repair your muscles. Also, you need to feed your body not only with protein but also with carbs and fat.
Besides that you may be wondering how many protein shakes you should drink daily; check the article below to find out:
Is 2 Protein Shakes A Day Unhealthy?
Is it Ideal to Drink Protein Shake After Cardio?
Please don’t assume that just because you did cardio doesn’t mean that you should starve yourself. You need energy and protein to help your body burn fat and repair your muscles.
Keep in mind that some protein powders are filled with unnecessary calories and sugar. So, don’t forget to check the nutritional values to see if your protein powder is doing more harm than good.
If you are looking for healthy protein powders that actually help you lose weight; there are amazing protein powders with super low calories, check the article below to see some suggestions:
How to Lose Weight with Protein Powder? 9 Versatile Choices!
Also, we should say that; you shouldn’t force-feed yourself after exercising. You already put a lot of stress on your body during exercising, so, your body needs to be in balance. There are healthy and tasty nutrients to help your body with physical changes whether you are looking to lose fat, build muscle or improve your endurance. Eating whole foods is your priority, supplements come second.
Speaking of stress, please watch out for things that spike your stress levels. If the news stresses you, turn it off. If talking to someone stresses you at the moment, stop and take a breather. Your body can’t handle too much stress and that’s exactly why you need to exercise and do cardio. In fact, after a cardio session, you’ll feel lighter both psychically and mentally.
What Else Should You Eat After Cardio?
After a grueling cardio session, you lose a lot of water and sodium through sweat. You need to refill both to get back your energy. However, that doesn’t mean that you should drink a sports or energy drink after cardio. Most energy/sports drinks are filled with processed sugar. So, you should stick to water and only drink a protein shake if you believe your stomach can handle it.
We recommend you to not drink any protein shake before your cardio session because whey protein might upset your stomach during the session. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat anything at all before you exercise; you can eat something 4 hours before you exercise. Don’t starve yourself especially before a heavy cardio session because, without any energy, your body might not be able to handle all that stress. Pre-workout meals are just as important as post-workout meals.
The most important aspect of post-workout is a balanced and healthy meal. This meal should be protein-rich with enough carbs to refill your energy. Please don’t prefer processed carbs such as white bread, pizza dough, pasta, pastries, white flour, white rice, and sweet desserts. Just because your cardio session went well doesn’t mean you should “reward” yourself with unhealthy snacks. Also, don’t cut fats completely; your body needs healthy fats to function properly.
Besides that don’t forget; all nine essential amino acids are essential for muscle growth. Most protein powders have BCAAs, so, you don’t have to worry about this as long as your protein powder has all nine. You should know that some vegetable protein powders don’t have all nine BCAAs. If you prefer whey protein powders, almost all of them have complete proteins.
So, in short, these are the things besides a protein shake after cardio:
- Water
- Something sugary like a protein bar (Click this to See Low Calorie Protein Bar Options)
- A whole meal that includes lean protein, unprocessed carbs, and healthy fats.
Don’t forget to rest properly to complete the cycle.
Conclusion
If you can’t eat whole foods post workout; you should definitely drink a protein shake after cardio. This doesn’t mean you should drink it right away, just drink it whenever your stomach is ready. Also, don’t neglect to feed yourself just because you did cardio and somehow feeding yourself will bring back those calories.
Properly feed yourself and treat your body like a temple. In fitness, you’ll receive what you put in.
Before you go, let us know in the comments, what’s your favorite protein shake recipe?
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