How to Boost Your Energy And Recovery With Food After Working Out

Welcome to the 29th episode of Vegetarian Health and Longevity from Hurry The Food Up and Sports Nutritionist James LeBaigue.

In this episode, James explains why eating after a workout is so important–and how to do it best. It can play a huge role on how you’ll feel for the rest of the day and even week!

You can find it on YouTube below or you can listen to it here on your favourite provider.

Keep food simple

Sometimes, the simple things are the best. Trying too hard and being too clever can get confusing and the outcome is worse.

That’s how I like to think about eating after exercise, and this is such a fantastic topic because some simple tweaks can make a world of difference.

I’ve been working 1:1 with a client who is training for an event, and she’s not really into fitness. In fact, I suspect she’s probably pretty similar to you.

I don’t mean that in a bad way. I just mean she’s like most of us–she tries to be fit and healthy and has set herself a goal to improve.

I made some tweaks to her diet, and we talked about how she viewed food after exercise, especially since she has been trying to lose weight.

I wanted to share some insights in this episode because I suspect these will help you feel better after your workouts, and if weight loss is your goal, it can help. It’s a bit surprising, though, because my recommendations might be counter to what you expect–so let’s jump in.

Whether you’re doing a brisk walk, hitting the gym, or enjoying a yoga session, what you eat after exercise can make a big difference in how you feel and recover.

When I say recover, I’m talking about both the classic muscle soreness sensation and your overall energy levels and how you feel throughout the day.

The Importance of Post-Workout Nutrition:

The client that I mentioned has been upping her workout game as she prepares for a big event. We’ve been paying close attention to her recovery nutrition, and it’s been a game-changer for her. She’s feeling stronger, more energetic, and always ready for her next session.

This got me thinking—how many of us truly understand the importance of what we eat after a workout? 

Whether you’re training for an event, trying to lose weight or simply staying active for your health, post-workout nutrition is crucial. 

It can help your body recover more efficiently, reduce soreness, and keep you feeling vibrant and ready for whatever comes next.

I am confident enough to say that this will help with things like your motivation in your daily life, your concentration and your ability to carry out tasks.

I like to run through a simple framework called the Four Rs with my clients and wanted to share it with you, too.

Refuel:

Imagine your body as a car that’s been on a long drive. After miles on the road, the fuel gauge is nearing empty. Like your car, your body needs the right fuel to keep going strong.

After exercise, your body’s carbohydrate stores can be depleted, especially if you do something like high-intensity exercise.

This can be one of the reasons why you feel exhausted after exercise, so choosing foods that help to replenish the stores can make you feel like you have much more energy, and instead of feeling tired after your workout, you will feel more positive and refreshed.

I use the 45-minute rule, and this helps to give a framework for people to use after exercise.

If you plan to eat a normal meal within 45 minutes of finishing your workout, go for that. If it will be more than 45 minutes, you should have a snack instead.

So what should you go for? If it’s a snack, I tend to suggest easily digestible carbohydrates, especially if you’ve just done high-intensity training.

This could be a piece of fruit, a slice of toast with honey, or even something like chocolate milk. 

If you’re opting for a normal meal, your should have a carbohydrate like rice, pasta, bread or potato. These are what are called “Starchy Carbohydrates” and provide a good amount of carbohydrate, rather than their non-starchy counterparts like broccoli or courgette.

The key is to ensure you are eating carbohydrate after exercise, and this is the thing that a lot of people get wrong.

They think that that they don’t need it, or that if they skip it it will help with eating less over the day which will help them lose weight.

Unfortunately though this is counterproductive in a lot of cases. They’ll feel more tired and their recovery will be less than ideal, and this can lead them to make worse dietary choices later in the day.

As well as that, what often happens is that they get significant hunger later on because their body has noticed they haven’t had the right food, which can lead to overeating in the afternoon or evening.

So by making this simple tweak you’ll not only recover better but you’ll help with controlling your food intake later in the day, too.

And this R stands for refuel.

Repair:

Next up is protein—your body’s building block for muscle repair. 

After a workout, your muscles have done a lot of hard work, and they need some TLC in the form of protein to help them recover and grow stronger.

It’s dietary protein that stimulates the process that will help you to recover and you don’t want to skimp on it.

I recommend that my clients have at least 20 grams of protein after a workout, whether that’s in a snack or in their main meal.

Some ideas here include low-fat greek yogurt, a drink like our Vegan Blackberry Smoothie or Cashew Chocolate Milkshake or including a protein-rich source in their meal like tofu.

Smoothies are particularly awesome if you struggle with time, are on the go or know that it’s going to be a while before you can eat a proper meal.

By the way, if planning your meals, making shopping lists and getting all your food together seems too daunting for you, try one of our free week’s meal plans as part of The Vegetarian Protein Fix. We do all the hard work for you, so all you have to do is cook.

Visit hurrythefoodup.com/try , that’s t r y, to download a free meal plan. You get a full recipe breakdown with instructions and a shopping list, and you can even order your groceries online if you want to. So visit hurrythefoodup.com/try and get started today.

Rehydrate:

Hydration is often the forgotten hero of recovery, and this R stands for rehydrate.

There’s a reason why there’s advice to drink water after exercise, and that’s because people normally sweat when they exercise. You want to replace the water that you lose through sweat, so drinking well afterwards is important.

If it’s a low intensity session, so one that’s either short or you aren’t working particularly hard, then you can just drink water to thirst afterwards.

If it’s a high intensity session, then I recommend drinking 500ml of water with a pinch of salt in it. You also lose sodium when you sweat, and adding a pinch of salt helps to balance your sodium levels. You can add some juice for flavour. Alternatively, if it fits your routine, you could have a salty snack like pretzels to provide sodium and carbohydrate. 

Rest:

Finally, let’s talk about rest. This might not be directly related to what you eat, but it’s a crucial part of the recovery process. After exercise, your body needs time to repair and recharge.

This doesn’t necessarily mean lying down for hours—light stretching, a gentle walk, or perhaps my favourite, some easy cycling, are all possible options to help you recover. But it has to be genuinely easy to get this benefit.

However, this might not be right for everyone, and simply having one or two days of recovery a week might be important, or making sure that all your workouts are not pushing you to your max.

Most people think more is better, no pain no gain. But this isn’t the case with exercise. Overdoing it can lead to burnout and injuries, so be kind to yourself and allow your body the time it needs to recover.

My Favourite Recovery Routine:

One of my favourite post-workout recovery foods is a smoothie. 

I usually prepare it in advance so I can have it straight afterwards. I use about 30 grams of oats, 300-500ml of soya milk, a banana, a little bit of honey and some almond butter. It’s easy, tasty, and gives my body the nutrients it needs right away.

Conclusion:

So, should you eat after a workout?

Absolutely! Refuelling, repairing, and rehydrating are key steps to feeling your best after exercise.

By giving your body the right nutrients, you’ll not only recover faster but also be ready to take on your next workout with energy and enthusiasm.

I hope you found this episode interesting and that it provided you with some actionable tips. If you did find it useful, please give the podcast a quick review on whatever platform you’re listening on.

It will help the podcast reach more like-minded people like you find it, and it will only take a moment. Thanks so much, and we’ll speak soon.

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