The Importance of A Post-Workout Snack

A few of the runners that I coach are entering into some pretty serious phases of training; where both intensity and volume are picking up, creating a significant increase in overall training stress. While I have no doubt that they will attack the workouts hard, wear their compression socks 24/7, foam roll, schedule massage, etc, etc, I wanted to make sure that they don't overlook the simplest, yet arguably most important (second to good sleep) thing that they can be doing to prime themselves for success. Before going any further, I'll note that a recent "tweet" from a mentor of mine, Matt Dixon, helped trigger this "back to basics" thinking. Matt said "I'm bemused by the focus placed on compression + ice + stretching, but ignore proper fueling, sleep, and lighter training sessions." The rest of this brief, practical, and to-the-point post focuses on what I think is the most critical element of fueling; the importance of a post-workout recovery snack. I have simply copied the relevant parts of a note I sent to my athletes below, since the information is applicable to all endurance athletes that train hard and consistently:

I know you guys will attack the workouts hard, but I want to stress the importance of what you do right after those workouts. It becomes critical to have a recovery snack within 45 minutes of completing any hard (whether it be higher in intensity or longer in duration) workout. It is within this 0-45 minute window that your body is most "open" and "receptive" to taking in carbohydrate and turning it into glycogen (the stuff that powers your body during training), which is then quickly stored in your muscles so it can be used to fuel your next session. Think of your muscles like sponges; after finishing a hard workout they are squishy, soft, and porous, so you can really load them up (so they will be full for the next workout), whereas once time passes, they become dry and harder, and they don't fill up as easily or fully. There is a ton more to say here on what neglecting the post-workout snack means for your overall metabolic health and body composition, but just know that it is not only critical to your performance, but important for other more high-level health reasons too.

In terms of performance; this may be a slight exaggeration, but one of the most important factors of how you perform on your Sunday long run will be what you ate in the "fueling window" after your hard Friday threshold session. If timing works out so that you are eating a proper meal in that window, great! If not, aim for 50-60g of carbs and 10-20g of protein in a quick snack. This can be as simple as a cliff-bar and a banana, a large glass of chocolate milk, or something off-the-shelf like a Gatorade recovery drink...or... it can be as exquisite as some fancy smoothie you cook up; it's your world, so long as the focus on timing (fast) and the carb/protein ratio (4 to 1) remains.

I know the tendency is to "wait it out until breakfast/lunch/dinner" and then really go nuts, but your body needs and can best use the stuff right away, so put it in there right after, and just eat a little less later. That cliff-bar does you so much more good right after a workout than it does you at 10:00pm right before bed...

As I mentioned above, the above is most important for high-intensity or high volume days. If truly run for the purpose of recovery, easy runs shouldn't stress the body enough to deplete glycogen stores, so while I would encourage a quick snack after those too, the priority of nailing the post-workout snack is on anything at or above threshold or after long runs; both cases where you are likely to be in a glycogen depleted state. I'll also note here that for longer duration workouts, your fueling during the workout has a similar effect. Being a hero and regularly getting through your long workouts on just water sabotages long-term fitness gains. Use a sports-drink and other sources of carbohydrates.

Preventing complete glycogen depletion, and working to refuel your "muscle sponges" is the best combination for consistent, healthy, effective, and performance enhancing training.