Optimize in 45

I heard the statement "Optimize in 45" for the first time back in the beginning of 2009 when I joined Team Weight Loss at Lifetime Fitness.  I had never heard anything like it and honestly I didn't want to believe it when I first heard it.  I was told I had a 45 minute window to eat something after my workout to get the full benefits of what my workout can do for my body.  Really?  Put more calories into my body after I had just burned several hundred?  You have to be kidding me!  No kidding here...all seriousness.  Your body has a "window of opportunity" post exercise when your muscles are extremely sensitive to certain nutrients and hormones that aid in more effective muscle recovery.  Now you're wondering, what does that actually mean? 

A Study Shows

In a study done at the University of Texas Austin, Dr. John Ivy and Robert Portman found that by refueling with the right nutrients within 45 minutes post exercise you can:
     1. Recover more effectively
     2. Increase muscle mass
     3. Burn more body fat (reduce more fat your body stores)
     4. Enhance physical adaptations that are happening when you exercise (You may feel fatigue during your next workout without the refueling.)
     5. See results faster

You Snooze, You Loose

Beyond this 45-minute window your muscles become less sensitive and efficient at replenishing glycogen stores (our bodies' stored form of carbohydrate, or "quick energy"). Beyond 45 minutes you won't have the same opportunity for energy replenishment until after your next workout.  Having a good supply of quick energy stored in your muscles will allow for harder, more effective workouts.  By missing this critical window post-workout, results are dramatically slowed making it more difficult to reap the benefits of the workout.

Refueling

     1. For glycogen replenishment carbohydrates are key
     2. Protein is also necessary for muscle repair and recovery
     3. An ideal ratio of carbs to protein is 4g:1g post-exercise
     4. Simple carbs and high quality protein sources are your best choices for quick, quality replenishment and recovery (some examples would be apple with peanut butter, cheese and crackers, protein shake, yogurt with fruit, handful of nuts)
     5. You may not feel hungry after a tough workout, but you still need some calories. Chocolate milk has been proven to be a great post workout drink. 

This may still be hard to believe, but trust me it works.  I've been doing this for almost 3 years now and look at what I have accomplished!  If it didn't work, I would be the first to stop doing it.  I even eat after my 9:30pm workout at class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Give it a try, I bet you will feel great and you will see the results you want!