Nutrient Timing???

End of your workout, 

you've trained intensely for 45 minutes, 

the weights drop to the ground as you've hit your last set...

and you run to the locker room like your life depends on it 

to get in your whey protein & fast-acting carbs recovery drink. 

Don't want to miss that anabolic window of opportunity and 

lose all of those gains from all that effort you just put in your workout right? 

Maybe not.

 

As more and more research is being done, it appears 

the less important that 'anabolic window' becomes 

and that it may actually be much longer than originally thought.

The level of importance really depends on YOUR goal. 

Here's a fantastic visual by the highly respected Alan Aragon 

on the relative important of nutrient timing.

 

And here is a fantastic new article by my good friends at Precision Nutrition 
on the importance of nutrient timing echoing my thoughts exactly:

Is Nutrient Timing Dead? It Just Might Be

 
My No BS thoughts:


If you want the results of the top 1% and be leaner 
and have more energy than 99% of the population, 
it will matter more.  
For the average population, no.
Because I'm not a fan of average and mediocrity, 
I'd say, go for the BEST that you can be, 
and have a post-workout protein shake anyways.


It will not harm you if you do not. 
It may only be better for you, 
and even if it does not, 
you lose nothing!
Just don't get caught up in how fast afterwards you have to take it.
Take your time. 
LIVE! 
1-2 hours after is ok! 
If you prefer something other than whey protein, 
that's cool too.
We should always remember that as the research gets better, 
we may draw new conclusions.


When it comes to body composition 
- fat loss and muscle gain - 
total calories, macronutrient ratio's, micronutrient intake 
are all much more important though.
 
What's even more important are the habits that you create. 
If consuming a protein+carbs beverage after your workout 
helps you get in your required additional proteins + carbs 
in for that day, then continue doing that.


I personally only have protein/carb recovery shakes on workout days, 
and consuming them after my workout helps 
create consistency and habit, 
which is what matters in the long-term. 
Keeping it up!


Plus it's kinda like a reward for a good workout. 
Love the taste. 
It varies my protein intake source. 
I want the BEST results. 
And it's cheap, easy, convenient.

 

For the science geeks, the new conclusions are based on this study:

Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-workout anabolic window?