I feel very hungry after exercise, but I dare not eat anything for fear of getting fat? Nutritionists recommend these food combinations to double the effect of muscle gain and fat loss

"I'm so hungry after exercising for so long today! Let's go out and have a big meal to reward ourselves!", "Huh? If we eat after exercising, won't we replenish the calories we just consumed? Be patient so you don't get fat!" I believe most people are familiar with the above situations. Which group are you in? If you want to lose weight, can you eat when you are hungry after exercise?

The questionnaire survey found that no matter what the purpose of exercise is, most people are accustomed to eating whatever they want after exercise!

According to the questionnaire survey conducted by "Health Care" in the second quarter of 2020, "Your Own Health Speaks for Yourself: The Battle of Exercise, Eating and Moving", among the subjects aged 35-44 and 45-54, most of them exercise to improve their immunity, followed by becoming more handsome and beautiful and getting rid of fat.

The younger group aged 25 to 34 is the opposite. Most of them exercise to become more handsome and beautiful and get rid of fat. But it is worth noting that no matter which group of people mentioned above, when asked about their eating habits after exercise and what they usually eat after exercise, almost everyone chooses to eat whatever they want.

Feeling particularly hungry after exercise is because of liver glycogen consumption. Seize the golden time of 30 minutes to 1 hour of exercise and supplement the right nutrition to help build muscle.

If you want to effectively achieve the effect of exercise to build muscle and lose fat, can you eat after exercise? Should you eat whenever you want, or should you eat it the right way? Nutritionist Sun Yuming said that exercise consumes the body's energy, making it particularly easy for people to feel hungry. Among the many energy consumption, exercise particularly consumes glycogen (sugar) stored in the liver and muscles of the human body.

Therefore, the muscles after exercise are in a hungry state, and the absorption effect is very good. At this time, if people can grasp the golden time of 30 minutes to 1 hour of exercise when the body absorbs nutrients best; eat quickly, eat the right food, and make correct nutritional supplements, they can successfully help the muscles repair and synthesize, and effectively build muscle. If people delay eating after exercise, the effects of muscle repair and synthesis will decrease over time.

Nutritionist Sun Yuming recommends that nutritional supplements after exercise should be mainly carbohydrate + protein foods; try to maintain a carbohydrate: protein ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. (Chart information/ provided by nutritionist Sun Yuming)

If you don’t eat after exercise, you may miss the golden time for fat loss! Eating right accelerates muscle synthesis and prevents body fat from accumulating

As for the question that people often ask, if you want to lose weight successfully, should you not eat after exercise so as not to affect your weight loss efficiency? Nutritionist Sun Yuming emphasized that if you do not eat any food after exercise, you may miss the golden time for fat loss!

In fact, after exercise, the blood flow to the muscles increases and insulin sensitivity rises, which promotes the utilization of glucose by muscle cells. Therefore, in this state, if you can supplement protein and carbohydrates in appropriate amounts, it can accelerate muscle synthesis, make it less likely to accumulate body fat, and help achieve the goal of increasing muscle and reducing fat.

You should replenish nutrition in time after exercise, but it does not mean you can eat as much as you want! Carbohydrate: protein = 3:1 or 4:1 ratio is the best

However, what kind of diet should we eat after exercise? Nutritionist Sun Yuming recommends that nutritional supplements after exercise should be mainly carbohydrate + protein foods; try to maintain a carbohydrate: protein ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. At the same time, nutritionist Sun Yuming also emphasized that although those who want to lose fat should replenish nutrition in time after exercise, it does not mean that they can eat as much as they want after exercise!

If you want to lose fat effectively, you still have to control your overall calories. It is generally recommended that adult women who want to lose weight can control their daily calories to 1,600 calories, which is equivalent to 500 to 600 calories per meal. Therefore, if you are planning to have a full meal after exercise, you can increase the calorie intake after exercise to 500-600 calories. For example, a bowl of chicken rice with a plate of century egg, tofu, and blanched vegetables is a filling and balanced option.

For people who eat a full meal after exercise, the recommended post-exercise diet combination is as shown in the figure. (Chart information/ provided by nutritionist Sun Yuming)

But if you need to go to bed soon after exercise, it is best to control the calorie intake within 300 calories. For example: chicken sandwiches, meat and egg toast, tuna rice balls, fresh milk and corn flakes and other foods are very good. As for vegetarians, they can also choose to drink a cup of low-sugar soy milk, or a combination of a baked sweet potato and a cup of unsweetened soy milk to supplement plant protein and carbohydrates, which can also achieve the effect of post-exercise replenishment.

Should I eat a full meal or sleep after exercise? Diet content is very different. Nutritionists publicly recommend food combinations

In addition to simple instructions, nutritionist Sun Yuying also provides different post-exercise dietary supplement combinations for people who are preparing to eat a full meal or going to sleep after exercise, based on the difference in exercise time, and shares them with everyone as a reference for nutritional supplements:

[Within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise]

"Recommended Diet" Carbohydrate + Protein (4:1 or 3:1).

"menu"

1 baked sweet potato + 1 cup of soy milk / 1 boiled corn + 1 tea egg / cheese and egg toast / 1 bowl of chicken rice / choose one of the grilled pork rice balls.

Eat a meal after exercise:

Combination 1 - 1 bowl of udon noodles + 1 bowl of chawanmushi or 1 plate of edamame.

Combination 2 - 1 bowl of chicken rice + 1 portion of preserved egg and tofu + 1 portion of blanched vegetables.

For friends who need to sleep after exercise, it is recommended to eat these combinations to supplement nutrition. (Chart information/ provided by nutritionist Sun Yuming)

Sleep after exercise:

Combination 1 - 1 cup of low-sugar soy milk.

Combination 2 - 1 cup of low-fat milk + 1 cup of oatmeal.

Combination 3 - 1 cup of yogurt + 1 serving of fruit.

Tips: In addition, you should continue to replenish water and electrolytes after exercise, and drinking moderate amounts of fruit juice, high osmotic pressure sports drinks, and water are good choices.

Not only does it help to build muscle and reduce fat, nutritionist Sun Yuming also specifically mentioned that consuming high-GI carbohydrates after exercise has another purpose, which is to replenish the glycogen in the muscles. Eating the right foods after exercise to replenish glycogen can help speed up recovery in the body and shorten the duration of post-exercise fatigue.

It is very important for people who have regular exercise habits or athletes. Especially for those who train a lot, they should take in enough carbohydrates after exercise. In addition to accelerating muscle synthesis, it can also replenish glycogen in the muscles and reserve energy for the next training.

[Nutritionist's Tips]:

Finally, nutritionist Sun Yuming called for attention to the fact that different exercise intensities require different nutritional supplements. If you just walk or stroll gently for half an hour after dinner, you don't need to supplement your nutrition after exercise to avoid excessive calories. Regardless of the intensity of the exercise, in addition to paying attention to post-exercise diet, water replenishment is even more important. Sufficient water should be replenished during and after exercise to avoid dehydration and heat stroke.