Now that we have officially entered the offseason and the maximal strength phase of the workouts it’s time to take a deep look at what we are doing to properly recover from our workouts. When we workout we use glycogen (sugar in the body from carbohydrates) to fuel the workout. When we lift weights we break down muscle tissue to then rebuild them stronger, bigger and faster. This is done through proper nutrition. If this doesn’t happen it could lead to overtraining, fatigue, muscle loss and plateauing quicker.
Therefore, our main priority for post workout nutrition is to replenish glycogen through ingesting carbohydrates and eating protein to promote protein synthesis to start the repairing and rebuilding process.
It is pivotal to eat something directly after your workout to start the recovery process. This will lead to less muscle soreness, improved immune system, increased ability to build muscle, improved ability to utilize body fat and many other benefits!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t end with post workout nutrition though. If we want to build muscle size and strength, and be able to apply it to our golf game in the spring, it is necessary to think about this with every meal you eat. A way to do this is to assess what you are eating before you eat it. If you look down and your plate is filled with only carbohydrates, add a protein in there. If you only have protein on the plate add some carbohydrates.
Another aspect of nutrition to focus on is the hydration portion. We want to be drinking at least .5 times your body weight in oz per day. Supplementing with an electrolyte supplement would be ideal too at least once or twice a day. This will help your body absorb the water.
As always if you have any questions we are always here to help! Come find us and we can talk about your offseason nutrition plan!
