Q:

How soon after my workout or run should I eat?

Following training and competition, an athlete’s glycogen stores are depleted. To replenish them, the athlete needs to consider the speed at which carbohydrate is converted into blood glucose and transported to the muscles. The rapid replenishment of glycogen stores is important for the track athlete who has a number of races in a meet. The rise in blood glucose levels is indicated by foods’ Glycemic Index (GI) – the faster and higher the blood glucose rises, the higher the GI.

Studies have shown that consuming high GI carbohydrates, approximately 2g/kg of body weight and 40g of protein, within 1 hour after exercise speeds up the replenishment of glycogen stores and therefore speeds up recovery time. It appears that the muscles are more receptive to retaining carbohydrates during the two hours after exercise.

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