Although protein supplements may be beneficial whenever you take them, many experts suggest that consuming nutrients shortly after your workouts is especially important. As fitness and nutrition expert Dr. John Berardi points out, weight training sessions break down your muscles and helping them to rebuild as quickly as possible is vital. He suggests ample amounts of carbohydrates to refill muscle glycogen stores as well as protein to provide amino acids for muscle tissue repair and growth. He also notes that liquid meals--such as supplement shakes--are absorbed more quickly by your body than whole foods and may promote effective recovery.
Optimum Nutrition After Max
As the name indicates, Optimum Nutrition's After Max is specifically formulated for use after workouts. After Max contains 360 calories per serving, with 4g of fat, 40g of carbohydrates and 40g of protein. This product is low in sugar, with 4g per serving, but it does contain maltodextrin. According to Dr. John Berardi, maltodextrin is an effective ingredient for post-workout meals and supplements because it is absorbed rapidly and is a rich source of carbohydrates. Additional product information can be found in the Resources section.
BioRhythm AfterGlow
BioRhythm After Glow contains fewer calories than After Max, with 208 per serving, and as a result contains fewer carbohydrates--32g--and protein--20g--as well. After Glow does have carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed, with 26g of sugar coming from cane juice. In addition, After Glow has a quickly absorbed source of protein, whey protein isolate. Additional product information can be found in the Resources section.
Research indicates that whey protein isolate has benefits other than muscle gain. A study from the September 2010 issue of the "British Journal of Nutrition" found that whey protein isolate supplementation slightly reduced cholesterol levels and significantly improved insulin levels in overweight individuals.
CytoSport Muscle Milk Collegiate
CytoSport's Muscle Milk Collegiate is a version of its popular Muscle Milk supplement tailored to college athletes. Each serving of this supplement contains 580 calories, with 88g of carbohydrates and 40g of protein. Muscle Milk Collegiate also contains 7g of fat per serving, which may be a disadvantage--Dr. John Berardi notes that your post-workout meal should be as low in fat as possible.
However, one advantage Muscle Milk Collegiate has is that it contains a variety of protein sources, such as whey and casein, which the body absorbs at different rates. According to the November 2006 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," a blend of milk proteins, including casein, is preferable to a single protein source in order to sustain high levels of amino acids, which are used in muscle-building. Additional product information can be found in the Resources section.
References
- Dr. John Berardi: The Importance of Post Workout Nutrition!
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Effects of whey protein isolate on body composition, lipids, insulin and glucose in overweight and obese individuals; S Pal, V Ellis, S Dhaliwal; September 2010
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Compared With Casein or Total Milk Protein, Digestion of Milk Soluble Proteins is Too Rapid to Sustain the Anabolic Postprandial Amino Acid Requirement; M Lacroix et al; November 2006
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