Expert advice: good post-exercise nutrition

If you want to lose weight, you have to eat well and not be hungry, which is especially true after training, as two experts point out.

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Our body needs energy to function. He gets this from the food we give him. Here, the focus is often on protein. “Usually we eat enough protein, ie protein, through a balanced diet. During physical exertion, a slightly increased need may arise or by providing protein, especially in the area of ​​the muscles, you can achieve a supporting effect in building up and regenerating,” says Stephan Ehler, head of the sports medicine center at the Ingolstadt clinic. The specialist for orthopaedics, sports medicine and sports orthopedics rarely considers various protein shakes necessary, instead it recommends protein (about 20 grams) and fiber after exercise, protein helps regenerate muscle that fiber saturates.

Tofu or fish combined with salad and vegetables

“A possible combination would be tofu or fish combined with salad and vegetables. You can reach the first class if a lot of unsaturated fats are used in the preparation, such as cold-pressed olive oil for the salad or coconut oil for frying.” Other sources of protein include meat, fish, legumes, quinoa, avocados, and organic nuts (Ingolstadt Hospital Kitchen Dietitians present below two recipes for weight loss).

Stephan Ehler describes chickpeas as a miracle solution. “These contain protein and carbohydrates. A very suitable combination for the athlete.” Basically, it is important to eat after exercise to promote weight loss and especially the silhouette. After all, starving after exercise leads to “being skinny but with fat and no muscle” (skinny fat), and that’s usually not desirable.

How you should eat also depends on the sport. In bodybuilding, the diet before and after training is different from that of endurance sports. In general, though, you should be guided by the following daily macronutrient intake: 55-60% carbs, 12-15% protein, and 25-30% fat, says Stephan Ehler. Andreas Brunner, certified fitness trainer and one of the owners of the fitness studio “Shredforce Raw Gym” in Passau, also agrees with this combination of the three and a balanced diet consisting of the good carbohydrates such as wholemeal pasta and whole foods, good fats and protein.

Contrary to the popular opinion that you have to save on carbohydrates to lose weight, strength athletes rely more on carbohydrates. “One of the guiding principles is ‘fat burns in carb fire.’ An increase in the basal metabolic rate of carbs after exercise leads to more muscle. And the more muscle you build, the more your body uses fat. energy throughout the day”, explains Andréas Brunner. During endurance sports, the body also burns acutely, but more as soon as you stop.

What is always important for the fitness trainer from Passau to point out: “When weighing, you should do a weekly average and not weigh yourself every day because of the different water retention.”