What should athletes eat after exercise to feel stronger faster?
Post-exercise Ingestion of Carbohydrate, Protein and Water: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for Effects on Subsequent Athletic Performance
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Adding protein to carbs doesn’t improve short-term recovery performance
Most recovery drinks and shakes combine carbs and protein, based on the assumption that both are needed. This study shows protein adds no measurable benefit when carbs are already included.
Practical Takeaways
Consume ~0.8 g/kg/h of carbohydrates after exercise if you need to perform again within 4 hours, especially if you haven’t eaten recently.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Adding protein to carbs doesn’t improve short-term recovery performance
Most recovery drinks and shakes combine carbs and protein, based on the assumption that both are needed. This study shows protein adds no measurable benefit when carbs are already included.
Practical Takeaways
Consume ~0.8 g/kg/h of carbohydrates after exercise if you need to perform again within 4 hours, especially if you haven’t eaten recently.
Publication
Related Content
Claims (4)
Drinking a carb mix with water after a workout—especially if you haven’t eaten—can give you a 4% boost in power during your next workout, as long as it’s within 4 hours.
If athletes eat a meal a few hours before working out, drinking carbs with water afterward doesn’t help their recovery as much as it does when they hadn’t eaten beforehand.
Adding protein to carbs and water doesn’t really help or hurt your workout performance if you're already getting the same amount of energy.
If you've just done an hour of medium-intensity exercise, eating 5–7 grams of carbs and 1.5–1.8 grams of protein for every kilogram you weigh can help your body recover best.