What You Eat After Exercise Matters

Posted on Feb 4th 2010 3:00PM by Ashley Neglia

Filed Under: Fitness

Grabbing a stick of celery or another very low-calorie snack after a workout is not the best way to enhance the health benefits of exercise. Also, insulin sensitivity gets a boost from your most recent aerobic exercise session, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

"Many of the improvements in metabolic health associated with exercise stem largely from the most recent session of exercise, rather than from an increase in 'fitness' per se," said the study's senior author, Jeffrey F. Horowitz.

University of Michigan researchers, including Horowitz and his student, Sean A. Newsom, honed in on the effects of insulin sensitivity -- how easily body tissues like muscle absorb sugar from the blood stream -- after a 90-minute workout. After each cardio session, subjects ate either a meal low in calories, low in carbohydrates or a meal that balanced carbohydrates, fat and protein.

Eating low-carb meals after exercise produced the most improvement in insulin sensitivity, which is important for insulin-resistant people who are pre-diabetic. However, participants who consumed low-calorie meals did not show more of an enhancement compared to those who ate enough to match their calorie expenditure.

If losing weight isn't a concern for you, this research suggests that you can still glean the same health benefits after exercise even if you eat the amount of calories you just burned off.

"We know that each session of exercise can benefit blood sugar control, and what you eat is really important to truly understanding the gestalt of diet and exercise," Horowitz said.

Horowitz and his team of researchers are currently studying what the minimum amount of exercise an obese, pre-diabetic person needs to perform in order to increase blood sugar control. "Each session of exercise is important, but how long does it have to be? How hard do you have to go?" asked Horowitz. "What is it about these doses of exercise that are healthful?"

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Tags: insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, journal of applied physiology, meal after exercise, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, prediabetic, what you eat after exercise

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

BB 2-04-2010 @ 4:06PM

Post work out nutrition is extremly important and contriversal your body needs more than celery sticks though. if you are doing 1-2 hours of hard cardio or resistance training you need to figure out what you are burning and then replenish or create a small defiect you have about a 60 min window to refuel to gain maxium benift from your workout. Look up recovery drinks and see what there protien, carb , fat ratios are and then you can build your own from there

Weighting Around 2-07-2010 @ 2:38PM

Now I am confused. I want to lose weight, so after 60 minutes of cardio exercise - what are the best things to eat? Everyone says something different. Can you help?

Donna Z. 2-07-2010 @ 10:27PM

If you want to lose weight, then you want a caloric deficit in your daily calorie intake. You would go for the celery stick instead of the doughnut...I would go for some protein and fat, like cheese, instead of carbs.

nicole 2-07-2010 @ 11:12PM

Wow- that first sentence is a doozy. Is the writer trying to communicate information, or just mystify readers with funny word combinations? Brings monkeys and typewriters to mind.

joeswatzell 2-09-2010 @ 12:44PM

My thoughts exactly (but better stated). I read this several times and I am still not certain what was intended. Ashley Neglia was either having a bad moment or should rethink her vocation.

Lita 2-08-2010 @ 12:29AM

Nicole, thank you for saying that. I thought I was the only one who found that first sentence baffling.

Kim 2-08-2010 @ 4:43PM

"Not only did I not understand what the author was trying to say, but I also did not get any useful information." How does this get published on Aol? It makes no sense. She ends with questions and I never got an answer.

kathryn 2-08-2010 @ 1:07PM

I absolutely agree! That sentence makes no sense.

Kathryn 2-08-2010 @ 6:20PM

It looks like they corrected the sentence that we were criticizing. However, they should publicly recognize and mention that they corrected it so the rest of us don't look like idiots.

MaryLou 2-11-2010 @ 9:58AM

Why is this research ground breaking? I remember when my kids played soccer, the trainers used to say that eating protein (not carbs) immediately after practice or a game was very important. It was the protein that unlocked the cells (whatever that meant) in order for the body to absorb carbs later on to replenish the body's energy stores. Are you telling me soccer coaches knew what research is just finding out?

And nathaniel, I wish I could still eat like that!!

HUGO 2-08-2010 @ 12:03AM

THANK YOU, NICOLE. I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK THAT I WAS "LOSING IT"... EVEN AFTER RE-READING IT SEVERAL TIMES. I STILL FEEL THE EARLY TWINGES OF A HEADACHE DUE TO THE ABUSE THE 'AUTHOR' HAS INFLICTED UPON "THOSE AMONG US THAT ENDEAVOR TO SPEAK THE KING'S ENGLISH".

Sarah 2-08-2010 @ 6:11AM

Seriously?? Do you think the kings english is ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? You look like an idiot.

Dr Bob 2-08-2010 @ 12:52AM

For an average weighted person running one mile burns 100 calories and a one and a half hour workout before possibly another 250 calories so that 1400 calorie intake suggested after exercise is too much. A banana or glass of OJ before exercise and then at least a glass of water every hour during is adequate. If exercise is first thing in the morning a normal breakfast should follow. Egg and toast or cereal plus two cups of coffee.Celery has zero calories but releives hunger. The human body is very adaptable., There are many marathon runners who are vegetarians