Should i have a protein shake after cardio

If you've been wondering whether you should drink a protein shake after your cardio workout, then you're not alone. This has got to be one of the most common supplementation questions out there! After all, a protein shake is there to build muscle, right? And cardio isn't effective for muscle growth...right?

Well actually, no, these assumptions are actually quite incorrect. This could lead to the presumption that a protein shake is not necessary following a cardio workout. (You may wish to read an article I published entitled "Cardio & Bodybuilding - Good for Muscle Growth?")

Another misconception is that because cardio is highly effective for weight loss, a protein shake could limit the "fat burning effect" by increasing the number of calories you consume.

Let's take a step back and look at what cardio is - a form of exercise. Exercise is a means of placing physical stress on your body. You "stress" your body in order to force it to adapt to the stimulus.

In the case of an intense cardio workout, you are forcing your fitness level to increase once the cardio session has concluded. Your body will improve its fitness so it can handle this physical stress more effectively, in case it is subject to this form of exercise again in the near future. This "overcompensation" is how you train your body to become the shape that you wish it to be.

Considering that the major physiological changes happen after your intense workout has concluded (fat loss, fitness enhancement, muscle development etc.), it is therefore important to provide your body with the essential nutrients to facilitate these changes. Just like a house builder requires materials to build a house (bricks, wood, concrete etc.), your body requires nutrients to maximise the many changes that take place upon the conclusion of your workout.

Following the conclusion of your intense workout, your body is dire need of nutrients. It's like a sponge and will soak up nutrients to assist in the recovery process. A protein shake is a unique tool that can provide your body with some fact acting nutrients to support this recuperation process. Two key ingredients include:

• Fast-absorbing, high quality proteins (eg. Whey Protein Isolate, as found in many quality protein powders)
• High GI carbohydrates (eg. Dextrose)

Other supplements such as vitamin c/e (antioxidants), l-glutamine (immune support), free-form BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) may also be of use in your protein shake after an intense cardio workout.

So in summary, following an intense cardio workout, you should drink a protein shake comprised of effective supplements - for nearly all goals. Not supplementing may very well inhibit your recovery, thus reducing your results. Further, you will also place your body at a heightened risk of becoming run down with a lowered immune response.

A low-intensity cardio workout however is another story. If you are performing a low-intensity session, then a protein shake may not be necessary. This is because the degree of "stress" placed on your body from exercise is minimal.

While you don't need a ton of protein for a cardio workout, it's still important to get a small amount in. "Eating protein after your cardio workout is more helpful than eating it beforehand," said Lori Zanini, RD, CDE. The registered dietitian behind the Tone It Up nutrition plan told POPSUGAR that her suggestion for pre-workout protein is to keep it minimal, but that a little bit will "give your muscles amino acids: substrate to build your muscles up."

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Before a cardio workout, it's important to keep your intake pretty low (according to Lori, only one to two ounces, totaling about 7-14 grams protein) because protein takes longer to digest than carbs, which can lead to digestive distress during a workout.

She emphasized that post-workout protein is important, though — even if you're not weight lifting or doing strength training. Ensuring you get enough protein "can reduce muscle damage during your workout, which means you recover faster," and also "can help maintain and increase your muscle size," thus boosting your metabolism.

"There's a recovery window of 30-45 minutes after exercise where your body metabolizes nutrients more efficiently, due to elevated heart rate and blood pressure," said Lori. "So your muscles can use protein more efficiently [in that window] for repair and rebuilding."

If you work out, you need more protein than a person who spends most of their time sitting in a chair. Exercise breaks down muscle fibers at a microscopic level, and you need protein to help them repair.

Based on this, you might think you need to guzzle a protein drink after a workout to supply your body with extra protein, but do you?

© Can Stock Photo / Ozimician

How Much Protein You Need if You Work Out?

Guidelines suggest that a sedentary individual should get around 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. However, depending on the intensity and duration of your workouts, you may need up to twice that amount.

So, if you weigh 150 pounds and do intense workouts most days of the week, you might need as much as 0.72 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day. That would be around 108 grams of protein. If you do lighter workouts or work out less often, you may only need 30% more protein than a sedentary person does.

If you consume 30 grams of protein with each meal, whether it’s animal or plant-based, you’ve almost met your protein needs based on this formula. It’s also a good idea to eat a snack that contains carbohydrates and protein in about a 3 to 1 ratio after a workout. So, you’ll get the rest of the protein from a post-workout snack. That protein doesn’t have to come in the form of a protein drink, though.

More Isn’t Always Better!

Research shows that the human body doesn’t absorb an unlimited amount of protein at one time. In fact, the limit it can absorb is 20 to 30 grams at a single meal or snack. Therefore, there’s no need to guzzle a drink that’s super high in protein after a workout. However, there are some reasons to consume protein after a workout. Studies show that doing so may boost muscle recovery and there’s some evidence that protein within a few hours of a workout reduces muscle soreness.

However, your muscles also need carbohydrates after a workout since repeated muscle contractions deplete muscle glycogen stores, the muscle’s energy source, and they need to be replenished for your muscles to fully recover. That’s why dietitians recommend consuming carbohydrates to protein in a 3 to 1 ratio after a workout.

The problem with protein shakes is that most are processed and contain little fiber. In contrast, if you eat a whole food snack that contains carbohydrates and protein, you will get some fiber, along with other beneficial components like antioxidants. Examples of snacks that contain enough protein and carbohydrates to help your muscles recover include:

• A peanut butter sandwich
• Greek yogurt with fruit
• Almond butter on whole-grain crackers
• A bowl of oatmeal with nuts or seeds
• Cottage cheese and fruit

The Pros of Protein Shakes

There are some benefits to drinking a protein shake too. They’re convenient, and if you pick a protein shake that contains whey protein, the amino acids from the protein are absorbed quickly after a workout. Some research suggests there’s a window period of about an hour right after a workout where you can optimize muscle repair and growth by consuming protein.

Other research suggests that this window period is longer and you don’t have to guzzle down a protein shake right after a workout to maximize muscle growth and repair. It’s more the total amount of protein you consume that matters rather than the timing.

Another advantage of consuming a protein shake that contains whey is research shows whey protein can boost immune function. Consuming whey protein may help your immune system function at its peak, even when your muscles are exhausted.

Another advantage of a protein shake is they usually contain branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) Studies show that BCAA turns on the muscle repair machinery by activating a pathway called the mTOR pathway. One BCAA called leucine is vitally important for turning on muscle protein synthesis.

Read also “Naked Nutrition: I tested the Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies!”

The Bottom Line

Do you need a protein shake after a workout to maximize muscle gains? You do need protein and carbohydrates, but it doesn’t have to be in the form of a protein shake. In fact, whole food sources are better for you than a processed protein supplement.

But if convenience is an issue and you don’t have time for a meal or snack, a rapidly absorbed source of protein like a shake that contains whey protein is an option. You’ll also get the benefits of the branched-chain amino acids that many protein shakes contain.

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