What can you eat for dinner after an evening workout?

• July 5, 2018
• Diets
• Valieva Olga

The fashion for a healthy lifestyle and a slim, athletic body is not going away. Hundreds of thousands of girls and men all over the world regularly visit the gym, developing an optimal exercise program to achieve slimness. Nutrition occupies a special place in bodybuilding: without a competent diet, muscle tissue will never grow. It is necessary to cut back on simple carbohydrates and increase the proportion of protein foods. What to do if you feel hungry after a hard evening workout? After all, food taken at night may not be fully absorbed. The answer to the question of what you can eat after training in the evening interests almost all amateur athletes.

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates: their role in an athlete’s nutrition

Any food product contains greater or lesser amounts of any of the three vital nutrients. These are proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Each of these components plays a specific role in the body:

1. After digestion, protein breaks down into amino acids. It is a building material for cells throughout the human body. Muscles, organ tissues, blood vessels - all this is built from amino acids. Proteins in the diet affect digestion, respiration, and blood clotting. They are also responsible more than other nutrients for muscle contractions and nerve conduction. A deficiency of amino acids and protein leads to muscular dystrophy, weakness, low performance, and increased excitability. Eating after an evening workout requires the presence of protein - this is necessary in order to saturate the muscles with amino acids and prevent the process of catabolism (muscle breakdown) from starting at night.
2. Fats are a source of energy. With an excess of this nutrient, excess weight begins to accumulate. The layer of subcutaneous fat increases. As a result, the person is diagnosed with obesity. You cannot completely give up fats, but you should strictly regulate their amount in the diet. Foods containing fats are indispensable during heavy physical activity and in cold weather. The quality of the fat also matters. For example, unsaturated fatty acids are essential and enter our body only with food, mainly vegetable oils. You should opt for cold-pressed unrefined olive, flaxseed, sunflower, cottonseed, sesame oil.
3. Carbohydrates are the main element that supplies the human body with energy. Carbohydrates can be simple - glucose, fructose, galactose; as well as sucrose and lactose. They are absorbed instantly, contribute to a jump in insulin, which is why a person begins to feel hungry and eats more than necessary. As a result, the layer of subcutaneous fat increases and excess weight accumulates. Complex carbohydrates are not so dangerous in terms of obesity - they are starch, fiber, glycogen. Carbohydrates must be present in moderate amounts in an athlete’s diet for normal muscle growth. Complex carbohydrates are also an excellent source of energy. With their deficiency, a person becomes lethargic, incapacitated, and depressed.

Is it possible to eat at night?

Often, work schedule interferes with visiting the gym and training has to be postponed to the evening. But this is not a reason to refuse to eat, because the body needs to restore energy reserves to maintain natural functions. In this case, the amount of incoming energy should prevail over the costs, which will ensure the desired gain of muscle mass.

Therefore, you should definitely eat before going to bed. For a late dinner, you need to choose slow proteins, avoiding the consumption of carbohydrates and fats. Low-fat cottage cheese is best suited for this purpose - 100 - 150 g is enough. The casein it contains will be absorbed in about 5 hours, supplying the body with energy for restoration and muscle building. To enhance the effect and to diversify your menu, cottage cheese can be consumed with low-fat sour cream or kefir.

Please help make this article better. Answer just 3 questions.

Interesting to know! True bodybuilding fans practice an unusual diet - they eat before bed and wake up every 2 to 3 hours to eat. Thus, they provide a constant supply of energy and continuous protein synthesis for weight gain.

What to eat for dinner when gaining muscle mass

Most working people exercise in the evenings. A visit to a sports club is often carried out around seven or eight o'clock in the evening. Having got home at nine o'clock, the training athlete wants to eat. This is quite normal: the body is trying to replenish glycogen stores in the liver.

Mostly girls prefer to starve themselves. Many of them believe that eating in the evening after training is the path to gaining excess weight. This opinion is a gross mistake!

When working with dumbbells, barbells, and strength training equipment, you need a high-quality protein-carbohydrate dinner. It should not contain heavy food. It is optimal if it consists of easily digestible foods and contains about 20 g of protein and 80-100 g of complex carbohydrates. Can I eat in the evening after training? It’s not just possible, but necessary. The main thing is to choose the right ingredients for dinner.

What to eat after a morning workout to lose weight?

A classic breakfast of eggs and toast is a nutritious post-workout meal any time of the day.

• Eggs are a source of quickly digestible protein and contain many important nutrients such as vitamin A and zinc;
• and whole grain toast contains complex carbohydrates, including fiber, and B vitamins.

Although egg yolk contains fat and cholesterol, eating two eggs with yolk per day will not increase your blood cholesterol. If you want to reduce calories and get the nutritional benefits of the yolk, eating one whole egg with two egg whites is a reasonable compromise.

• Chicken, turkey, beef, whole grain bread and tofu are all healthy post-workout snacks, and whole grain bread provides a high-fiber source of carbohydrates that will help keep you energized longer.
• Vegetables provide a variety of vitamins while being low in calories and high in solid fiber, and brown rice is a source of complex carbohydrates.

Also read what to eat before and after exercise to maintain your figure.

What can you eat for dinner when losing weight or cutting?

People who are far from sports do not understand the difference between regular weight loss and cutting. Depending on your goal, your post-workout diet will vary.

1. Weight loss is the loss of body weight through both muscle and fat. After radical weight loss, a person simply becomes very thin, as people say, “skinny.” It adds neither beauty nor grace.
2. Cutting implies the presence of muscle mass. That is, you need to work with weights for about a year to build muscle. They are most often covered with a subcutaneous fat layer, so they are not visible. Cutting is a special protein diet that an athlete follows in order to achieve relief.

If a person’s goal is to lose weight, and he goes to workouts to get rid of obesity, then he can either eat nothing at all or drink tea without sugar. It’s definitely better to give up carbohydrates. The maximum that obese people can eat after training in the evening is a pack of low-fat cottage cheese, a piece of boiled chicken breast, and a glass of kefir.

If a person’s goal is to dry out, then he needs to cut down on carbohydrates. The ideal answer to the question of what to eat after training in the evening for such a person would be a protein shake. You can make your own smoothie from kefir, cottage cheese, and berries. The main thing is that the amount of carbohydrates does not go beyond the daily BZHU. During the drying period, athletes reduce the amount of carbohydrates to a minimum - about 1-2 grams per kilogram of body weight.

List of allowed foods after training if you want to lose weight

What you need to eat after training to lose weight is indicated in the following table:

According to nutritionists, eggs are allowed for weight loss. You can boil them, prepare protein omelettes with vegetables. Among sweets, marshmallows, marmalade, and jam are allowed in small quantities.

Meat, fish and vegetables should be boiled or steamed rather than fried. It is recommended to season vegetable salads with olive oil.

What can you eat after training in the evening?

You can eat pure protein without restrictions. The main condition is that the dish should not be fried and no oil should be added to it. You don’t have to be afraid to dine on carbohydrates - in some cases (if the athlete is gaining mass), even eating one or two bananas is acceptable. It should be noted that when adding oil, syrups, sugar or other ingredients, the total calorie content will increase and the ratio of BJU will change.

Depending on personal preferences, you can use a ready-made protein mixture or make your own smoothie or cocktail from cottage cheese and berries. Instead of sugar, it is better to add a sweetener - this way you can significantly reduce calories and prevent simple carbohydrates from entering the body. Why are sucrose and lactose dangerous, and why should you be wary of consuming them? They are absorbed instantly and enter the bloodstream, contributing to a surge in insulin. A person begins to feel hungry and eats more than necessary. As a result, the layer of subcutaneous fat increases and excess weight accumulates. Sports cocktails should not contain sugar. You can use erythritol - it is a fine powder with a sweet taste that has zero calories.

The best food after a day's workout for weight loss

Proper (complex) carbohydrates need to be replenished after exercise because they will be used as the body's main source of fuel. Again, choose high-fiber carbohydrates (whole grain bread, brown rice, vegetables) paired with protein (eggs, milk, meat, legumes, fish) to help repair your muscles.

Avoid simple carbohydrates after a workout, and generally throughout the day, if you want to lose weight. White bread, pastries, and sugary candies are devoid of fiber and provide a quick burst of easily digestible carbohydrates, raising blood sugar levels that fill you up quickly but leave you hungry an hour later. And it won't help you lose weight.

Fats should not be included in your post-workout meal because they slow down the breakdown of proteins, increase the calorie content of food, and instead of restoring, the body spends effort digesting fats. It's no secret that when losing weight, fats should be reduced in the composition of dishes, but not eliminated completely. The right unsaturated fats are able to remove free fat from the body thanks to their chain of molecules. The paradox is that fats help you lose weight.

Remember , when losing weight, you need to be afraid and exclude simple carbohydrates, and remove complex carbohydrates from food in the late afternoon.

Carbohydrates after training - harm or benefit?

As mentioned above, carbohydrates are different from carbohydrates. Here is a list of products that can be used to make a post-workout shake:

• berries: strawberries, blueberries, currants (no more than one hundred grams);
• banana - no more than 1 piece;
• nectarine or peach - no more than one piece;
• apples - no more than two pieces;
• kiwi - up to 200 grams.

It is also acceptable to eat citrus fruits - oranges, tangerines, grapefruits. Pineapples - depending on individual preferences. All these fruits and berries can be juiced and added to sports cocktails. You can simply eat the fruits raw or baked. For example, an apple can be cut into two parts, sprinkled with cinnamon and baked in the oven - you will get a fragrant and tasty dessert before bed that will not harm your figure.

The following carbohydrates should not be consumed after an evening workout:

• any products made from white flour;
• sugar and dishes containing it;
• factory-made sweets - chocolate, marshmallows, marshmallows, ice cream, etc.;
• packaged factory juices;
• sweet carbonated drinks;
• any drinks containing alcohol.

Is it possible to exercise before bed and what do experts recommend?

Sports exercises immediately before going to bed are harmful to the body.
But a little physical activity two to three hours before bedtime will not only not hurt, but will also be beneficial. In the afternoon, the number of calories burned increases, body temperature rises, and metabolism increases. This improves muscle flexibility and elasticity. They become more mobile and the risk of injury decreases.

But you should adhere to certain rules:

1. After active physical exercise, it is advisable to take a leisurely walk in the park. Fresh air and a calm environment will help you relax and give your body and brain a chance to rest.
2. Those who add sports nutrition to their diet are advised to avoid taking these supplements before bed. The energy substances contained in some sports cocktails act as a stimulant and make it difficult to fall asleep.
3. A hot bath will help relieve fatigue and calm the nervous system.

Half an hour before going to bed, it is recommended to perform simple exercises: stretching, squats. Abdominal pumping will not harm healthy sleep. Warm up muscles will allow you to relax after a hard day.

You can develop your own enjoyable exercises.

The following exercises can serve as their basis:

• lying on your back, bend your knees and press them to your chest. At the same time, try to reach your toes with your hands;
• sit in lotus position with your knees spread apart. Keeping your right hand on the floor, bend to the right, stretching your left arm up. The movement is repeated in the same way on the other side.
• sitting in the same position, slowly turn to the right and left.

Such a small exercise will not have a negative impact on the quality of sleep. Half an hour after light physical exercise, you can go to bed.

Human biorhythms are purely individual. For those who are used to going to bed very late, you can extend the start time of sports activities to 21-22 hours. But, in any case, it is advisable to avoid exhausting exercises, replacing them with easier ones.

Experts recommend adhering to a clear schedule for starting training so that the body can adapt to a certain rhythm.

Thus, there is no need to categorically refuse evening workouts. Sports activities are necessary for every person, especially those leading a sedentary lifestyle.

When practicing evening exercise, the main thing is to adhere to the basic rules - regularity and moderation. This will help the body become stronger, healthier and fall asleep without difficulty.

https://youtu.be/MTXuqViks2M

Is it possible to exercise at night?

Protein dinner after strength training

You can safely prepare any dishes for dinner that consist of protein products. Post-workout meals include the following:

• omelette made from proteins and milk (you can add herbs or stewed vegetables);
• lean veal goulash;
• stewed chicken fillet;
• fish baked on a grill or baking sheet (without adding oil or garnish - you can only use spices or herbs);
• low-fat kefir, cottage cheese and dishes made from them;
• kefir cocktails with berries.

You should try to use either low-fat products or those with minimal fat content. It is important to remember the dangers of simple carbohydrates and not to add sugar, bread, or crackers to protein dishes. It is also better not to eat cereals and porridge in the evening - there is a high risk that this will affect subsequent weight gain. It is best to eat complex carbohydrates in the morning - this will give you vigor and energize you for the whole day.

Post-workout meal recipes to help you lose weight

Proper nutrition after training is necessary not only for rapid weight loss, but also for the formation of a beautiful figure. Regular sports activities lead to loss of muscle elasticity. Therefore, a sufficient amount of protein should be present in your daily diet.

Let's look at several options on how to eat deliciously after a workout to lose weight.

Beef with pumpkin

Recipe:

1. Beef (200 g) is boiled in salted water;
2. Boil the peeled pumpkin until half cooked (35-45 minutes);
3. Pieces of meat are mixed with chopped pumpkin, salt and pepper to taste, and simmered in a pan with olive oil until cooked;
4. At the end of cooking, season the dish with your favorite sauce.

Pumpkin stew can be eaten almost immediately after a workout. The dish will provide you with a feeling of fullness for a long time and energize you.

Protein pancakes

Pancakes are prepared according to the following recipe:

1. Beat egg whites (4 pcs.) with low-fat cottage cheese (half a glass);
2. Add oatmeal (half a cup), vanillin (0.5 tsp) and a pinch of baking powder to the mixture;
3. Pancakes are fried on both sides in a frying pan greased with olive oil;
4. The finished dish is served with banana slices or berries.

Many people are interested in whether it is possible to have breakfast after a morning workout if you want to lose weight. Pancakes prepared according to this recipe are a tasty and healthy food that you can eat in the morning after a sports activity without interfering with weight loss. Pancakes will help build muscle tissue.

Egg omelet with vegetables

Recipe:

1. Beat eggs (4 pcs.) and add 2 more egg whites;
2. Add chopped vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, onions) and chopped herbs to the mass;
3. The mixture is salted and pepper to taste, if desired, you can add a little lean ham;
4. The omelette is fried on both sides in a frying pan greased with olive oil.

This egg, vegetable and ham dish is great for people who need protein to build muscle and don't know what to eat after a workout to lose weight. The omelette will give you a feeling of fullness for a long time.

Potatoes with chicken breast

The dish is prepared according to the following recipe:

1. Chicken breast (200 g) is cut into pieces and lightly fried in a deep frying pan greased with unrefined vegetable oil;
2. Add diced potatoes and chopped apple to the pan and mix thoroughly;
3. The mixture is poured with boiled water, salt and pepper to taste, you can add cinnamon;
4. After boiling, the dish is simmered over low heat until cooked.

Potatoes with chicken breast are tasty and healthy. It saturates the body with carbohydrates and nourishes muscle tissue.

Vegetable salad

You can eat a salad with vegetables even after an evening workout for dinner, as it does not interfere with weight loss.

Recipe:

1. Cucumber (1 piece) is chopped on a coarse grater;
2. Excess moisture is squeezed out of the cucumber mass;
3. Radishes (3 pcs.) are cut into cubes and mixed with cucumber;
4. Add chopped dill to the mixture;
5. The ingredients are sprinkled with juice from 1 slice of lemon;
6. The products are seasoned with low-fat yogurt.

To lose weight, you can eat this salad after fitness at any time of the day, even in the evening. It will eliminate the feeling of hunger and saturate the body with vitamins.

What meat to choose for dinner and how to cook it

Optimally - poultry meat. It's chicken or turkey. It is also acceptable to eat lean veal, beef, and rabbit meat. Fatty meats - pork, lamb, venison - are heavy foods. Such food takes many hours to digest.

Most athletes go to bed two to three hours after dinner. It is worth considering that if you have a heavy dinner - for example, potatoes with pork or a venison steak - then the food simply will not have time to be digested and the person will literally fall asleep “with a full belly.” Therefore, a protein dinner after a workout should not contain fatty meats. The simpler the food taken before bed, the better.

What to eat for dinner from fish and seafood? These are shrimp, squid, and any type of lean fish. You should be careful with salmon - as a rule, these types of fish contain quite a lot of fat. Although it is a healthy polyunsaturated nutrient, too much of it can cause excess weight to accumulate around the waist. Once a month you can allow yourself salmon, trout, chum salmon, and pink salmon for dinner. On other days, it is better to prefer less fatty fish.

Does it make sense to also eat at night?

Professional bodybuilders also practice eating at night. Waking up to an alarm clock at about 4 a.m., they eat so that their muscles are not left without the necessary substances that are so necessary for the construction of muscle tissue. Despite this, eating at night has its pros and cons. The most important and significant drawback is a change in the normal natural rhythm. As a result of getting up early, athletes experience drowsiness and loss of strength, which causes some harm to the training process. Some athletes who still get up early in the morning to support their muscles claim that after two weeks of such awakenings, the body begins to get used to this rhythm of life. Therefore, after two weeks of regularly drinking a protein shake early in the morning, no fatigue or drowsiness is observed.

Despite this, such a training rhythm is not recommended for beginner athletes, since such a rhythm will not allow the body to fully recover. As for experienced bodybuilders who use many special supplements, thanks to which their body can recover much faster, they can afford to eat in the middle of the night.

Homemade cocktails and smoothies for dinner: recipes

Making your own cocktails is a fun process. What to eat after training at night? Try making your own protein and berry smoothie.

1. 200 ml of kefir with minimal fat content, a handful of strawberries, a few rowan or blueberries (for those who like a sour taste), a teaspoon of sweetener - place everything in a blender bowl and mix until smooth and thick.
2. The banana smoothie is quite filling. Contains 190 kcal per two hundred ml. You need 200 ml of low-fat kefir, 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, one ripe banana. Mix all ingredients until smooth. You can add a pinch of vanilla to the banana smoothie for flavor.
3. Peel two kiwi fruits and cut into cubes. Grind in a blender with liquid baby curd 2.5% fat. This smoothie will appeal to those who like a sour taste.
4. Beat the egg white until it reaches peaks (that is, so that it does not flow, but stands vertically). Add 100 ml of vanilla protein, a handful of your favorite berries. mix everything with a whisk or spoon - you get a protein-berry cocktail. Those who cannot tolerate raw eggs will not like it. When whipped, egg white resembles an airy cream, so you should try this recipe at least once to get an accurate impression of this taste.

Nutrition during exercise in the gym

Food is work.
Everyone who comes to the gym to lose weight or, conversely, gain muscle mass has to get used to this idea. Changing your diet rather than doing strenuous exercise is the hardest part in the battle for the perfect body. The speed of progress often depends on nutrition before and after training. After training in the gym, the body expends a large amount of energy. The amount of calories lost depends on the type of activity and the person’s body weight. An athlete of average build with normal body weight loses up to 1000 kcal in 1 hour of intense training. Is there a need to replenish the body’s expended resources if the goal is to lose weight?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frrm4eqHLPE

No matter what time of day the training takes place, morning or evening, you always need to eat after it. During exercise, the body spends 70% protein and 30% carbohydrates.

What to eat after training in the evening before bed - a detailed menu and calorie calculation can be found in our article

In order not to provoke the development of catabolic syndrome after training in the evening, the decomposition of the connective tissue of muscles, bones, blood vessels, the lack of protein and carbohydrates must be replenished: it is recommended to eat, even before bed, a little lean meat with vegetables.

Nutritionists do not recommend eating at night, but this does not affect active people who work out in the gym. They have a different diet. After a late dinner, it is advised to go to bed after half an hour.

During active cardio and strength training, muscle connective tissue ruptures. The athlete receives microtraumas. After some time, the tissues are restored, increasing their volume. The body is transformed and becomes more prominent. Successful muscle regeneration requires protein and carbohydrates.

After training in the evening, a “carbohydrate window” appears, during which you need to eat or drink something containing protein: low-fat meals are preferable before bed. The “carbohydrate window” is a period lasting 2 hours.

All calories that enter the body with food will be spent on restoring expended resources.

They do not contribute to an increase in fat deposits: a late dinner will not negatively affect your figure.

Dinner is considered effective if eaten within 2 hours after training and half an hour before bedtime. The diet depends on the goal of playing sports: increasing muscle mass or losing weight.

young veal, pork, seafood

Note! In order for training to be effective, without harm to health, 30 minutes before training, eat food rich in carbohydrates: muesli bar, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit. The stomach is not overloaded: the snack is made light.

After training in the evening, not wanting to cook and not knowing what to eat, many people make do with sandwiches. Both to lose weight and to gain weight, do not eat fast food, even during the “carbohydrate window”. It is not recommended to eat pasta and sausages before going to bed.

The products contain fast carbohydrates that will not saturate the body. Food will not contribute to the process of restoring energy balance. Dishes with mushrooms, roast meat, and high-calorie confectionery are reserved for lunch.

Alcoholic drinks, coffee, cocoa, hot chocolate - all this is prohibited.

The body is excited after exercise. Additional tonics will only harm him: they will increase blood pressure, worsen the destruction of muscle tissue, and have a negative impact on his emotional state.

For an active person who goes to the gym 3-5 times a week, dinner is normally 500 kcal. If you want to lose weight, then the norm is reduced to 280-300 kcal.

When building muscle mass, the calorie content of dishes is increased to 800 kcal:

• 50% of the evening meal's calories are protein;
• 25% - carbohydrates;
• 15% - fiber;
• 10% - fats.

Recipes for culinary dishes always indicate calorie content, the amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates contained in it.

After training, prepare dinner from the following dishes:

• 100 g of chicken contains 21 g of protein. The same amount of protein is in fish: pink salmon, bream, perch. For the athlete who is worried about what to eat after training in the evening before going to bed, grilled chicken is suitable. The meat is seasoned with pepper and salt: calorie content is 161 kcal/100 g. For a late dinner, 200 g of chicken is enough.

  

• Buckwheat porridge will replenish your carbohydrate supply. 100 g of product contains 25 g of carbohydrates. The calorie content of the dish is 90 kcal.
• The lack of fat, carbohydrates and fiber will eliminate the traditional Greek salad. Its calorie content is 87 kcal.

Tea without sugar contains no calories. 2 tsp. sugar will increase the calorie content of the drink to 5 kcal. Fruit juices are rich in carbohydrates, but their value is high, averaging 48 kcal. Dried fruits will increase the calorie content of dinner: raisins, apples, dried apricots. The products are rich in carbohydrates: 100 g of dried fruits contain on average up to 250 kcal, 2 pcs. dried apricots weigh 10 g, which is 25 kcal.

To calculate calories, use the Harris-Benedict formula. Francis Benedict and James Harris studied metabolism in the human body: the effect of metabolic rate on physiological characteristics.

A man weighing 80 kg, height 190 cm, 30 years old needs to consume 1813.26 kcal/day. Calculation: 88.362 (13.397 * weight) (4.799 * height) - (5.677 * age).

The daily diet of a woman weighing 70 kg, height 160 cm, age 30 years usually contains 1013.07 kcal/day. Calculation: 447.593 (9.247 * weight) (3.098 * height) - (4.33 * age).

The indicators are adjusted by the activity index:

• 1.2 - small;
• 1.375 – slightly active lifestyle;
• 1.55 – going to the gym 3 times a week;
• 1.725 - heavy loads;
• 1.9 - for an active person who does strength training every day.

The caloric intake norm for a man who goes to the gym 3 times a week is 2906.653 kcal/day. The caloric intake norm for a woman with identical activity is 1570.2585 kcal/day. The calculation is only suitable for healthy people who do not have chronic diseases.

Dinner makes up 20% of the daily calorie intake. For men it is 581.33 kcal, for women it is 314.0517 kcal. Physiologists leave an error interval of 42.6 kcal for men, 40.2 kcal for women. These calculations are used to maintain normal weight.

It is important to know! There are many formulas for calculating the daily amount of calories consumed. The indicator varies by 10-15%. The final figures are distributed according to the amount of food consumed: breakfast accounts for 25% of calories per day, lunch - 35%, dinner 20%. For afternoon tea and 2 breakfasts, 10% is left.

After working out at the gym, not many people want to cook dinner. Cooks offer simple recipes for an evening dinner with 500 kcal.

Ingredients: fillet 2 pcs.; ½ tbsp. rice, broccoli - 150 g.

For the sauce: 1 bunch of basil, hard cheese - 50 g, olive oil - 100 g, cedar nuts - 50 g, 2 cloves garlic, ½ lemon, salt.

Cooking method. The sauce is made in advance and kept in the refrigerator. To do this, all ingredients must be ground in a blender. The fillet is fried on a grill pan. The finished hot fish is brushed with Pesto. Rice is washed and cooked for 20 minutes. Boil broccoli for 10 minutes, brush with sauce.

Ingredients: 2 fillets, salt, ginger, onion, 1 tsp. soy sauce. For garnish: 150 g green beans, 1 clove of garlic, vegetable oil.

Cooking method. The fillet is marinated in seasonings, covered with foil, and baked in the oven for 20 minutes. Boil the beans for 7-10 minutes, season with salt and butter. For chicken or as a side dish, Pesto sauce with the addition of ½ tomato is good.

Salad with bacon

Ingredients: 4 pcs. bacon, salad 2 bunches. For the sauce: olive oil 1 tsp, balsamic vinegar - 1 dessert spoon, 1 tsp. mustard seeds, ½ tsp. Sahara.

Cooking method. Prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients. Chop the lettuce and season with sauce. The bacon is grilled and served with bran buns.

Important to remember! After training in the evening, before going to bed, you do not prepare flour products for dinner, but you are allowed to eat a little durum wheat pasta. Seafood is served as a complement, which will saturate the body with protein.

Late dinner after training is an important part of the diet. It is not recommended to ignore it. Sandwiches and hamburgers will satisfy your hunger, but the body will not receive the proper amount of protein and carbohydrates. Meals for the evening are thought out and prepared in advance, so that after sports there is no temptation to eat fast food.

Many experts advise eating before bed after training in order to:

• restoration to the required extent of all energy resources of the body;
• muscle fiber growth at a high level.

It is necessary that the amount of energy provided dominates its expenditure, and night time is the period when the least energy is consumed. The best option for eating before bed would be cottage cheese (low fat) in the amount of 200-250 grams. Cottage cheese contains proteins (casein), which will be slowly absorbed throughout the night.

What should you eat after training to gain muscle mass? You need to remember that you should receive more calories than you expend. Nutrition after strength training should comply with the following rules:

• Immediately after training, take BCAA, creatine, glutamine and water.
• After 30 minutes - fast protein 30-40 g.
• After 40 minutes - 60-90 grams of carbohydrates of medium complexity, or 30 grams of complex carbohydrates if you are prone to excess weight.

A full meal should be taken only 2 hours after the end of the workout.

You can read more about proper nutrition for weight gain here.

We are what we eat. Moreover, this rule is unchanged in any conditions. Even regular physical activity will not help you achieve your dream figure if you eat high-calorie, fatty and unhealthy foods before and after training.

To ensure that the energy you spend on sports is not wasted, it is important to improve your nutrition. First of all, those meals that occur immediately before and after classes are important.

Types of sports protein nutrition

For experienced athletes, there is no question about whether to eat after an evening workout. Why? Because every night before bed they take sports shakes.

There are the following types of protein supplements:

1. Protein concentrates, or, as they are popularly called, cocktails. They are a fine powder that can be diluted with water or milk. Accordingly, when diluted with water, the calorie content will be less. But when diluted with milk, the taste is much more pleasant - you get a real tasty milkshake that perfectly satisfies the feeling of hunger. Protein concentrate is absorbed very quickly - within twenty minutes after consumption. The amino acids from the cocktail rush to tired muscles to nourish them with strength. To obtain protein powder, the following natural products are processed and evaporated: whey, eggs, meat, milk, chickpeas, peas, soy. The most popular protein concentrate around the world is whey. It is cheap, has no side effects, and contains a minimum of carbohydrates. This is the best option for both beginners and experienced athletes.
2. Gainers are powders for dilution with water, milk, juice, kefir and for oral use. The difference from a protein mixture is the presence of carbohydrates. And quite a lot: a serving of gainer, as a rule, contains from one hundred to three hundred grams of carbohydrates. Protein is about 15-23 grams. The gainer is used exclusively for mass gain. There is no point in taking it while drying. A large amount of carbohydrates can contribute to the growth of subcutaneous fat. Almost all girls avoid using gainers and opt for regular protein mixtures.
3. Creatine is a concentrate of methyl guanide acetic acid. This substance is also found in small quantities in fish and meat. Creatine can be a protein drink that can be used to replace dinner. This supplement is also available in capsule form for oral administration. Promotes rapid recovery of muscle tissue after exercise. increases endurance, vitality, improves mood.
4. L-carnitine is an amino acid that promotes weight loss. Often used by athletes during the drying period. Available in the form of a sweet drink (contains a sweetener), which can replace dinner or breakfast. Carnitine is able to accelerate metabolism - as a result, subcutaneous fat leaves the athlete’s body faster. Regular consumption of carnitine allows you to achieve a sculpted, muscular body without a hint of fat folds.
5. Amino acid complexes, often called simply “amino acids,” are a supplement that optimizes metabolic processes so that all the substances used by the athlete are absorbed by the body correctly and efficiently - they go to build muscle mass, and not to fat depots. Produced in the form of a sweet cocktail or in tablet form. You can take them separately from meals, or as a dietary supplement.
6. Nutritious protein bars are a real treat for athletes. They can replace either breakfast or dinner. they taste far from ordinary chocolate. In their production, muesli, nuts, protein nougat, sweetener, seeds, and honey are used. The total calorie content of 100 grams of such bars is about 400 kcal. That's quite a lot. But if you really want something sweet, you can afford one bar. You can eat it immediately after training to close the so-called “carbohydrate window”, when the body needs a portion of carbohydrates and protein.

Is dinner necessary and why?

In general, no matter what time the workout takes place, after it you always need to eat in order to replenish the expended energy reserves (namely, after one hour of intense training, about 400 kcal or 70% protein and 30% carbohydrates are spent). If you think that by not having dinner you will lose even more weight, then you are very mistaken. The body will regard the absence of dinner as a stressful situation, starvation, and will begin to actively store food, forming fat deposits.

In addition, after training, the body always needs muscle recovery. The thing is that during strong physical exertion, connective tissue ruptures, so-called muscle microtraumas. After some time, the tissues are restored and increase in volume, and the body itself becomes pumped up, sculpted and beautiful. So, in order for muscles to quickly recover, protein and carbohydrates are required, and, accordingly, a not very fatty and not very dense snack.

Sports nutrition for dinner: which one to choose?

Protein shakes are an ideal choice to replace a heavy dinner. One serving, as a rule, contains from 20 to 25 g of pure, easily digestible protein, 1-2 g of fat, 3-15 g of carbohydrates. During the drying period, you should choose a protein mixture with a minimum carbohydrate content.

1. Even during the period of mass gain, you should not eat a gainer for dinner. It is better to opt for a casein protein shake - it is absorbed slowly and will feed your muscles with protein throughout the night. Thanks to this action, it is possible to avoid morning catabolism, in which muscle fibers begin to break down due to a lack of proteins and amino acids.
2. During weight loss, the best choice for post-workout dinner is an amino acid drink. It will restore strength, nourish muscle tissue, and help you fall asleep soundly and quickly. If it is not possible to buy a bottle of such a drink after each workout, you can skip dinner altogether. When losing weight, people usually do not try to maintain muscle tissue, so there is no need for high doses of protein.
3. During the drying period before the beach season or competitions, you should opt for regular protein concentrate. If possible, you should try casein protein. You can safely combine a protein shake with amino acids: such a mixture will only bring benefits. You can combine sports cocktails with homemade protein smoothies made from kefir, cottage cheese, and berries.

How long after training can you eat if you want to lose weight?

To lose weight quickly and painlessly, you need to know not only what to eat after exercise, but also how long after exercise.

There are 2 options for eating when losing weight:

1. Within half an hour after sports activities. This method is suitable for those who want to not only lose extra pounds, but also build muscle mass. For muscle growth, it is recommended to eat within 30 minutes after training in the gym;
2. 2 hours after class. This approach is ideal for those for whom muscle mass is not that important. If you drink only water for 2 hours after exercise, you can lose weight very quickly.