You Are What You Eat After Exercise

Credit: realSMILEY

You know the saying “You are what you eat?” Well, it rings true for everyday eats—and even more so for post-workout noshes, new research suggests. A recent study out of the Journal of Applied Physiology found that eating a lower-carb meal after exercising enhanced the body’s insulin sensitivity, thereby making it easier for the ol’ bod to move sugar from the bloodstream into tissues like muscles. (Insulin resistance is a hallmark of Type II diabetes and a general sign of poor health.)

Researchers also found that it didn’t matter how many calories the meal included, so after a workout, you can eat according to your hunger not the science. Now, of course, for you endurance athletes, you’ll want to keep carb loading up for energy-filled and performance-based workouts, but for the pre-diabetics out there, reduce those carbs to start reaping the benefits!

The moral of this story? Your post-workout meal matters!

—Jenn