For the past few weeks, I have been experimenting with not eating for a while after workouts. This is something I used to years ago, but I fell out of the habit for whatever reason. Maybe the reason is all the talk about the crucial "post-workout window" for replenishment.
I'm starting to think this window isn't that crucial. For example, this study last year found that reistance training actually reduced hunger within the first hour or so. So if this period is so important for the body to replenish, then why wouldn't the body signal hunger during this time? You would think if this time was so important that people would be ravenous after workouts.
Checking this myself, I've noticed the same thing: my hunger actually goes down after a workout. For example, I lifted this morning about 10 am. I did this workout in an overnight fasted state. I didn't really get hungry until about 1 pm, three hours later.
As far as impact on muscle-building, Martin over at Lean Gains has written about this. He found in his clients that delaying the post-workout meal for several hours has no negative impact. However, Martin does have clients take in branched-chain amino acids after a workout for these cases, so it is not a pure post-workout fast. Nevertheless, it shows that delaying the larger meal has no negative impact.
In my experience, I've actually noticed a negative from eating right after a workout. It seems to trigger strong carb/sugar cravings a bit later on. It's like you are forcing a bunch of food into the body when the body is not hungry, and this negatively impacts blood sugar and creates cravings. It feels much better to let the body "calm down" after a workout (a walk is always nice), and then eat later when there is actual hunger.
For the past few weeks, I have been experimenting with not eating for a while after workouts. This is something I used to years ago, but I fell out of the habit for whatever reason. Maybe the reason is all the talk about the crucial "post-workout window" for replenishment.
I'm starting to think this window isn't that crucial. For example, this study last year found that reistance training actually reduced hunger within the first hour or so. So if this period is so important for the body to replenish, then why wouldn't the body signal hunger during this time? You would think if this time was so important that people would be ravenous after workouts.
Checking this myself, I've noticed the same thing: my hunger actually goes down after a workout. For example, I lifted this morning about 10 am. I did this workout in an overnight fasted state. I didn't really get hungry until about 1 pm, three hours later.
As far as impact on muscle-building, Martin over at Lean Gains has written about this. He found in his clients that delaying the post-workout meal for several hours has no negative impact. However, Martin does have clients take in branched-chain amino acids after a workout for these cases, so it is not a pure post-workout fast. Nevertheless, it shows that delaying the larger meal has no negative impact.
In my experience, I've actually noticed a negative from eating right after a workout. It seems to trigger strong carb/sugar cravings a bit later on. It's like you are forcing a bunch of food into the body when the body is not hungry, and this negatively impacts blood sugar and creates cravings. It feels much better to let the body "calm down" after a workout (a walk is always nice), and then eat later when there is actual hunger.