Putting in a lot of time and effort at the gym but not seeing any progress?
Wait, you’re probably feeding your body the improper nutrients, which are slowing down your recovery after exercise and diminishing your workout benefits.
In this post, I’ll go through the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout, and why you should stop doing so immediately to improve your health and fitness.
Here are the 12 Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout.;
1. Energy Bar
Energy bars, which include a fair bit of protein, are a somewhat decent choice for a midday munch. However, they are low in natural sugars and heavy in artificial sugars and saturated fat, making them a high-calorie, unhealthy alternative.
Hydrogenated and partly hydrogenated oils, which are often added to bars, are bad for our health in the long term.
On the other hand, if you must eat an energy bar, I advise you to manufacture a healthy version at home and eat it whenever you want.
2. Caffeine
One of the finest vitamins you can take before a strenuous exercise is coffee. However, this does not apply after an exercise.
Because after a workout, our bodies want protein and carbohydrates for muscle repair, but not an energy boost.
Caffeine late at night might keep you up, whether you plan on exercising exercise or not.
Caffeine may be appropriate before a strenuous exercise, but caffeine is the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout.
3. Sports Drinks
Carbohydrates and electrolytes, minerals like potassium, calcium, and salt, included in sports beverages aid in long-term exercise by keeping the body’s fluid balance in check.
In lieu of water, athletes typically consume sports drinks, which may contribute to harmful weight gain due to their high sugar and calorie content. Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout consume sports drinks.
You should fuel yourself on some good food before hitting the gym and make sure to drink plenty of water while you’re doing it.
4. Spicy Foods
Spicy dishes include high concentrations of irritating hot spices like chili peppers and cayenne.
Spicy meals are the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout when our bodies have depleted their glycogen stores from exertion. If you like spicy cuisine, avoid eating it before or after a workout.
5. High Fatty-Foods
We need readily digested nutrients to restore our glycogen storage and kick off the healing process after an exercise. So, once again, the ideal mix is protein and carbohydrates.
Consuming a lot of fat is the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout since fat is a nutrient that the body has no need for and it takes longer for the body to break down. You won’t see the benefits of your workouts right away, and you could even put on weight.
6. Processed Foods
Refined carbohydrates, sugar, salt, and bad fat are abundant in processed meals. Because of this, it is not only the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout but also for your total food plan.
Long-term overconsumption of these foods has been linked to metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Thus, it is advisable to restrain your taste buds from indulging in such processed meals.
7. Fried Foods
Regular foods become higher in calories and may lose some or all of their nutritional value when fried. In addition, the harmful fats included in fried meals have been linked to an increased risk of hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and other cardiovascular conditions.
There’s no use in eating fried food just after a hard workout. To get the most out of our workouts, our bodies require wholesome fuel this time, thus we should space out our fried meals.
8. Eating Nothing
Some novices make a huge error by not eating after a workout, which is one of the most important steps in the process. Most of the energy we put into an exercise routine is consumed by the body itself.
It is optimal to feed the body with nutritious foods right after an exercise so that the body can recover and perform at its highest level.
9. Soda or Beer
An icy cold beverage or beer may be part of your post-workout routine, but they aren’t the healthiest method to rehydrate. After exercise, your body needs water, but White says that sugary drinks and alcohol might actually make you even more dehydrated.
When it comes to nutrition, “soda gives just sugar with no additional value,” as White puts it. This should be the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout.
The ACE also reports that drinking alcohol might hinder post-workout muscle recovery. Furthermore, it may reduce glycogen storage, which might reduce energy levels during your subsequent exercise.
While the occasional beer or soda to celebrate a race’s completion is OK, making it a regular occurrence is not. White recommends coconut water as an alternative hydration option for those who like the taste of the drink. Coconut water is a great source of electrolytes, hydration, and flavor.
10. Processed Protein Bars
Protein is important after an exercise, but some protein bars, says Taub-Dix, include a lot of junk you don’t need.
Many processed protein bars include sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, in addition to the added sugar found in most bars, which might produce an upset stomach, according to Taub-Dix. The Mayo Clinic reports that the use of artificial sweeteners may lead to diarrhea, gas, and bloating in some people. Keep an eye out for the sugar substitutes acesulfame potassium, aspartame, and sucralose on labels.
Taub-Dix recommends that protein bar fans seek a product made with whole grains, nuts and seeds, and dried fruit in order to provide the highest quality and most nutritious product possible. Choose a protein bar that has a lot of protein but not a lot of sugar.
11. Donuts
An early morning runner may be tempted to stop for a couple of donuts on the way home. However, according to Jim White, RD, high-sugar, high-fat meals are among the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout.
Your first goal after a workout should be getting some good food in your stomach so you can hit the gym again soon. The American Council on Exercise recommends eating some high-quality carbs after exercise to restore glycogen levels (ACE). However, fatty meals, such as doughnuts, might impede digestion and hinder the body’s capacity to convert carbohydrates into glycogen.
Instead, White recommends going for low-fat, fast-digesting carbohydrate options. Donuts aren’t the best choice to satisfy a sweet desire after a workout. Instead, try some porridge and a banana (or whatever fruit you prefer). If you have a hectic schedule and don’t have time to make anything to eat after your exercise, overnight oats are a great choice.
12. Fries
While a burger is great after a workout, it’s usually best to skip the fries (though it’s OK to indulge sometimes). Having a deep-fried meal may be rough on the digestive system and can give you stomach cramps. Therefore fries are the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout.
Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RDN, CDN, founder of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table, says that fried foods are high in calories but low in nutrients, so eating them before a workout might make you feel tired instead than energetic.
Foods that take longer to digest might leave you feeling lethargic and unable to rapidly refill energy stores or feel full, according to Taub-Dix.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that eating greasy meals might exacerbate symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux. Indulging in French fries after a workout might make reflux worse for those who are already prone to it.
Taub-Dix suggests substituting a baked potato with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for French fries. The simple carbohydrates in the baked potato will replace your glycogen stores, and the protein in the yogurt and cottage cheese will help you feel full for longer.
Also Read: What You Can and Can’t Eat on a Keto Diet?
