Was my workout a waste if I didn't have protein right after?

[Anonymous]

I had eggs before but I didn't have my chicken till about 4-5 hours after.

[Octavius]

People rely too much on just loading on protein directly after or before a workout. You should consistently eat large amounts of protein (along with every other essential nutrients including FATS) throughout the day that will make the bigger difference. Yes it's helpful to have protein within 15 minutes after a workout but it's not that big of a difference and it certainly didn't make your workout a waste.

[WhiteSteve]

Not a waste, but definitely shoot to eat or at least drink a protein shake within an hour of completing your workout👍

[Southern_Shorty]

Can I ask why? I am not sure of the benefits of this. I am not the one who works out to prepare for some major athletic event. I go typically to get fit. I don't do anything crazy like while working out, but I'll eat like a Greek yogurt when I get home. I understand protein helps repair muscles, correct? What else should I know.

[Whocares3014]

@Southern_Shorty this topic is contested fairly regularly in the fitness community whether there is a window you should have a meal in after a workout or not... the evidence is leaning towards it doesn't particularly matter in most cases especially for general fitness but it never hurts to do it if you have ability too...

There are studies that show it either way but the studies in favor do not produce end-all be-all results to put the topic to bed and neither do the studies against

[WhiteSteve]

@Southern_Shorty Well, as @Whocares3014 said, it's a contested topic. Without getting too science-y, it basically involves whether or not your body absorbs and processes nutrients more efficiently in that post-workout window. Whether it is or not, it won't kill you to not eat right afterwards, but many think it's best to. Mostly focus on what you do overall in a day, it's just about what's optimal if you're a nerd about it like some of us are, haha. Eating enough is actually what I struggle with in terms of muscle building, both in terms of appetite and simply not having time to stop throughout my work day to eat, so that's something I'm about to really focus on. I'm not a nutritionist or anything so I don't know all the ins and outs, it's actually something I've been reading up on a little and want to learn more.

For your purposes of general fitness, you don't have to get too precise, just try to generally eat healthy and eat enough calories and carbohydrates to fuel your workout.

[9mfeo]

No. It takes awhile for a) food to be absorbed by the body and b) for muscles to begin their repair process.

[TheAngryBanana]

no their is at least hour gap either way for when the body will begin to cry out for the nutrients after a good work out to replace the the lost nutrients.

[goretcki]

It doesn't matter when you take nutrition in, it matters that you take in enough

[sp33d]

You don't have a meal right after working out.