Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Nutrition After Crossfit


Chris Conley

Recommended Posts

Just wondering what you guys and gals put in the tank after having the bags smoked? After yesterdays WOD it go me thinking. Today I had a banana, orange, 40 oz of water and 2 handfuls of peanuts. I have read somewhere that it's good to eat 30 minutes after.

Chris C.

Edited by Chris Conley
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm normally working out in the evening, so I end up having dinner after my workout. Depending on what I've eaten that day, it ends up being a 3-5 Zone block meal (3-5 ozs protein, basically a bunch of green veggies, and some good fats). If I workout earlier in the day, I'll have a Zone balanced snack (1-2 blocks) after working out - probably 30 minutes or so afterward, once I feel like eating. If I don't eat anything, I end up dead on my feet a couple hours later, as I run out of fuel - eating something afterward helps restore the glycogen that you burned up during the workout...

I find I don't need that post workout food if it was a heavy day - that is, not a metabolically taxing workout. I don't crash hard later after a strength day. But, the body could still use the lean protein after that workout, too, so... ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chris,

Try repositioning about half of your daily carb intake to your PWO (Post Work Out) meal. That should take care of any energy crashes you have almost immediately.

As far as performance gains and fat loss - there isn't much that beats the zone. CrossFit + Zone = amazingly fast burn off of body fat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No fat to burn. My last test in November was right around 10-11%. I guess I could stand to lose a little more. I'll check out the zone and eat half my carbs shortly after. Now I have to start counting carbs. This should be new....

Chris C.

Edited by Chris Conley
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No fat to burn. My last test in November was right around 10-11%. I guess I could stand to lose a little more. I'll check out the zone and eat half my carbs shortly after. Now I have to start counting carbs. This should be new....

What I would recommend, is strict zone for the first 2 - 4 weeks and see how you feel. If you end up losing too much fat to where your performance starts to suffer, start going 2x (or more) in fat until you see your performance start to level off and increase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No fat to burn. My last test in November was right around 10-11%. I guess I could stand to lose a little more. I'll check out the zone and eat half my carbs shortly after. Now I have to start counting carbs. This should be new....

What I would recommend, is strict zone for the first 2 - 4 weeks and see how you feel. If you end up losing too much fat to where your performance starts to suffer, start going 2x (or more) in fat until you see your performance start to level off and increase.

Thanks, I'll try that out.

Chris C.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, what is "zone"?

http://drsears.com/

Its not so much a diet, as a way of easily eating things in proper proportions and the right amounts for your (desired) body size. It encourages lean proteins, and eating green veggies and some fruits instead of grains/breads or starches for your carbs. Unlike a lot of "diets", Zone also encourages appropriate consumption of good fats - monounsaturated stuff, mostly (olive oil, avocados, various nuts, etc).

The best part is - its works. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, what is "zone"?

http://drsears.com/

Its not so much a diet, as a way of easily eating things in proper proportions and the right amounts for your (desired) body size. It encourages lean proteins, and eating green veggies and some fruits instead of grains/breads or starches for your carbs. Unlike a lot of "diets", Zone also encourages appropriate consumption of good fats - monounsaturated stuff, mostly (olive oil, avocados, various nuts, etc).

The best part is - its works. ;)

Thanks for the DR Sears link XRe!

FM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
The first 45 minutes after you workout is the prime time to get energy back into your muscles. Carbs are most important during this time, with a little protein for good measure.

4:1 carbs:protein is what has been getting a lot of talk in the last few years. When I was riding ~100-125 miles/wk, I swore by Endurox R4 after a ride.

Edited by BigDave
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
Just wondering what you guys and gals put in the tank after having the bags smoked? After yesterdays WOD it go me thinking. Today I had a banana, orange, 40 oz of water and 2 handfuls of peanuts. I have read somewhere that it's good to eat 30 minutes after.

Chris C.

a quart of 1% lowfat chocolate milk. I have more trouble putting LBM on than taking weight off, and this has worked remarkably well. I was really underweight for a couple of years after working 18 hour days of heavy physical ranch work, and eating around 900 calories a day. In 3 months, I've gained 55 pounds, and my tested bodyfat percentage is at 12%. (of course, I've also upped my daily caloric intake to around 3500 calories per day, and am not working as hard, except for lifting daily, thanks to a career change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You gained 55 pounds in 3 months drinking a quart of lowfat milk a day?

I drank a gallon of full fat milk a day and gained 20 pounds in 3 months at the beginning of last year.

4:1 carbs:protein is what has been getting a lot of talk in the last few years. When I was riding ~100-125 miles/wk, I swore by Endurox R4 after a ride.

80% carb and 20% protein is a great way of ensuring that your insulin resistance sky rockets and stays up there.

Everyone say this with me, high insulin all the time = very bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You gained 55 pounds in 3 months drinking a quart of lowfat milk a day?

Lowfat chocolate milk. He's getting something like 400g of sugar, or 32 TABLESPOONs thereof, in each gallon. ;) I could gain that kind of weight in 3 months with that kind of sugar intake, I think... :D Of course, staying at 12% BF might be a challenge, but...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fitness and Nutrition Professional Answer:

Postworkout, your body starts the repair process almost immediately. If you have been consuming protein all day as part of your 4-6 daily "meals", it is less critical, but if you "amino acid pool" is depleted, and its been a while since your last protein meal, you need it NOW. (30-60 minutes post-workout)

Amino acids are the elemental parts of proteins. The body used insulin to drive both glucose and amino acids into the muscle cells, to restore the glucose and glycogen your body burned, and to start the process of repair. It's best to take in a meal that contains both high quality protein (egg, whey, or meal sources) AND simple carbs (sugar) right after your workout. The simple carbs will bump up your blood-sugar levels. The increase in blood sugar induces an insulin release. The insulin forces the muscle cells to absorb the blood sugar, and the amino acids go along for the ride!

If your body's supply of amino acids (proteins) is too low, it will "rob from Peter to pay Paul", and scavenge muscle protein from your untrained muscles to repair the damage. If you don't take sugar with the protein, it will be absorbed less efficiently.

There are two distinct times to supplement protein in your day. Post-workout with simple carbs, and before bed, without. At night, your body does general repair, healing, and rebuilding. But you don't want to go to bed with high blood sugar. The excess sugars will be stored with fats.

Jeff Ward

Director of Education

The National Personal Training Institute, Tampa, FL

www.nptifitness.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
I'm normally working out in the evening, so I end up having dinner after my workout. Depending on what I've eaten that day, it ends up being a 3-5 Zone block meal (3-5 ozs protein, basically a bunch of green veggies, and some good fats). If I workout earlier in the day, I'll have a Zone balanced snack (1-2 blocks) after working out - probably 30 minutes or so afterward, once I feel like eating. If I don't eat anything, I end up dead on my feet a couple hours later, as I run out of fuel - eating something afterward helps restore the glycogen that you burned up during the workout...

I find I don't need that post workout food if it was a heavy day - that is, not a metabolically taxing workout. I don't crash hard later after a strength day. But, the body could still use the lean protein after that workout, too, so... ;)

Found something last week at the local grocery that is working pretty good. MET-Rx Protein Plus bar. 32g of protein, 0 trans fats, 2g of sugar, 310 calories. Normally they are $2.50 a bar but they had them on sale for $1.00 so I cought a bucket full. With the type of workouts that I have been doing this is helping alot. Workout consist of free weight type training with something cardio (running, C2 rower) during the rest period between sets. It's different from Crossfit but a change of pace for the time being while working night shift.

Chris C.

Edited by Chris Conley
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've actually been following a pattern similar to what Jeff describes recently - taking in extra protein an hour before and immediately after working out, and then each night before bed. Post-workout, I take it in OJ to help speed absorption. The extra protein has made a huge difference in my recovery - at least in terms of my perceived soreness. Like, an order of magnitude! I still get sore and tight, but its not bad at all.

I've been trying to avoid bars and such on anything other than match days, and eat real food as much as possible, but I do get the extra protein by way of a lactose free Whey Protein Isolate (no flavor, no sugar, no nothing...). We'll see how it goes longer term, but its an interesting experiment. Still eatin 16 block Zone, otherwise, shorting the carbs a little, and getting a little extra fat to make up for it. Going to do another body comp check here, soon, so... ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...