After you’ve just finished an intense workout you’re body is like a dried out sponge just waiting to soak up some nutrients to replenish itself.
Now is when your body NEEDS to do two things the most…
- Rehydrate
- Recover
Assuming you actually worked hard and sweated in your workout you’ll definitely be needing to rehydrate from all the water you’ve lost. Even becoming just 2% dehydrated will result in a 25% downgrade in performance so the lesson here is to drink, drink drink.
I still remember my nutrition teacher engraining into me to weigh myself before the workout and then after. For every pound of water I lost I should drink 24 oz. of water.
Now that we have water out of the way the next important step is to make sure you’re properly recovering your body with the right fuel sources.
My Post-workout Protein Shake recipe:
- 12 oz. water
- 1 heaping scoop of BioTrust Protein
- 1 serving Athletic Greens
- 5g Glutamine
- 3 leaves of dino kale or collard greens
- 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
Ingredients Breakdown:
Protein. The #1 thing you’re going to want to have in your protein shake post-workout is protein. Most of us already know this but do you know how much you should be taking in?
I recommend for women to take around 20-25g while men should have at least 30g of protein. Don’t go crazy though with shakes that have 50g+ of protein in them. You’ll most likely just end up wasting it because your body can absorb only so much at a time. I like BioTrust because it’s low carb, high quality, tastes good & uses stevia as a sweetener.
Carbs. If you’re a fitness junkie and your body fat is 10% or under you can load up on carbohydrates post-workout as well. But if you’re still trying to lose fat then I’d recommend only getting your carbs from veggies post-workout so that’s why I put in the dino kale/collard greens. Having a quality high speed blender is critical here or else you’re going to have giant chunks of leaves in your shake. No me gusto!
I also put in a serving a Athletic Greens and I use it as my multi-vitamin. It’s packed with probiotics, digestive enzymes, antioxidants and more superfoods. I honestly can’t really taste it when mixed in with this shake, and it’s great to know I’m giving myself an immune boost after working out in a bacteria infested gym.
Glutamine. Aids with recovery as well as boosts your metabolism to burn more fat. Helps to alkalinize the body and can also help to reduce sugar cravings.
Wild Blueberries. One of my favorite antioxidant sources but the main reason I put them into the shake is to make it taste better. Also they’re lower in sugar than other fruits.
Then I use my trusted Vitamix blender to mix them all together. If you don’t have a Vitamix then I’d try to find another high quality blender that can do the job. I pour it all into a Blender Bottle and then I head out to the gym.
I try to drink this within 30 minutes of finishing my workout. It’s not necessary to drink it once you finish your last exercise, but you should try to have it within a reasonable amount of time.
Give this shake a try and let me know what you think of it!
Josh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition Science. He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and he’s a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) by American Council on Exercise. He’s worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the high school and college levels. He has over 15 years of experience as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. He strives to bring inspiration and results for people to live healthier lives through smart diet and exercise.
