Post and Pre Workout Recovery Meals to Gain muscle after 40
As you probably know, the food and nutrients that you consume are fundamental aspects of gaining muscle, especially when you are over 40 years of age.
If you want to build strength and increase muscle size, it is essential that you eat correctly and in the right time slots before and after a workout. This is because your body demands suitable types of fuel to recover, grow and feed your muscles. While many men over 40 have a good diet, they don`t understand the importance of timing and post and pre-workout meals.
Science shows that the time you consume the nutrition following a workout is significant, especially when you want to gain muscle. Additionally, the importance of timing is increased for men over the age of 40, as the process of muscle building is more demanding than for younger men.
Nutrient timing
The timing of your post and pre-workout meals is something that all men over 40 years of age need to take note of if they want to maximize their muscle-building gains. There are now several scientific studies that demonstrate this factor in recovery and muscle building.
As a general rule, there is a window of two to three hours on either side of a workout. While the old saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day is undoubtedly partly true, it is not accurate for those looking to build muscle. The two meals on either side of the workout are the most important meals of the day.
You need to build your day around these two meals to maximize your time in the gym. If you lift weights but fail to take advantage of your pre and post-workout meals, you will do a disservice and slowly progress.
The following few paragraphs will focus on what to eat during these two critical mealtimes.
Pre-workout meal
As I stated above, your pre-workout meal should be eaten about two to three hours before your workout. This is important to remember to ensure your body is primed (in an anabolic state) and you have enough energy to give a maximum effort in the gym.
There are several significant food choices regarding the foods you need to eat. Most of them won’t be a big surprise if you know anything about muscle building. However, they should not be overlooked.
Firstly, you need to have a lean source of protein as a significant aspect of the pre-workout meal. A good choice of lean protein would be chicken breast or a piece of fish. Ensure that this source of protein is low in saturated fat. It would help if you had enough protein to ensure that your body is an anabolic state, reducing muscle breakdown and raising your testosterone level.
You should aim for about 30-40 grams of high-quality whey protein as part of your pre-workout meal. If you want to consume a protein shake, you can do so. If you take this route, drink whey protein, as this is the highest-grade protein source. Whey`s protein is very high in BCAA`s, which will help to prevent muscle catabolism as you lift weights or work out.
You also need to include a source of slow-digesting carbohydrates such as yams or beans. You can also eat whole-wheat bread, rice, or red potatoes. The key is to have a source of slow-digesting carbohydrates, so feel free to use another substitute that you enjoy.
Including a fibrous carbohydrate such as a salad in your pre-workout meal is essential. Salads work very well to keep blood vessels dilated and help blood and oxygen flow into your muscles.
Keep in mind that a pre-workout meal should not be too large so that you don`t feel sick during the workout. The exact amount of food will be down to your current weight and muscle-building needs.
Remember that the purpose of the pre-workout meal is to ensure that you`re primed for a strength workout and provide you with a steady source of energy to get you through the muscle-building activities.
Post-workout meal
It would help if you tried to consume your post-work meal about an hour after exercise. Your post-workout meal should be rich in protein and carbohydrates and fat-free. This is because fat can slow down the absorption rate of the protein and carbs into your stomach (i.e., the digestion).
It would help if you thought of your post-workout meal as a protein and carbohydrates delivery system to your depleted muscles. As such, they need that delivery as quickly as possible. This is why it is best to consume it as soon as possible. As your muscles are depleted and require a large amount of protein and carbohydrates, your muscles are primed for nutrient uptake.
Many people refer to this time as the window of opportunity. Over time, the window reduces, and you will miss it entirely if you don`t plan for the post-workout meal. If you wait long to eat, glycogen replenishment and protein repair will be negated. Those over 40 years of age need to pay special attention to this post-workout window. It will make the difference between fast and slow recovery times.
Many people find consuming a big meal with a post-workout meal challenging. It is certainly possible to finish a liquid feed, which is much easier to consume and can be taken anywhere with you. Meal replacements and protein shakes are straightforward to drink and taste good these days. In addition, they provide you with all the nutrients that your body demands following a workout.
With a liquid meal, your digestive system will be able to quickly process the nutrients, which is better for rapidly delivering nutrients to your muscles. Another benefit of the liquid metal is that it will be digested and fully absorbed in thirty to sixty minutes, giving your muscles nourishment.
A meal made from solid foods will take two to three hours for the nutrients to reach the muscles. Remember that the faster the protein and carbohydrates get to the muscles, the more your muscles will recover and build muscle. Besides this, recent studies show that people who receive nutrients within an hour after exercise recover more quickly than those who receive nutrients three hours after training.
Always include protein in your meals.
You need to ensure that protein is included with pre-workout and post-workout meals. Even if you only have a little time to prepare a meal, ensure that you have a protein source (such as eggs, a sandwich with lean meat, or a protein bar).
This is the most crucial ingredient if you want to gain muscle and increase your recovery times. There are some reasons for this.
Protein is used by the body to build and repair muscle. Protein is the only nutrient that is directly able to build muscle. Protein consists of amino acids linked together in chains. As your goal is to build muscle, you need protein to build and repair muscles, a critical factor in your diet. It is also essential that suitable proteins are consumed at the proper times, as was indicated earlier.
Protein is also the least likely food group to be converted to body fat, which is a critical consideration for those wanting to build an incredible physique. Protein helps promote fat loss because it has been shown to increase our metabolism more than any other macronutrient.
Besides repairing and promoting muscle growth, proteins are required to structure, function, and regulate the body`s cells, tissues, and organs; each protein has unique parts. Examples are hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
Proteins perform essential roles for the cell functions within your body and serve as building blocks. Protein is a crucial component of every cell in the body. For example, hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
Your protein requirements will be 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight as a rough estimate. To get this figure, take your weight (in pounds) and divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms, and then multiply by 1.2 to get your protein needs.
Summary
The post and pre-workout recovery meals are hugely important for those over forty. The most crucial factor in both meals is protein. Remember that protein helps to maximize the gains from each workout. Without the right amount of protein, you might lose out on any progress you could otherwise have had.
By making your pre and post-workout meals a permanent fixture in your routine, you will see strength and muscle gains much faster than you currently experience.