For fans of various kinds of training (be it strength training or fitness) there are a whole lot of questions about proper nutrition before and after sports or other physical activity. If you are a fitness buff or a bodybuilder, you must have heard about the mysterious "carb window" at least half of your ear. Today estet-portal.com will tell you what such a window is, why it is called a carbohydrate window, and also how it contributes to weight loss after intense physical exertion.
When does the carbohydrate window open after a workout?
The phrase "carbohydrate window" used to indicate the time and state of the human body in the first 30 & ndash; 40 minutes immediately after physical activity (running, hard physical labor, training & nbsp; etc.) of high intensity.
With sufficient intensity of physical activity, the process of producing hormones that regulate metabolism is launched so that the transferred load does not harm the body – it is they who cause a surge of vivacity and sports passion. What are these hormones?
- Adrenaline that:
- promotes increased oxygen uptake by tissues;
- increases blood glucose levels by mobilizing glycogen in the liver;
- increases blood flow in the liver.
- Cortisol, which:
- encourages the synthesis of glucose and its release into the blood;
- suppresses the consumption of glucose in the muscles;
- stimulates protein synthesis;
- accelerates the digestion of carbohydrates and proteins.
What should I eat during my carb window?
If you ignore the carbohydrate window after a workout, stress hormones will not allow the body to burn fat for a long time. To neutralize stress hormones, the hormone insulin is needed, the level of which rises after the consumption of carbohydrates, and "slow" ones.
Also, do not forget that during high-intensity exercise, muscle glycogen is destroyed, so replenishing its reserves is necessary to prevent long-term destruction of muscle tissue.
Because carbohydrates are absorbed 3-4 times faster after exercise than at rest, "fast" The body also needs carbohydrates. However, the body also needs proteins, since the main building material is needed to restore destroyed muscle tissue.
Here's what you can eat after your workout:
- milk and honey;
- natural yoghurt (with fruit or honey);
- nuts with freshly squeezed fruit juice, etc.
Such a protein-carbohydrate food will help produce a small amount of insulin, normalize metabolism and replenish lost energy. Otherwise, the burning of muscle tissue will subsequently lead to the accumulation of fat.
Experimenting with eating during the carb window
The University of Austin decided to find out how eating or not eating during the carbohydrate window affects the state of the body. For the experiment, the participants were divided into 4 groups and after training:
- Group 1 was given water;
- 2nd group – simple carbohydrates (in the amount of 1.5 g per 1 kg of body weight);
- 3rd group – protein shake (in the amount of 1.38 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight);
- 4th group – protein-carbohydrate shake (water; 0.41 g of protein; 1.06 g of simple carbohydrates per 1 kg of body weight).
After testing the blood of volunteers, it turned out that the 4th group of volunteers had the highest level of growth hormone, which is responsible for the growth of muscle tissue, among all groups of participants. This is explained by the fact that proteins are used to restore and grow muscle tissue, and carbohydrates – to increase the level of insulin in the blood and accelerate the absorption of absorbed proteins. This is why post-workout carbohydrates (in reasonable amounts) are not stored as fat.
Intense physical activity – always stress for the body, as a result of which changes in the hormonal background, metabolism are observed. In addition, such stress leads to the destruction of muscle fibers. Therefore, training – only the beginning of changes in the body, which as a result will help to achieve the desired result and make the figure more beautiful, and the body – hardier.
Add a comment