Nutrition Myths 101: Part 2

Myth 6: You need protein immediately after your workout

This has definitely become more prevalent in recent times with the rise in supplement availability and the hype around protein. You wouldn't be shocked to see someone in the gym whipping out a protein shaker post session, claiming they NEED this immediately after their workout otherwise they won't recover properly.

So is it true? Do you really need to be consuming protein straight after your session to make those fitness gains?

Yes and no. This one is less of a myth and more of an exaggeration.

When you exercise you cause tiny amounts of damage to your muscles. In order to prepare you for your next workout, your body needs to repair this damage. This repair process often makes muscles bigger and more resilient. This is why after a period of time training, you improve and what was once your whole session now your warm-up. Your body has recovered and adapted.

For this repair to happen your body needs protein. Now there is an argument that in the 15-30 minutes post exercise your muscles are more sensitive to protein, which creates an optimal opportunity to consume protein. This is called your anabolic window but it is still pretty controversial, even amongst scientists.

So you're probably thinking, what happens if I can't get access to protein in those 15-30 minutes after my workout? Do I lose all my fitness gains? Do I not recover?

The simple answer is no, but let's take a closer look.

1. It depends on the type of workout

If you've just completed a really high-intensity workout, a session lasting longer than 90 minutes or a tough strength workout then yes, you should prioritise your post-workout protein. However, if it's been a shorter, low intensity session then you don't need to worry quite as much.

People often think protein is more important after a strength workout. However, even when trying to build muscle, only a small amount of protein is needed to start the recovery process. So getting a small post-workout snack (around 0.25g/kg) is all thats needed. For someone who weighs 70kg thats 17g protein.

Your body can only deal with a certain amount of protein at one time, so overloading for maximal gains may result in the excess being stored as fat.

2. Carbohydrates are important too

Secondly, you shouldn't forget about carbs. After a tough workout, getting a combination of protein and carbs is essential for recovery. People over estimate the role of protein and demonise carbs. Post workout, you should aim for a ratio of around 3:1 or 4:1 carbs to protein. Yes, you read that right! That's 3 or 4 times the amount of carbs to protein. Your body only needs a little bit of protein to kick start the recovery process and then carbs do the rest of the work.

For example, a low fat chocolate milk will provide a good ratio of carbs and protein (depending on the brand). It also contains fat which helps slow down digestion.

The bottom line...

The evidence tells us that your total daily protein intake is what matters the most. So, making sure you consume regular servings of protein spread throughout the day is more important than hitting your anabolic window. Optimal amounts will vary for the individual but will normally fall between 1.4g/kg and 2.0g/kg depending on your size, sport and goals.

So in an ideal world you would manage to get some protein and carbs in post-workout but don't freak out if your not chewing on chicken the minute you put down the barbell. Just aim to get a good quality source of protein in in the next few hours and you'll be grand.

Myth 7: Lifting weights will make you bulky

This is for anyone out there who is worried that going to the gym to lift weights is going to make them look like Dwayne Johnson. Spoiler alert: It's not going to happen.

Many people, especially women, seem to think that by lifting heavy weights they will start gaining loads of unwanted muscle mass and end up with a figure that is viewed as undesirable. So as to avoid this bulky figure they stay lifting light weights to "tone up".

The reality is that both men and women should be lifting heavy weights. You should be doing it with proper form and supporting your work in the gym with proper nutrition too but let's focus on the weights for just now.

Side note: the term bulky is also completely subjective. What one woman thinks is undesirable, another may find perfect. So, while it's impossible to define it exactly, it is generally a body type considered undesirable and too muscular.

Why you won't bulk up by accident

The truth is women will not gain muscle like men simply because they do not have the same hormones. Guys, you have much more testosterone which allows you to gain muscle a lot more easily than females. Ladies, you have less testosterone which is great because it allows you to gain muscle without looking bulky but it also means you can't lose fat as easily as men. I know it's not fair, but unfortunately there's very little you can do to change it.

There are also a lot of factors that contribute to muscle gain.

Women will all respond differently to training. Depending on your previous training history, genetics, body shape, the type of training you do and how often you do it.

Similarly, this 'bulky' look often comes from consuming more calories than required as well. Those looking to gain muscle will often eat in a surplus (whilst still lifting heavy weights) to gain muscle mass. Put simply, if you consume more calories than you expend, you will gain weight and get 'bigger'. Nutrition plays a key role here so don't underestimate it. But when it comes to weight training there's nothing wrong with lifting heavy.

The end result is: Weight training will only do one thing reliably, and that is make you strong.

You need to be strong to be lean, and to do this you should be incorporating weight training as well as good nutrition habits. So, don't believe the hype and go get strong!

Myth 8: To burn fat, you need to exercise on an empty stomach.

Let's get this straight, you don't NEED to do anything. Fat loss can be achieved in multiple ways, so if this isn't the method for you then please don't stress.

But if you are interested in learning a bit more about fasted cardio and the potential benefits then, keep scrolling.

Firstly, fasted cardio is different to exercising on an empty stomach. Many people often use the terms interchangeably and this can lead to confusion.

So what is fasted cardio?

Fasted cardio is cardio in a fasted state. Being fasted is a state your body enters once you've fully digested a meal and insulin levels return to a low or baseline level. How long insulin levels take to drop will vary depending on the composition of the meal and how big it was. Now this is different to having an empty stomach...

After you finish eating, you might begin to feel empty after an hour or so. Feeling 'empty' rarely means you are in a fasted state. A.ka. your body hasn't fully digested the meal and your insulin levels haven't returned to baseline. This often takes an extra few hours.

Doing cardio when your insulin levels are still raised is "fed cardio", doing cardio when your body has fully digested the food in your stomach and insulin levels are low is "fasted cardio".

Fasted cardio is a double edged sword

Evidence suggests exercising fasted increases lipolysis and fat oxidation rates.

This makes sense because as we know from myth 1, our body likes carbohydrates as fuel and when they aren't available we utilise fat as an energy source - this is lipolysis. Fat oxidation is the burning of this energy by cells.

This shows us that when we exercise fasted, our bodies are able to use fat more effectively for energy. But remember fat burning does not equal fat loss.

The laws of thermodynamics will always prevail.

No matter how much fasted cardio you do (and how much fat burning that promotes) if you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight.

What about the other edge of this sword? What's the downside?

Well, fasted cardio results in increased rates of muscle breakdown. While it might not be disastrous, it's certainly not ideal. Especially when you consider how hard it can be to build muscle in the first place.

Losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time is not impossible but it's definitely not optimal. To maximise fat loss and minimise muscle loss you should focus on these four things:

1. Maintain a moderate calorie deficit

2. Focus on getting enough protein in your diet

3. Incorporate resistance training 3-5 times per week

4. Get at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night

These will help keep you feeling full and aid in recovery.

The other downside to fasted cardio is that your workout quality and intensity may suffer. People often report feeling lethargic without eating and this isn't what you want when you're looking for optimal performance. So, consider what the purpose of the session is and whether fasted cardio is essential.

They key things to consider are:

• If fasted cardio is for you then make sure you are actually fasted and not just exercising on an empty stomach. An easy way to do this is exercise first thing in the morning before eating.

• Understand that there is a trade-off between optimal performance and fat burning in a fasted state.

• Being in an energy deficit is the most important thing for fat loss so if you love breakfast and feel better having eaten it then just eat it.

Rodriguez NR, Di Marco NM, Langley S. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):709-731. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e31890eb86

Pitkanen HT, Nykanen T, Knuutinen J, et al. Free amino acid pool and muscle protein balance after resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003;35(5):784-792. doi:10.1249/01.MSS.0000064934.51751.F9