This will be a short and simple review of an article published at ‘verywellfit.com,’ a website that claim to be “an award-winning resource for reliable and up-to-date information on all nutrition and exercise topics.” Yeah, sure.
The article in question is called “Should I Eat Carbs After My Workout?” and is written by Sarah Garone, a freelance “health and wellness” writer who runs a food blog. Wow, such credentials. Well, I’ve worked roughly 30 years professionally with people from all walks of life, which of at least 20 years was focused on professional elite-level athletes within most sports and especially fitness-, bodybuilding-, and strength-oriented sports. During this time, I’ve been editor-in-chief for several magazines, I have more than 600 published articles and an additional 1000+ self-published. I also wasted 17 years on medical studies, supplement development, and other ‘accepted’ pseudo-sciences. I learned the truth in 2018, and with all my previous experience and expertise in what the establishment call “accepted science,” I’m an expert on their bullshit.
So, let’s see what you got Sarah.
She begins with saying that, “if you’ve performed a light workout, like a quick walk or lunch break stretching session, you probably don’t need to refuel with carbohydrates afterward.” Wow, really? And with such a revelation begs the question why you would ever need to “refuel” with ‘carbohydrates.’ Let’s see what she comes up with.
Then she adds, “but if your exercise has been more vigorous, it has likely used up your stores of glycogen—the body’s preferred energy source for high-intensity activity.”
Yes, somewhat ‘intense’ exercise will rely on muscle glycogen, something your body should easily be able to produce and keep up via glyconeogenesis, unless you’ve wrecked your body by consuming carbohydrates on a daily basis, then you might tank out and recovery might be slower during exercise, but that’s your own fault for not eating according to your physiology.
Now, glyconeogenesis is the formation of glycogen in the liver from amino acids, fatty acids, and lactic acid. This energy production is pretty much unlimited in a healthy human. So, why the heck would you need to “refuel” after exercise? Because you feel tired and weak? That is from taxing the nervous system, from accumulating metabolic waste products, and from muscle damage. It has nothing to do with available energy, such as glycogen – or allegedly depleting it (you can’t.) This is simple physiology. If you say you need carbohydrates, you are in the territory of pseudo-science, the fitness bro-science.
So, this should pretty much be the end of it. But let’s see what she goes on about next, just for a laugh.
“When glycogen has been depleted in the muscles, it leads to a breakdown of muscle tissue. To help the body recover and rebuild, eating carbohydrates is a must. “Carbohydrates post-workout help the body release insulin, which in turn restores the glycogen stores that were just used during your training session,” says dietitian and personal trainer Anthony DiMarino, RD, CPT, of Eat Move Improve.”
Wow, so here she goes on and quote some “Anthony DiMarino” in an appeal to authority. Perhaps she does not feel qualified to voice her own opinion or have the courage to stand behind her own words. Smart move, as you and the clown you are quoting are both wrong as fuck! Now you can blame him for your ignorance.
Muscle tissue does not start to break down when glycogen is depleted. It never really gets depleted, because of gluconeogenesis. It might get close to depleted during hard efforts, but as soon as you rest a few seconds, it’s building up again (not to be confused with ATP, which is required for extreme explosive efforts and are rebuilt even faster.) Muscle tissue break down from being used, as when you exercise, so it can adapt and become stronger and more efficient, so it can handle the same stress better next time. And carbohydrates are not a “must” for recovery or rebuilding anything. That is just pure nonsense.
Your body release insulin when you consume carbohydrates because all kinds of carbohydrates break down to glucose, and glucose is extremely toxic and will kill you unless it’s tightly moderated, which your body does by releasing insulin so it can quickly be dealt with by being shuttled into muscle cells, fat cells, and even your organs. This is NOT a good thing; this is done out of survival. We are meant to consume fat for energy and our bodies produce the precise amount of glucose and glycogen needed without the need to release extra insulin. And insulin is needed for the utilization of protein, and that is why our body also release some extra insulin when we consume protein. However, if you insist on consuming carbohydrates all the time, you will become desensitized to insulin as in pre-diabetic (and by damaging your body.) And that will really screw you over when it comes to protein utilization and muscle repair in the long run.
And again, you do not need to restore any “glycogen stores” after exercise.
While carbohydrates, due to the extreme release of insulin, might give you an immediate advantage in building muscle mass, it is only for a short time, as you will quickly become pre-diabetic without realizing it, and that will shut down your protein utilization – and you will get really good at building your body fat instead of muscle mass. So, if you’re a professional bodybuilder who need a ton of food to sustain your weight and gain muscle, you might need some carbohydrates to keep it up, but in that case, they should be cycled, and you should have days completely without carbohydrates so you enter ketosis and your body can keep its natural state of fat adaptation, giving you unlimited energy.
Also, as I’ve said before, you should use fasting to help remedy some of the damage you do to your body, or you will cut decades of your life span.
For anyone else, even those with a fair amount of muscle mass, you should never consume carbohydrates. All you need is our natural species-specific diet of fully bioavailable animal-based foods.
As I’ve explained multiple times, elevated levels of blood glucose, which happens every time you consume carbohydrates, will damage your artery walls, your organs, will deplete you of B-vitamins, and cause a multiple of “modern diseases.” I have an extensive list with full physiological explanations in a separate booklet for my clients on this.
At this stage, I see no point in continuing with Sarah’s article, as we covered pretty much everything already, and she is obviously out of her depth.
As for post-workout nutrition, if your goal is to build muscle and/or get stronger, all you need is a well-balanced meal of animal protein and fats within an hour or two after your exercise session. Normally, I would recommend close to a 1:1 ratio of protein and fat as measured in grams. However, for those trying to build their physique, I would gravitate towards 1.1 to 1.2 ratio in favor or protein over fats. That is still within limits to guarantee a good overall balance and avoid some problems that can manifest on a too skewed protein to fat ratio.
Also, as for pre-workout nutrition, for those really wanting to build muscle mass, all you need is some protein and a little fat within the hour before your workout. Two whole eggs and two additional egg whites will suffice. Or simply some whey protein and some raw milk, cream, or a spoon of butter. Keep it simple. As long as you get the nutrition you need, gaining muscle is all about what you do in the gym.
Also, coaching is available here if interested: