Q: I never know how to best feed my body after a workout. A lot of fast acting carbs or more sustained carbs that are stable and don’t spike blood sugar - which is best?

A: Fast acting carbs, like dextrose, ingested directly after a workout does cause a spike of insulin. But insulin isn’t just fat-producing, it’s also highly anabolic, and that’s the caveat. Yes, too much insulin activity around meal time can cause visceral fat to build up and cause a distended belly. However, it’s different after a workout, and you don’t exactly OVERDO/ OVEREAT after workouts. Take in 25 - 35 grams of dextrose or other fast-acting carb post-workout, along with 10 grams of BCAAs and 2-4 grams of glutamine. But keep in mind that there isn’t a lot of carb storage after serious workouts, merely replacement carbs that allow you to process a protein meal after that, and use it for rebuilding what you’ve torn down. They help replenish the glycogen you burn, which is another important point: You are NOT burning all of the glycogen in your muscles, by ANY MEANS, in ONE workout. People think they are “depleted all glycogen” but if you’ve ever gone zero carb for 7 days and trained hard, doing half body workouts every other day, with maybe one day in between off, you don’t know what it is to burn glycogen stores in the body.

If dextrose bloats you, try another simple carb. But stick to that formula. Also, if you work out in the evening, you have already eaten 3 or 4 good meals and probably a pre-workout shake. You don’t need to replenish much. Mostly it’s protein, BCAAs and extra glutamine that is important, with maybe 15-25 grams of carbs to carry it into the muscle.