Glucose (dextrose) is king of the post-workout carbs

[overlyverbose]

How long is your workout? And how difficult? Are you referring to weight lifting?

My understanding is that anything under an hour doesn’t require special nutrition (including sports drinks, shakes, etc.).

Even when I was training for marathons (including runs for 3-4 hours), I usually stuck to Gu and sports drinks and water during workouts, but nothing special immediately after. Then again, I was mostly training because it was fun - it was the only time I really had to hang out with my friends for any length of time.

[rhubarbarin]

@runner pat

For the average person who works out a half hour, there is no reason.

For a high mileage runner or cyclist or dedicated gym rat or bodybuilder, who seriously deplete their glycogen stores and greatly stress the muscles, the recovery window and the need for quickly absorbed nutrients becomes vital.

Even more so if they’re doing double workouts every day and need to be refueled in less than 8-10 hours.

Glucose and whey protein is absorbed faster than steak and bread.

The OP didn’t specify that he was working out at an insanely high intensity for hours multiple times per day… sounds like he’s addressing the post to anyone who works out.

Certainly it’s faster to prepare and gulp down shakes/supplements vs real food.

Bread certainly is inferior to a glucose supplement (gluten takes a little while to digest). But potatoes? They are nearly pure glucose, and I’d be interested to see a cite.

It’s true that whey powder is some of the most quickly digested and utilized protein there is.

[running_coach]

The OP is a competitive bodybuilder though he does seem to be addressing the population at large.

Potatoes are listed in the mid 50s on the glycemic index.

[ultrafilter]

Anybody who lifts with any serious intensity stands to benefit from adequate periworkout nutrition, including a whey/glucose mix either after the workout, or during it.

[steve226]

I think theres a bit of confusion about sugar metabolism. Theres more than one type of sugar e.g. fructose (fruit), lactose (milk), glucose (grains, vegtables). The only type that is directly absorbed into the muscles and brain is glucose wich is converted to glycogen in the muscles. The other sugars are converted by the liver into glucose at a rate of approx 100g a day. Any excess is converted into fats. This makes glucose the fastest absorbing sugar because no conversion is required.

[Mangosteen]

@Ambivalid

Consider this a bit of a PSA, just because it is such an overlooked and misunderstood aspect of post-workout nutrition (and simply nutrition and the body overall). Most everyone knows, or has heard about the “post-workout protein shake” after a workout. And for most people, this consists of nothing more that protein powder mixed with water. And this is a mistake for those concerned with maximizing the benefits of that workout and getting the most out of their recovery.

A crucial, but often overlooked component to the post-workout shake is carbohydrates, specifically sugar. That’s right-sugar. And not all sugars are created equal. You want glucose, which can only be bought in the form of dextrose, in that shake. This is because glucose is the fastest-absorbed sugar, which gets absorbed into the bloodstream the quickest. And this is important because you want to get an insulin-surge to accompany that protein you are downing. And not all sugars are created equal. The worst of the worst, when it comes to post-workout, is fructose. This is because fructose must pass through the liver before it reaches the bloodstream, making it a slow, thus very poor choice for after workouts. Table sugar, sucrose, is like a middle-of-the-road option. It is basically half fructose, half glucose. So in a pinch, it’s better than nothing.

The insulin surge is needed to take the protein out of your bloodstream and usher it into the muscle cells, where it can begin the recovery and rebuilding process (which is where gains are made). Without the insulin surge, the protein will just remain in the bloodstream, where it will be burned as energy. After a workout is the one time of the day where sugar will not be prone to be stored as body fat.

What about using a post workout protein shake with creatine like ON’s Platinum Hydro Builder? How useful is the creatine?

Featured Supp: Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrobuilder - Muscle & Fitness

[Dr.Strangelove]

@Ambivalid

Corn syrup may have zero fructose, but it is not 100% glucose.

Light corn syrup is almost entirely (90+%) either glucose, or various chains of glucose molecules like maltose or maltotriose.

Maltodextrin, which you mentioned elsewhere, is also just long chains of glucose (but longer on average than corn syrup, so you end up with a solid instead of liquid). All of these are easily cleaved by digestive enzymes and are just glucose as far as the body is concerned.

(I see this is an old thread, but whatever)

[voltaire]

@Dr.Strangelove

(I see this is an old thread, but whatever)

Nice to see an assertion I never realized had been (sort of) contradicted get defended years later in a zombie!

[Dr.Strangelove]

There’s no statute of limitations on pedantry :).

[Wesley_Clark]

Fructose is useful for refilling liver glycogen though. Glucose is better for muscle glycogen but if your liver glycogen gets low, fructose is better.