What To Eat After A Workout To Build Muscle: Best & Worst Foods, Meal Timing & More

Since nutrition plays a critical role in muscle-building and recovery, the foods you eat after a workout can make or break your progress in the gym. So, what is the best thing to eat after a workout? And how much of it should you eat?

Whether you've just wrapped up a cardio, strength training, or high-intensity training session, eating after a workout is critical for muscle protein synthesis (MPS)1—the driving force behind muscle growth.

MPS promotes muscle growth by helping put your body in an anabolic state in which the rate of MPS exceeds the rate of muscle protein breakdown2.

Exercise stimulates both the growth and breakdown of muscle tissue3. Eating after a workout helps fuel your body to build muscle (anabolism) while preventing muscle breakdown (catabolism).

Eating high-quality carbohydrates and healthy protein sources after training is crucial for building muscle. However, the ratio of these macronutrients will vary depending on the type of workout you just performed.

For example, after an endurance (aerobic) workout such as running or cycling, research shows you should aim for a roughly 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio4. This is because cardio workouts expend more energy (calories) but break down less muscle tissue than strength training.

Consuming protein after a workout is essential to support muscle growth and repair.

Among the three BCAAs, leucine plays a significant role in MPS. "Leucine is essential for building muscle and has been referred to as an 'anabolic trigger' because of its ability to switch on MPS," explains Palinski-Wade. "This makes it a crucial component of post-workout protein shakes or meals."

Research indicates that consuming adequate amounts of leucine after a workout (around 2.5 to 3 grams) can significantly enhance MPS and promote muscle growth6. Leucine works best when combined with the other BCAAs, and it also activates mTOR, a pathway that stimulates protein synthesis7.

So, how much protein should you eat to build muscle? "If you're worried about general health, you should be above 100 [grams per day]," Don Layman, Ph.D., a leading protein and amino acid researcher and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, previously told mindbodygreen. However, "If you're an athlete that weighs 200+ pounds, you're probably going to want to be in the 160 [gram] range," he adds.

Per meal, Ben Schermerhorn, CPT, a master personal trainer at Life Time, explains, "Current literature has found that eating 1.6 to 2.2 grams8 of protein for every kilogram of body weight divided over four meals each day best supports muscle building. So aim to consume 24 grams of protein per meal for a 130-pound woman or 32 grams of protein per meal for a 175-pound man at each meal."

There's a misconception in the nutrition and fitness world that you need to eat meat to build muscle, but this is far from true. You can still build muscle and reap the benefits of strength training if you're vegetarian or vegan.

While plant protein has less of an anabolic effect9 than animal protein on average, all plants contain amino acids and are beneficial for muscle growth. Plus, plant protein sources contain other essential nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals, that are excellent for overall health and support muscle growth.

"Vegans and vegetarians can meet protein goals by eating plants alone," says Palinski-Wade. "However, because plants often contain less protein than animal sources, it's important to balance a vegetarian diet to ensure adequate protein is consumed. Beans, legumes, quinoa, nuts, and seeds can all be great plant-based ways to boost protein."

As far as leucine in plant versus animal products is concerned, Layman previously gave this example: "In whey protein, leucine is about 12%, so 23 grams of whey protein isolate will trigger it. Whereas in soy protein isolate, it's about 7.8%, so now you need 33 or 34 grams." This means that plant-based eaters may need to eat more total protein (and more total calories) to reach that all-important leucine threshold for muscle growth.

Besides protein, there are plenty of other nutrients that are important to consume post-workout. For example, carbs can enhance performance10 in both endurance and strength training. Also, the complex carbs in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables provide your body with the energy required to perform during exercise.

Another macronutrient you shouldn't neglect after working out is fat. Healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats increase HDL "good" cholesterol levels, which can increase growth hormone production 11and create more amino acids for building muscle tissue.

Staying hydrated and maintaining electrolyte balance (e.g., sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium) are also important post-workout. Since water makes up approximately 76% of your muscle mass12, it makes sense that you'd need plenty of this fluid for proper muscle function. In addition, when recovering after an intense workout, it's vital to replenish electrolytes for repair and hydration.

For example, electrolytes such as calcium are essential for helping build tissue13. Additionally, sodium helps maintain proper water balance14 inside and outside your body's cells.

For years, research has indicated that you need to eat within your anabolic window15 of 30 to 120 minutes after a workout to optimize muscle growth and repair. However, recent studies16 have concluded that consuming 25 to 30 grams of high-quality protein in meals throughout the day is what's important for building muscle. Therefore, as long as you spread enough daily protein across three or four meals a day, meal timing does not matter as much and you don't have to worry about cramming in food right after a workout.