Are you getting the Most out of your WOD's?

Lately I have been asked by a couple of people about post workout nutrition so I thought that I would share what I think. Most of the science that I go by is based on Loren Cordain, who is the author of The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes, as well as Rob Wolf who is a strength and conditioning coach and was a former research biochemist. I also rely upon trial and error with my own body because after all, we are all different and what works for one person does not necessarily work for all.

According to this article by Wolf, there are different approaches based on what kind of outcome you are looking for:

1. Low or No Carb Post Workout: Good for long term health benefits because it focuses on muscle recovery while limiting the effects of insulin. This is also good for someone who is trying to lean out and for the strength athlete. Although this is a good choice for strength training and most workouts, it is not as beneficial to use after long met-con WOD's when your glycogen, which gives you the GO, needs to be restored.

2. High Carb Post Workout: This is suggested to be used every 5-7 days or especially after a crazy taxing/long WOD. For you zone/paleoers he says use 1/4 of your daily protein blocks and 1/2 of your daily carb blocks post WOD. OPT says that he decides his post workout meal based on how much work he did and body fat.

In my opinion I think that you need to assess your own body, your diet, your goals and what kind of WOD you did. My favorite post workout fuel is Advocare's Muscle Gain, which has 25g protein, 6g carbs and 2g fat and I add a little extra fat. If I do a gruelling WOD I throw in some Post-Workout Recovery which has 12g protein, 38g carbs and 3g fat. They are fast, easy and taste damn good! Another major thing to point out for maximizing your workouts is getting adequate sleep, eating clean and drinking lots of water! If you are not feeling like you are getting the results you want take all of this into consideration and tweak your habits here and there. My bro Jeremy and CrossFit bad-ass swears by eating more FAT! You can also ask me or one of our many well informed crossfit coaches!