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I workout 3 time a week doing a split routine, i'm 5ft8, 58kg and 11% body fat. My goals are to increase lean muscle and to bulk up a bit.

I understand about eating enough calories (more than maintenance) and i'm seeing results and a slow steady gain in my weight.

However I would like some advice regarding slow releasing carbs. In a morning i have a shake with oats and whey (390 cals, 22g protein, 38g carbs). On workout days I have some form of carbs before my WO, and after i have a protein shake. Are slow releasing carbs a bad idea straight after a WO? I am wondering whether it would be beneficial to change from a protein only shake post W.O. to one the same as my breakfast one? Just because I'd like to increase my calorie intake on WO days to see if my gains increase, and I think this may be the way to do it.

Can anyone give any advice about eating around workouts in particular post workout?

Anyhelp is much appreciated, Thanks.

When you eat don't go on a binge of eating everything in sight, not unless you are a powerlifter. Bulk diets you would incorporate an extra 500-1000 calories.

Well before lifting I can tell you that is when you want to have fast acting carbs and whey. 60g carbs and 15-25g protein.

Make sure 1/2 - 1 hour before WO.

Thats a good question Kenny and Tim would have input on that.

You should definitely have fast acting carbs after a work-out. After a workout, you are in danger of going into a catabolic state (primarily due to increased cortisol levels). Taking easily digested carbs and protein will stop this by spiking your insulin levels and shifting your body into an absorptive or anabolic state. You don’t want fat or slow releasing carbs at this point as you will miss your window of opportunity.

The carbs will be used immediately to replenish spent glycogen stores (fuel that is stored in your muscle tissue for immediate use during intense work) and the protein will be used to facilitate repair and recovery. Post workout is one of the best and most important times to have a Carb and Protein meal......but try to make it fat free if possible. Whey powder mixed with skim milk is ideal.

Chris, right on, but I tend to disagree w/ the fat free PWO. Definately keep it low, you don't want to slow down digestion, but some fish oil caps or a spoon of flax oil would work well. The omega 3's will definately help with recovery without slowing absorbption down.
Tim

Thats exactly what i wanted to know, thanks a lot!!! so whey and skimmed milk will be my new PWO drink. I also take 2 fish oil caps, and then have a protein and carb meal an hour/two after this, then just before bed I 30g of milk protein concentrate. can you recommend any more fast acting carbs?

Good point Tim! I completely over looked “good fats” such as fish oil and flax seed. I’ve never supplemented with them before, so they aren’t usually on my radar. However, I recently read an article about flax seeds (the seeds themselves and not the oil concentrate) and the seed contains lignans that are structurally similar to estrogen. That is, the lignans (SDG) can actually bind to estrogen receptor cells meaning estrogen itself has no where to bind to and will be flushed away.

This is important due to estrogens role in fat storage and decreasing testosterones positive effects. So, not only could the SDG found in the seeds be beneficial in fat loss but also in increasing testosterone levels and its effects.

Besides the bodybuilding and fat loss implications of supplementing with SDG, it has also been shown that managing estrogen levels can reduce the chance of breast cancer in women as well as temper the unpleasantries of menopause. Yet anther plus.

Not to mention the plethora of other health benefits SDG can do such as boosting the immune system, strengthening heart health, aiding in muscle repair and protection, protecting against several kinds of cancer, etc.

I think I’m going to start supplementing with SDG fortified Flax Seed Oil!

For fast (easily digested) carbs, you can supplement with Maltodextrin.

Or if you want whole foods, you can try fruit like a banana. Just add the banana to your shake and blend it up. Or eat it whole. You can also try raisins.

Some bodybuilders use peanut butter, but that is really high in fat, so be careful with it if you opt for that.

I'd never heard that about the lignans and estrogens. Interesting info. But I don't grind up the seeds either. I usually use either straight fish oil or Udo's choice which is a pretty decent mix of the 3's, 6's, and 9's, divieded with less emphasis on 6's and 9's because they're already avaukl in more abundance than the hard to get 3's.
Tim

Ok cool, i'd prefer to stick to whole foods and a whey shake, so fruits like banana are pretty good.

I used to take a whey powder mix, and make a shake out of it with dry milk powder, water, 6 oz pineapple juice, almonds and some pine fresh pineapple, but yes, you got the idea.
Tim