Is post workout shake like important? Should I just buy one or can I make my own?

This question was asked by Alan from LA via Ask Questions.

Let me get something out of the way first. If you ever workout with Kate Beckinsale tell her that post-workout smoking makes women “horizontally gifted”. Okay, that was not that funny, on to your question.

As you probably already know, a healthy breakfast is the most important meal of your day. While this premise is still true, assuming all other things being equal, the post-workout feeding is your second most important meal of the day.

There is a range of health and muscle building benefits linked to a proper post-workout nutrition. In the “iron game”, the challenge has always been to maximize protein synthesis.

In other words, you want to shutoff catabolic and turn on anabolic processes in your body. This can be accomplished by consuming a mix of fast-acting carbs and protein.

These special carbohydrates consist of dextrose, maltodexrin, and whey hydrosylate protein, at an approximate ratio of 2:1 or 3:1. You can purchase these ingredients online and make your own drink.

However, if you can afford a commercially made, post-workout drink, it is a better option. Let me explain why.

Over the years, I have had my fair share of homemade post-workout drinks. I can tell you that without some major flavoring, and “know-how”, these ingredients taste terrible, I mean beyond awful.

If you go with a quality brand, they are just superior in quality to what one can usually make at home.