What About Fruit as a Post-Workout Snack? by Joan Kent, PhD

 

 

After my recent post on “Refueling After Workouts,” a reader sent this question: “How does one continue to eat fruit – which contains sugar – for a post-workout snack? Dilute it? Eat less of it? Eat specific types of fruit that are better than others for this purpose?”

 

I appreciate the question because I know fruit is a popular ‘post-workout snack.’ Especially bananas!  But fruit’s an unfortunate food choice after a workout. Why? Because fructose – the sugar in fruit – is a poor fuel for post-training glycogen replacement. Fructose is quite slow in replacing glycogen, and rapid glycogen replacement (aka repletion) is key in optimal refueling.

 

I’ve written several articles on this topic, since the question does come up often. To be brief here, a better choice would be a combination of starch and protein in a 3:1 ratio. Fast-absorbing starches are ideal. Potatoes work well in this regard, but they’re not the only option. For more information, please refer to my post on “Refueling After Workouts:  Small Window, Big Difference.”

 

If you’re looking for help with eliminating sugar – after workouts or any other time – perfect! That’s what I do. Just visit www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your FREE copy of “3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Trying to Quit Sugar.” Discover how small changes that are easy and do-able can help you make big changes in your athletic performance and in your health.

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar:  7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.