carbs after cardio?

[jocs]

i work out on m,w,and f, i also go for a 30 min jog on tuesday nights, and i was wondering if i need carbs after my jog or not? would i treat cardio like a regular workout n get protein n carbs right after?

[bjohnso]

I've been wondering this myself. I'm thinking you probably should, but let's see what others have to say.

[FireRescue]

I would not be concerned with eating carbs after a low/moderate cardio session.

[Tikiman]

For the average person, no need. However, if you're an 'ectomorph' like me [lean, hard-gainer, etc.] it doesn't hurt. I usually take some dextrose/waxymaize after to help restore my energy. Helps the recovery.

[bjohnso]

For the average person, no need. However, if you're an 'ectomorph' like me [lean, hard-gainer, etc.] it doesn't hurt. I usually take some dextrose/waxymaize after to help restore my energy. Helps the recovery.

To restore your glycogen, you mean?

[TopCat]

Well couple things to consider first I guess. First are you trying to gain/maintain/lose weight currently? Do you eat anything an hour or two before you jog? Lastly, I know the term implies light/medium but some people have different ideas of jogging... how intense you going?

*P.S. I'll be around my apartment tomorrow to dig through some information and find out for ya. I'm just pretty sure those are answers that will help decide what is the best choice in regards to your goals.

[Willie]

I think whether you should eat/drink something after your run depends on a lot of factors. Did you consume anything during your run? How much water did you drink? How hard did you run? How do you feel?

I'm a runner. I often feel like a small small snack after longer runs (anything at moderate pace for more than 20 minutes), but if I've been sprinting, I don't feel like putting anything in my stomach.

As a general rule, it's good to refuel, just don't go overboard. A 32 oz bottle of Gatorade contains 4 8 oz servings, at 50 cals each. (200 calories, all from sugar) You might not have even burned that many calories during you run.

Try eating a banana (or some other fruit) and drinking some more water. That's what I do. If you can take it, substitute a glass of skim milk for the water. I believe it will help with protein/carb uptake.