Should I Drink Protein Shakes After Cardio?
You’re not alone if you’ve been wondering whether or not to drink a protein shake after your cardio workout.
Unquestionably one of the most common supplementation questions out there might be this.
The short answer to this question, "Should I Drink Protein Shakes After Cardio"? is Yes.
This is because, When you drink a protein shake after doing cardio, you’re still gaining benefits for your muscles and recovering from your workout.
So, Why is a protein shake good after cardio? We've got two reasons to share with you, So you'll never have to wonder about it again!
In this article, we will discuss the two reasons you should take Protein after Cardio.
- Benefit #1: Recovery
- Benefit #2: Performance
Let’s discuss them in detail,
- Recovery – The first reason why you should drink a protein shake after a cardio workout has to do with recovery.
- High-intensity workouts – Can be taxing on the body and the last thing you want is for your body to take that hard-earned muscle and begin breaking it down as fuel. Drinking a protein shake after your workout provides your muscles with what they need to refuel and rebuild quickly, which can help make sure that does not happen.
The carbohydrates replenish your lost glycogen during exercise. The power you just invested in that intense workout.
That came from the body’s carbohydrates reserves. As you conclude, your body is craving for something to replenish the expended energy. A protein shake can do that after a workout.
Furthermore, the protein from the shake helps with replenishing your glycogen stores.
While cardio workouts won’t typically build muscle, protein is still necessary for preserving existing muscle.
When you do cardio, you are in fat burner mode. Therefore, you don't want your muscles to break down.
It’s essential to eat protein after cardio to prevent muscle loss.
Hence, The protein powder you put in a shake after your workout is helping your body recover, rather than building up muscle.
Not only that, but it’s also been found that a high-protein diet (which typically includes lean meats, nuts, eggs, and dairy) helps preserve muscle mass after injury.
Performance - The second reason why a protein shake is essential after cardio is performance.
The next day after a cardio workout, you are still in fat-burning mode. When you only do cardio without resistance training, Your body will be exhausted and tired; you will be fatigued and overstressed.
On the other hand, if you start doing resistance training, your body can not produce enough testosterone to recover from the fatigue of cardio exercise.
As a result, You’re not going to get enough energy; You won’t have the energy and power for the next day.
So, Daily cardio training and resistance training can help you build strength and muscle quickly. It allows you to get a healthy body with more energy and power.
It is the best combination for physical fitness and endurance building.
But if you are only doing cardio every day, you will not get enough energy to continue your exercise the next day.
Your performance will be reduced. You should do resistance training in the morning, and then you should do a cardio workout at night.
After a cardio workout, you need to eat right and have enough protein in your diet. Because protein is necessary for physical performance.
The muscle built from resistance training increases your ability to perform better during cardio workouts. As a result, you will be more energetic and powerful.
Conclusion:
There you go; Now, you know about two enormous benefits you get from drinking a protein shake after a workout.
If you want to challenge your body, whether it’s by strength training, doing high-intensity interval training, or even running on a treadmill, that’s in the fitness schedule; it’s necessary to restore what the body loses during those challenges.
Drinking a protein shake after intense cardio workouts helps your body recover faster, as well as preserve muscle mass. It can also help improve your overall exercise performance.
Hence, Yes, drink the LEAN shake after your HIIT circuit, and get the perks! You deserve it.