What Is Post Workout Supplement? Do You Need It?
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(Certified Nutritionist, S&C specialist, M.Sc.Eng. Biotechnology)
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You want the most out of your workout, so you work extra hard at the gym. But that’s not all it takes; recovery is another factor that influences your results. After you’ve pushed yourself through a hard session, your body craves the right nutrients to rehydrate, refuel, and repair.
That’s where post-workout supplements come to the scene. They can provide essential nutrients and active ingredients that will support the recovery and growth of your muscles, so you’ll bounce back faster and stronger.
So, do you need them? Well, that’s a question only you can answer but we’ll help you get there faster. Let’s see what exactly are post-workout supplements and by the end, you should have a clear answer!
What Is a Post-Workout Supplement?
A post-workout supplement is pretty much anything you consume after a workout to help your body recover and get stronger. This can be a drink, a shake, or even a meal packed with nutrients.
The idea behind it is to give your muscles the protein they need to repair and grow, and to replenish the energy you used during the workout. Hydration is also a big deal because you need to replace the fluids and electrolytes you lost through sweat.
Essentially, a post-workout supplement will help you bounce back quicker and perform better in your next workout because it will make sure your body gets everything it needs right after you’ve pushed it hard.
Why Is Post-workout Nutrition So Important?
Post-workout nutrition is ideal if you want to maximize your results in the gym. Especially if you’re looking to build muscle, prioritizing recovery and fueling your body properly are some of the most important things to consider.
If you’re working out regularly, it’s important to eat plenty of carbs and proteins throughout the day to replenish your body’s glycogen stores and improve the repair process of broken down muscle fibers. If you don’t fuel your body properly, you will have a worse recovery process, which will lead to worse results over time.
You will also want to rehydrate after a workout to restore your electrolyte balance that is lost when you sweat during a workout. While drinking water after a workout is important, you should absolutely be drinking water before a workout. If your workouts are longer than an hour, you should probably be staying hydrated during your workout as well.
On top of getting the proper macronutrients and rehydrating after a workout, it may also be worth investing in a post-workout formula that contains active ingredients to help your performance. While these aren’t necessary, they may improve your body’s ability to recover sufficiently, which is especially important if you’re working out almost every day.
Sergiy Putsov added:
“I regularly use post-workout drinks as they’re crucial for efficient muscle recovery and growth. They provide rapid replenishment of nutrients and hydration lost during intense sessions, which aids in muscle repair and prepares the body for future workouts.”
What Are the 3 Key Nutrition-Related Factors That Play the Greatest Role in Recovery?
1. Rehydrate
First, it’s critical to hydrate properly before, during, and after a workout. This is because when you sweat during a workout, your body is losing water with electrolytes that need to be rebalanced through hydration. While it’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day, it’s especially important if you’re working out regularly. Luckily, drinking a post-workout beverage is a great way to get some fluids in while also getting active ingredients and nutrients in as well.
2. Refuel
When working out, your body is depleted of its glycogen stores. This is why it’s so important to eat enough carbohydrates throughout the day. Eating carbohydrates leads to insulin secretion, which then causes glycogen synthesis.
Glycogen is partly what powers your muscles through your workouts, so to recover effectively and to have the best performance possible we recommend eating a healthy balance of carbs, fats, and protein to hit your caloric goals throughout the day.
Of course, if you follow a keto or low-carb diet, this advice may not apply to you! While carb-rich diets are ideal for exercise performance, many people prefer low-carb diets in order to restrict their calories to lose weight, but keep in mind – to lose weight you need to be on a caloric deficit regardless of what kind of macro-split (high carb/low fat or low carb/high fat) you are following.
3. Repair
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is repairing your muscles with protein. When you workout, you’re breaking down your muscle fibers with the goal of having them repair stronger than they were before. By eating enough protein, you’re giving your muscles the amino acids they need to be repaired effectively.
What Types of Products Can Be Considered as a Post-workout Supplement?
The concept of a post-workout supplement is fairly broad and can refer to a wide variety of different products. Usually, it’s a product that contains protein and carbs meant to help you recover after a workout. There are a few different things that fall under the distinction of post-workout supplements which we’ll be covering below.
1. Mass Gainers
The main product that should be considered as a post-workout supplement is mass gainer shakes. This is because these products will usually have an effective blend of carbohydrates and protein that will better aid in recovery.
Of course, if you’re trying to limit your caloric intake, the high-calorie content of these supplements may not align with your goals. However, if you’re looking to bulk up, these are some of the best post-workout supplements for muscle gain available.
2. Protein Powders
Another option for post-workout recovery is protein shakes. These are ideal for those looking to cut or maintain weight as they are usually significantly lower calories than mass gainers. The one downside is that they usually do not contain many carbs.
To maximize post-workout recovery, we recommend pairing a simple protein shake with a source of complex carbs – like a banana, for example – to give your body the carbohydrates it needs to replenish glycogen stores.
3. Ready-To-Drink Protein
Ready-to-drink protein shakes are essentially premixed protein powders in a bottle. The main downside here is that they are quite pricey compared to standard protein powder. However, if you don’t have access to an after workout powder, these can be a great substitute in a pinch.
Our expert Dina Al-Rubaye shared her own tips and favorites in post-workout drinks:
“A post-workout drink can be recommended for individuals engaged in heavy and high-intensity exercise, such as athletes and bodybuilders. For the average person who plans to have a balanced post-workout meal rich in protein and carbohydrates, a drink may not be necessary, as they can obtain these nutrients from food. It’s essential to select post-workout supplements carefully, considering your specific fitness goals and dietary requirements. While I personally like fairlife drinks, I would recommend exploring different brands and products to find the one that suits your needs best.”
4. Meal Replacement Shakes
Finally, as a last resort, you can consider meal replacement shakes as an option for a post-workout supplement as well. Meal replacement drinks are things like Boost, and Ensure. The main drawback to these products is they aren’t designed to be post-workout drinks. They often contain unnecessary filler ingredients, high sugar content, and are generally more expensive than protein powders.
| Type of Supplement | Main Purpose | Common Ingredients | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-Workout Formulas | Boost recovery through active ingredients | Beta-alanine Betaine Creatine L-Carnitine | Those who already have their diet in order |
| Protein Powders | Boost recovery though protein | Protein sourced from dairy, or other plant-based sources | Those who struggle to get enough protein |
| Mass Gainers | Boost recovery through a combination of protein and carbohydrates | Protein sourced from dairy, or other plant-based sources Carbohydrates, usually sourced from maltodextrin | Those who struggle to get enough protein and total calories |
How to Find the Best Post-workout Supplement?
There are several factors you’ll want to consider before making a decision on which supplement to buy. These are what we’ve scored the products in this list on – use them as a general guide to find which supplement is best for you!
1. Macronutrient Breakdown and Nutrition Label Transparency
The first thing you should be considering before buying any post-workout supplement is what it contains. You want to make sure you’re not only getting a solid amount of protein and carbs but that the total calories are in line with your goals as well.
On top of this, you want to make sure that the nutrition label is as transparent as possible in regard to what the supplement contains. This means taking a look at the ingredient list, and things like the amount of added sugar. Make sure you’re buying a supplement that only contains ingredients you feel comfortable consuming.
2. Value for Money
Next is the overall value for your money. This means taking a look at how much each supplement costs per serving and comparing it with other similar supplements. As you can see from our list, there’s a wide range of prices when it comes to post-workout supplements.
Decide for yourself how much you’re willing to spend, and whether or not things like organic ingredients are worth a premium to you.
3. Taste/Flavor and Mixability
Finally, you should enjoy the taste of your post-workout supplement, and it should mix properly as well. This is especially true of mass gainers because they have such large serving sizes. You’ll be drinking a pretty huge shake, so it should be able to mix smoothly, and you should enjoy how it tastes!
If you’re unsure of whether a product will taste good or mix well, always check product reviews on Amazon as they will usually indicate both of these things. Taste ultimately comes down to a matter of personal preference, so it may take some trial and error before you find a shake you really enjoy.
Transparent Labs Mass Gainer
- Suitable for Vegans: No
- Flavors: Chocolate Glaze Donut, Sweet Vanilla
- Calories per serving: 750 KCAL
- Carbs per Serving: 110 grams
- Protein per Serving: 53 grams
- Carb-to-Protein Ratio: 2:1
- Number of Servings: 15
- Serving Size: 194 grams (2 scoops)
- Price per Serving: $5.34
- Company Founded: 2015
- Recommended by Athletes: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Pat Li, PAULINA
Featuring 51 grams of protein in each serving as well as over 100 grams of carbs, this shake has everything you need to recover after a tough workout. At 730 calories per serving, it is on the higher end calorically, but it’s in the ideal range where it’s not too high as well.
All of the protein in this mass gainer comes from 100% grass-fed whey. You can also expect 3g of creatine in each serving to help aid with putting on muscle mass and improving performance. This product also has all of its carbohydrates coming from clean natural sources like oat flour, sweet potato powder, and organic tapioca maltodextrin.
Finally, with 4g of fiber per serving, as well as 0g of added sugar, you can be confident you’re getting a high quality product to aid with your recovery.
How to Choose the Best Post-Workout Drink?
1. Active Ingredients
One of the main factors you’ll want to consider is the active ingredients found in a post-workout drink. If you already eat a solid diet, you may want to prioritize active ingredients to help with your recovery and improve your performance in the gym. For recovery, we recommend prioritizing L-Carnitine, Betaine, and Tart Cherry Powder. If you’re looking to boost your performance, focus on ingredients like beta-alanine, betaine, creatine.
Ernesto added:
“The choice of post-workout drink may depend on the nature of one’s workout. Guidelines suggest 10-20 grams of protein, 20-60 grams of carbs, 500-700 mg of sodium, and 100-300 mg of potassium.”
2. Nutritional Value
If you struggle to get enough (or don’t) protein in your diet, or to eat a balanced meal after your workout, we recommend considering getting nutritional value from a post-workout drink. This means either choosing a protein powder or mass gainer. We recommend finding a product that suits your dietary needs, helping you get the macros you may be missing, whether they be carbohydrates or protein. Of course, if you’re eating in a strict calorie deficit or following a keto diet, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to a lower carb protein powder.
Post by Transparent Labs
- Form: Powder
- Type: Post-Workout
- Best for: Cutting
- Flavor: Black Cherry, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade
- Key Ingredients: L-Glutamine, Betaine, Beta-Alanine
- Additional Ingredients: L-Carnitine, Tart Cherry Powder
- Package Information: 1.04lbs
- Serving: 15.7g
- Price per Serving: ~$1.67
- Company Founded: 2012
- Recommended by Athletes: Hafthor Bjornsson, Paul Sklar, Sean Harris
The main active ingredients found in this supplement are betaine, beta-alanine, and l-glutamine. Betaine supplementation has been shown to increase force production and improve endurance.
Beta-alanine has also been shown to increase power output and reduce fatigue while working out. Finally, L-Glutamine supplementation appears to increase time to exhaustion, as well as improve overall recovery after exercise.
However, these effects will likely be minimal at best if you’re getting adequate protein throughout the day. The supplement contains solid doses of all 3 ingredients with 2.5g of beta-alanine, 2g of betaine, and 5g of l-glutamine. The combination of these 3 ingredients provides a powerful blend that will not only improve performance in the gym, but help your recovery as well.
Additional ingredients in Transparent Labs include L-Carnitine and Tart Cherry Powder. While L-Carnitine is frequently marketed as a weight loss supplement, it does not appear to provide any real value in this area.
However, current research suggests that L-Carnitine is effective in assisting with recovery, making it an excellent addition to a post-workout formula like this. Transparent Labs contains a solid 2g per serving.
Post also contains 500mg of Tart Cherry Powder, which is thought to help with inflammation. Current research suggests that Tart Cherry Powder has a small to moderate effect on training and strenuous exercise recovery.
FAQ
What is The Best Post-Workout Supplement?
This ultimately depends on your goals. If you’re looking to bulk up, a mass gainer will be a great post-workout supplement for you. However, if you’re looking to cut or maintain weight, we recommend going for a lower-calorie protein powder instead. If you still want some carbs, we recommend mixing it with a low-calorie source of complex carbs – like oats or a banana, for example.
What are the Benefits of Post-Workout Supplements?
The benefits of post-workout recovery supplements mostly come from the protein and carbohydrates you will be consuming. These two macronutrients help you recover after a tough workout – with protein helping to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and carbs replenishing depleted glycogen stores. While post-workout supplements can be very helpful, the same effects can be achieved through eating a meal rich in protein and carbs any time around your workout.
Can I Make My Own Post-Workout Drink?
Absolutely! To make an effective post-workout drink, we recommend starting with a base protein powder and adding in any combination of bananas, berries, oats, greek yogurt, and natural peanut butter. Depending on your goals, you can make a post-workout shake for muscle gain that is as calorically dense as you need!
Conclusion
Post-workout supplements can really boost your recovery and performance, especially if you’re training hard or have specific nutritional needs. Whether you go for a post-workout formula, protein powder, or mass gainer, the important thing is to pick one that fits your goals and diet.
Just remember, supplements should enhance your recovery, not replace a good diet and proper hydration. Figure out what works best for you, try different options, and see what helps you reach your fitness goals faster.
As far as we’re concerned, you can’t go wrong with Transparent Labs MASS GAINER or POST by Transparent Labs.
Do you have a favorite post-workout supplement? Have you tried any new ones lately? What’s your go-to shake recipe after a tough workout?
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Experts Who Contributed To This Article
20 years of Oly Lifting & Training experience
Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS)
Professional Nutritionist and Certified Coach
Also Read:
- AG1 Review: Is this Nutritional Supplement Right for You?
- Huel Daily Greens Review
- Gnarly Nutrition Reviews
- What Is Post Workout Supplement? Do You Need It?
References:
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- Eric T Trexler, “International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine,” National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26175657 (accessed Jul 15, 2015).
- Piattoly, Tavis Joseph, “L-glutamine supplementation: effects on recovery from exercise” (2005). LSU Master’s Theses. 3783.
- Amirhossein Ramezani Ahmadi, Elham Rayyani, Mehdi Bahreini, Anahita Mansoori , “The effect of glutamine supplementation on athletic performance, body composition, and immune function: A systematic review and a meta-analysis of clinical trials,” Science Direct, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261561418301730 (accessed June 3, 2019).
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- Jeff S Volek, William J Kraemer, Martyn R Rubin, Ana L Gómez, Nicholas A Ratamess, Paula Gaynor “L-Carnitine L-tartrate supplementation favorably affects markers of recovery from exercise stress” National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11788381/ (accessed Feb, 2002).
- Jessica Amie Hill, Karen Mary Keane, Rebecca Quinlan, Glyn Howatson, “Tart Cherry Supplementation and Recovery From Strenuous Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, (2021): 154–167.
- Richard B Kreider, Douglas S Kalman, Jose Antonio, Tim N Ziegenfuss, Robert Wildman, Rick Collins, Darren G Candow, Susan M Kleiner, Anthony L Almada, Hector L Lopez “International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine” National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28615996/ (accessed Jun, 2017).
- Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.
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Author: Oleksandr Maksymenko
Certified Sports Nutritionist,
MSc Sports Dietetics
Specializing in: Weight management, Fitness / Sports nutrition
Oleksandr is a professional fitness nutritionist certified by the Fitness Professional Association (FPA). He follows the principles of evidence-based dietetics and fosters a healthy relationship with food in his clients, ensuring there are no strict prohibitions on their favorite foods or frequent lapses. His primary goal is not only to achieve results for you but also to sustain them over the long term, all while enjoying tasty and delicious food.
Reviewed by: Jacek Szymanowski
Certified Nutritionist,
M.Sc.Eng. Biotechnology
Performance architect,
Strength and Conditioning Specialist
With over 30 years of fighting experience, specialization in nutrition coaching for athletes, and expertise in metabolic health and dietary strategies, Jacek offers a comprehensive approach to optimizing your performance and well-being. Backed by a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology, Jacek remains at the forefront of scientific advancements, ensuring that his coaching is always evidence-based and up-to-date.
Still have questions after reading our article? Unlock your full potential by engaging with our experts and community! Don’t hesitate — leave a comment below and Oleksandr Maksymenko will provide a personalized answer and insights to help you reach your goals.