Are you rushing to swallow a snack or smoothie after your workout? What if it wasn’t always necessary?
In brief
- Eating quickly after exercise is mainly useful if the workout is intense, lasts at least 60 minutes AND another workout follows within 8 hours.
- For quick recovery: approximately 1 to 1.2 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight per hour during the first 4 hours, and 20 to 25 g of protein.
- A recovery drink (protein smoothie, chocolate milk) is convenient when you have little appetite after exercise.
- For a 30- to 45-minute session, your usual meals and snacks are enough.
It’s urgent… under two conditions
Whether it is relevant to eat quickly after exercise depends on the effort involved AND how often you train. This recovery strategy is essential if (and only if):
- The effort is intense and lasts at least 60 minutes, AND
- Another workout is scheduled within 8 hours.
This is especially true if the workout lasts more than two hours, because such a long effort depletes our glycogen stores in the liver and muscles and partially dehydrates us. Intense exercise also causes minor damage to muscle fibers. In these cases, proper nutrition supports muscle repair and the replenishment of water and energy stores.
Who needs to do this?
In practice, it is mainly high-level athletes, who often have two or three workouts per day, who need to eat and drink quickly after exercise. This may also apply to us in certain circumstances:
- We are preparing for a long-duration event such as a marathon or ultramarathon, especially during peak training. If we accumulate fatigue or have difficulty keeping up with training, we need to optimize recovery. In addition to eating better, we need to sleep well and manage our stress.
- We are taking part in a one-day or weekend tournament. When we have several matches or events close together, recovery is crucial.
When we swim, cycle, walk, run, ski, hit balls or dance for 30 or 45 minutes each day, the speed of recovery is not an issue. Our body will repair itself and replenish its stores with the meals and Zenit snacks we normally eat, and it will do so in time for our next outing.
Mission: recovery
If we need to recover quickly, we should drink and eat as soon as possible after the workout, ideally within the first hour. Why? Because at that point, the muscles replenish their glycogen stores more quickly.
The necessary building blocks are carbohydrates (sugars), protein, water and electrolytes. Carbohydrates replenish glycogen stores. Protein helps muscles repair themselves. Water replaces what was lost through sweat, and electrolytes such as Zenit electrolytes compensate for losses of sodium and minerals.
The numbers
- Carbohydrates: approximately 1 to 1.2 g per kg of body weight per hour, during the first 4 hours, when recovery needs to be rapid. For a person weighing 60 kg, that is approximately 60 to 70 g per hour.
- Protein: approximately 20 to 25 g (0.25 to 0.3 g per kg) in the meal or snack after exercise.
- Fluids: drink gradually to replace what was lost through sweat.
Recovery drinks are often preferred because they provide all these nutrients at once. If you have little appetite immediately after intense exercise, thirst is usually still there! Here are some ideas:
- A homemade smoothie made with Zenit organic plant-based protein, berries and milk or a soy beverage. There are countless possibilities!
- Chocolate milk mixed with regular milk (chocolate milk alone is quite sweet).
- Chicken noodle soup.
Listen to your body
Another indication of whether we should eat after a workout is… hunger! It is therefore better to keep snacks on hand. If you do not prepare them yourself, I know a good brand of energy squares 😉
Frequently asked questions
How long after a workout should I eat?
If you have another workout within 8 hours, eat or drink a recovery snack as soon as possible, ideally within the first hour. Otherwise, your next regular meal or snack is enough.
How much protein should I have after exercising?
Approximately 20 to 25 g of protein, or 0.25 to 0.3 g per kg of body weight, in the meal or snack after exercise.
Is chocolate milk a good recovery drink?
Yes. It provides carbohydrates, protein, water and electrolytes. Mixed half and half with regular milk, it is less sweet.
Do I need to eat after a 30-minute workout?
Not necessarily. After a short or moderate session, your usual meals and snacks are enough for recovery. Eat if you are hungry.
By Stéphanie Côté, M.Sc., nutritionist
Speaker and author of “Knowing What to Eat – Sports Nutrition”, published by Modus Vivendi, 2019
Revised and updated in October 2026 by Danielle Dubois, nutritionist.
References
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):543-568. PMID: 26891166
- Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:33. PMC5596471
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. PMID: 28642676