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The Anabolic Window: Why It's Overrated

The post-workout anabolic window has aroused a lot of interest both among bodybuilders and in science for years. In English, what's cooler is called anabolic window.   The carbohydrate window after training.

The most common questions on the subject are: what to eat in the post workout anabolic window ? how long does it last?

Don't tell me you've never seen anyone eat a banana in the locker room!

Banana, as a source of post-workout carbihydrates, has always been consumed in the locker room to restore glycogen reserves lost with training, but also to take advantage of the anabolic window.

 

The article requires a few minutes of attention: if you don't have time, download the PDF and read calmly.

The Anabolic Window: What is it?

The common belief has it that after training there is a window , called the " anablical window", which lasts between  30 and 60 minutes, during which if you do not eat fast proteins and carbohydrates immediately after training, all the efforts of the workout will be in vain and highly limiting, with negative consequences on the recovery and growth of muscle mass.

The justification for the existence of  the anabolic window is that the body is in an emergency after training, has an improved sensitivity to nutrients, and it is necessary to reduce muscle catabolism to immediately restart the anabolic processes.

By introducing nutrients immediately after training, you would ensure a maximization of results, which would instead be compromised if you wait too long This is the theory behind the anabolic window .

To explain how things really stand it is necessary to analyze the general dietary context of the bodybuilder or athlete.

To give an example, for those who follow the intermittent fastingfood protocol  , the post workout meal is definitely much more important than those who regularly ate their meals before training, so for those who practice intermittent fasting, the window anabolic after training must be considered differently and at least from another point of view.

Moreover, the situation after training is divided into two phases:

Blue pinIn the first, the hormones return to their basal levels, therefore, cortisol, catecholamines, insulin and glucagon normalize, as well as the metabolic and cardiovascular alterations. In this phase, lasting about an hour, we pass from a catabolic to anabolic state.

Blue pinIn the second, on the other hand, the supercompensation process takes place, the recovery, the replenishment of glycogen and energy substrates. This phase is very slow, lasts for days, but it is the most important one, in which the adaptation to training and the development of new hypertrophy occurs .

Studi sul post workout

finestra anabolica post workout
Due to the existence of the anabolic window many practitioners run to the post workout shaker

Studies on the anabolic window have followed one another over time. This  study , although dated, evaluated the effects of consuming a carbohydrate and protein drink 1 to 3 hours after weight training.

The combination of training with the intake of post-workout carbohydrate and protein supplements increased the insulin response and noted that there was an increase in protein synthesis of about 400% for both of the two drink ingestion protocols. . The researchers concluded that the timing of protein intake from 1 to 3 hours post workout did not affect muscle repair and growth.

If we look at another  study, it can be seen that the elevation of protein synthesis, compared to basal values, lasts up to 48 hours after exercise with weights, and that these caused an increase in muscle protein synthesis after 3 hours. 122%, 65% 24 hours and 34% 48 hours.

As you can see, muscle protein synthesis  rises and then slowly decreases, which is why considering only a time span of 30 minutes or 1 hour after training, as an anabolic window , is limiting.

The post workout shaker runs or the excessive concern to frustrate progress in the gym is therefore unfounded at the moment, at least not such as to compromise the development of muscle mass if carbohydrates and proteins are not taken immediately 30 minutes after training.

Instead, we have seen how muscle protein synthesis extends up to 48 hours post workout so that the anabolic window  is much larger than previously thought.

The consumption of proteins after exercise is certainly useful in providing essential amino acids to the muscles, and if the goal is to accelerate recovery, an excellent strategy is carbohydrates and proteins after workout, but it is also true that the window anabolic has a different timing than the common belief that calls into question the need to take something quickly, so that nutrient timing takes a back seat in common conditions.

If, on the other hand, you have multiple training sessions in a single day , the consumption of proteins and carbohydrates immediately post workout , especially as regards the replenishment of glycogen stores, is much more recommended, so although there is no real own anabolic window , there is more rush; if, on the other hand, there are at least 24 hours between one workout and the next and you eat at least one meal up to 3 hours after the workout, your worries can decrease.

Conclusions

v The anabolic window exists, but it doesn't last 30 minutes, and post-workout nutrients are a good time to get carbohydrates and proteins.

vThe totality of the diet is essential, so binding the gains to a post-workout window is senseless

v The dietary regime undertaken determines the more or less need to do a quick post workout

v What is eaten in the 48 hours post workout is what is most important

v One possible strategy is to make the most of those moments where muscle protein synthesis values are very high, trying to have 1 or 2 meals in those situations and in this case a liquid meal consisting of carbohydrates and proteins can be very convenient.

v Doing the post workout is not a bad idea. Nutrient sensitivity is better than at other times, but there's no rush. What to take post workout is important, but the practice of running to the shaker to take advantage of the anabolic window makes no sense . The role and the reason for taking carbohydrates and proteins after training must be resized and also considered from the point of view of practicality.

What to hire

To be sure of recovering it is therefore necessary to take a good amount of proteins and carbohydrates. At least 30 grams of protein ensure the restorative processes while the amount of carbohydrates is variable. Personally with 40 grams I find myself from god.

Here the best proteins and the best carbohydrates to make up the ideal shaker.

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