Exactly What To Eat After A Workout At Night

Sometimes you just can’t drag yourself out of bed in the morning to hit the gym, and afternoon workouts for a lot of us aren’t an option. So sometimes a late-night gym session is the answer. But a nice empty gym and no one hogging the squat rack, sounds great right? Until you get home late, tired and hungry. This article will give you a few ideas for what to eat after a workout at night.When you’re tired it can be easy to give in to any convenient snack or quick bite, but to really get all the benefits of your workout you need to consider what you’re eating post-workout, even on a late night. 

To begin, let’s straighten out some important facts. Eating after a workout is important firstly because your body needs protein to repair the microtears you’ve created by working your muscles. Secondly, you should restore your glycogen reserves – those are the carbohydrates stored within muscles. Research shows that refuelling within 4-6 hours of your workout is necessary, which means before bed.¹ 

That time following a workout is when your body needs you to take charge of your diet the most. You need to be giving your body everything it needs to start repairing and growing. Building muscle is about breaking it down with resistance training and then repairing it, and the food you eat after a workout does that re-building work.  

Don’t worry – we’ve got a few ideas of the best food to eat after a workout at night for you... 

Summary: Properly refueling after a workout is key to results and recovery, helping your muscles rebuild and prepare for your next workout.

 

Post-Workout Macronutrients

Each of the three macros plays a role in metabolism and have unique benefits after a workout. 

Protein

Protein is the key building block for muscle and necessary to help rebuild the microtears we create during exercise. It contains 4 calories per gram and is digested slowly if whole, and more quickly if in smaller chains of amino acids. 

Carbohydrates

Carbs are the source for our body’s primary source of energy, glucose. Quickly digesting carbs can help give us energy, while slowly digesting carbs can help rebuild our muscle stores of glucose for the next time we need to dip into our reserves - speeding the recovery process. Carbs also contain 4 calories per gram. 

Fats

Fats are important for overall health but also contribute to our energy stores for when we run out of glucose and have to shift to burning fat in longer workouts. Fat also keeps us feeling satisfied and less likely to overeat, and they contain 9 calories per gram. 

 

1. Protein Shakes &Bars 

Supplementing with protein shakes is the perfect way to get the protein your body needs within 30 minutes of a workout. The same goes for protein bars and snacks – they give you a healthy dose of protein and carbs immediately after exercise.  

Try our Vegan Carb Crusher after your late-night workout for a protein-packed treat that'll satisfy your sweet cravings – minus the guilt. Packed with 15g of plant-powered protein and low in sugar, our triple-layered vegan bars are perfect for keeping your training on track.

  

2. Casein Protein

Casein protein, otherwise known as the bedtime protein, is the best kind of protein shake to have after a workout at night. It's derived from milk and has a much slower absorption rate than whey protein, which means it can provide your muscles with a sustained supply of protein while you sleep.¹ After you've had your fast-digesting whey or plant-based protein directly after your workout, drinking a casein shake just before sleep will aid muscle recovery and growth.¹