After a weight training session, many French athletes use the same ritual: a post-workout shake with whey, banana and oatmeal, supposed to boost muscle gain. This protein + carbohydrate combination is presented everywhere as ideal for recovery. Except that a doctor specializing in longevity affirms that these extra carbohydrates, added to the shaker, would neither gain more muscle nor work proteins faster, and could even slow down their use.
Shake after training: what Sebastián La Rosa says
On YouTube, Sebastián La Rosa further details his position: “If you go to the gym, this will interest you: combining extra carbohydrates with proteins after training does not accelerate muscle growth… on the contrary, it can slow it down. Studies show that consuming hydrates with proteins after training not only does not improve the synthesis of muscle mass, but can delay the absorption of amino acids like phenylalanine, essential for this process.“
“Even overweight people who worked out and followed a low-calorie, high-protein diet were able to increase their muscle mass while reducing their fat, without needing to add more carbohydrates. What matters is not always eating more, but eating better and more strategically.“
Carbohydrates and proteins after sport: what the studies say
A study where 20g of milk protein alone was compared to 20g of protein plus 60g of carbohydrates after strength training.
Amino acids arrived more slowly in the blood with carbohydrates, but the total amount of protein deposited in the muscle remained comparable, measured by muscle biopsies, in other words muscle protein synthesis remained the same.
How to organize your carbohydrates after exercise without restricting proteins
For most exercisers who do one session per day, it is advisable to aim for 20 to 40 g of protein within 30 minutes of training, then consume the carbohydrates at the next meal, one to two hours later. Carbohydrates become really strategic just after exercise in the case of long endurance sports or two close sessions, to replenish muscle glycogen rather than to boost lean mass.
The idea is therefore not to eliminate bananas and flakes, but to take them out of the “automatic” shaker and replace them in a real meal.