What Should You Eat After Cardio for the Best Fat Loss

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eat after cardioWhat you eat after cardio and after a weight training workouts are not always one in the same. Weight training is geared towards muscle gain, while cardio is mostly used for fat loss. Why then should what you eat after cardio be the same as your other workouts?

What You Eat After Cardio Depends on Your Goals

When we weight train, we start depleting our muscles of glycogen, and we break down muscle tissue. Our goal is to make it grow back bigger and stronger. We eat carbohydrates and protein post workout so that we can replenish muscle glycogen stores (energy) and start rebuilding muscle.

Read more about what you should eat after strength training.

On the other hand, when we do cardio, our goal is usually to burn extra calories and lose fat. This means what we eat after cardio will be different than after a typical weight lifting session. You could certainly eat the same thing either way. However, if you’re already at a low body fat and you’re looking to eek out that last bit of fat, you’ll want different nutrition after a cardio session.

What Should You Eat After Cardio?

During a typical cardio session, your body’s biochemistry undergoes some changes. Your body suppresses insulin production and starts releasing other hormones like growth hormone (GH) and testosterone. Not only that, but your body releases several neurotransmitters like adrenaline, epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. The first two assist with fat mobilization, while the last three are feel good chemicals (think runner’s high).

What we want to do after cardio is:

  • Keep insulin production suppressed. Insulin is a fat storage hormone which is not conducive to fat loss.
  • Keep growth hormone (GH) levels elevated. GH is catabolic to fat cells. It is one of, if not the most powerful hormone for losing fat. See how you can naturally increase your growth hormone levels.
  • Keep those fat loss neurotransmitters flowing so that fat loss continues.

How Do We Accomplish These Goals?

It’s quite simple actually. You control your carbohydrate intake. Eating too many of or the wrong type of carbohydrates will immediately throw you out of fat burning mode. After your workout, your insulin sensitivity is at its highest. This is great. It means you’ll be able to be a bit more loose with your carbohydrate intake.

What you don’t want to do however, is spike your insulin levels. Doing so will halt all fat burning, and will drop your growth hormone levels, along with any other fat loss benefit you just created from your cardio.

If you are in pure fat loss mode, it would be beneficial to have a low carb or carb-less meal after cardio. Something along the lines of a protein shake with some essential fatty acids (EFAs), such as whey protein isolate (if you use protein powder) mixed with Carlson’s omega-3 oil, or a chicken salad with veggies will keep the fat burning machine churning, while at the same time provide protein and essential fats to start rebuilding muscle. You can also have any number of lean protein/healthy fat/veggie meals after cardio.

Here are over 400 healthy recipes I’ve collected from around the web for you to try.

Will you be replenishing muscle glycogen with this meal? No, not really. Some of the protein may be converted into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis, but even if this did happen, it would have a minimal effect on insulin levels – meaning you will continue to burn fat. Plus, it’s unlikely that you completely depleted glycogen stores, so you will still have plenty of energy for your next strength training workout.

To sum up, if you want to keep fat burning going for as long as possible, you’ll want to manage your carbohydrate intake after cardio. While you don’t have to go no-carb (although this will be the best), you can get by having a small serving of low-glycemic carbohydrates.

I want to emphasize that dropping your carb intake after cardio is an advanced fat loss strategy that is most useful as your body fat gets lower. It’s also best suited for people that separate their strength training and cardiovascular training into separate workouts. The important thing, as always, is to make sure you’re actually doing cardiovascular training. Once you’re consistent with your workouts, then you can start focusing on the finer details.

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About Tony Schober

Healthy living curator, blogger, foodie, certified personal trainer, husband, & step-dad to 3. Founder of Coach Calorie. Hates scales.

  • http://www.freefitnesstips.co.uk/ Tom Parker

    Great post as always Tony. I always bring a protein shake to the gym with me and have that after a cardio session. The great thing I find about cardio is that an intense session actually reduces my craving for carbs so I have no problem keeping my intake low after the workout.

    Tom

  • Samantha

    I just read one of your posts that says that the best time to eat carbs is post-workout. However this article says a no-carb meal after cardio is ideal. So which is the best guideline to follow for fat loss? Thanks!

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Samantha, the article you were referring to was talking about eating carbs after strength training, while this one is talking about not eating them after cardio. Unless you are doing HIIT cardio, I would minimize or eliminate carbs after your workout for the best fat loss.

      • Samantha

        I see – thank you for the clarification and tip!!

  • Ian

    Im currently trying to build muscle but keep my fat % under controll so as i understand it, high protein and minimal to no carbs after a cardio work out is ideal for fatloss and keeping my muscle mass steady? Thanks!

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Ian, limiting carbs after cardio is a great way to maximize fat loss, but if your goal is to also build muscle, you might do better having carbs in your pre and post workout meals and then limiting carbs the rest of the day.

  • SHAVONNE

    GREETINGS!! I am doing Insanity for weight loss. I’m not doing anything else but this a running for weight loss. I’m around 15lbs overweight. I drink shakeology in the am and eat snacks and a sensible lunch. I do Insanity afterwork with a few coworkers then go home to cook dinner. But I am starving by the time I get home. What do you suggest post workout?

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Shavonne, after strength training I have a whey protein shake mixed with oats, a frozen banana, a little omega-3 oil, and some spinach.

      Any combination of carb/protein should be sufficient.

  • Robyn

    I often feel like I am going to faint after cardio if I don’t eat about 30 grams of carbs within 3O minutes; I am litterally shaking, light headed, and disoriented. In that case, should I consider skimping on the carbs for the added fat burn?

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Robyn, never put your weight loss before your health. If you are hypoglycemic, eat some carbs. As I said in the article, it’s not necessary to eat 0 carb. Just try to keep them low-glycemic. Eating 30 grams of low glycemic carbs post-cardio will keep the fat loss going just fine.

    • http://www.leanmoms.com Lacy

      Robyn, in your case I would recommend you eat a post workout/recovery shake as soon as you finish your cardio. Then keep your carbs lower throughout the day, if your goal is fat loss. Some people deplete their glycogen stores more rapidly and don’t do well without replacing them frequently especially following cardio. Also pay attention to how well your cardio session goes if you are eating low carb prior to it. If you feel weak and lacking enough energy to work hard and finish you may want to look at having a recovery drink or a healthy carb before you work out as well. Good luck!

  • Jen

    What if you do a combination at the gym cardio and then strength training. What should I eat to really build muscle and tone up body.

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Jen, I always recommend carbs after a weight training session. It doesn’t matter if you’re working out in the morning, night, or combining it with cardio. If you’re going to have a meal with carbs, that’s the meal you should have it in.

  • Tini

    My friend told me we stop burning calories as soon we stop doing cardio. Is that true?

    • Coach Calorie

      Only if you’re dead ;)

      • Tini

        Lol! Thank you!

        • brandy

          THANK YOU!!!!!!! I have always wondered why trainers would make that statement and if it was true.. then I would get discouraged after I heard it.. reason being because I run between 10-20 miles a week..I am a very happy person..yaaayy..

  • sarah

    Hi…I do a bootcamp at 6am before eating and do intense interval training with a mixture of cardio and weights. I usually eat Rolled oats after as it is my first meal but it is carbs? do you suggest not having this and just having a protein shake?

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Sarah, I’d suggest you stick with your oatmeal after your weights/cardio workout. No no carbs after cardio philosophy is more geared towards people who separate their cardio and strength training workouts.

      For example, people that do strength training on M/W/F and cardio on T/T/S could have protein/carbs after strength training, and protein/fat after cardio.

  • Srujan

    Hi.. I do my cardio in the morning and weight training in the evening. Recently i read on one site, where the trainer insisted in doing cardio on an empty stomach. That aides effective fat burning. I have been doing this for the past one week and I feel it may be effective. But I am not sure to what extent is this healthy and the correct way. Can you please correct me if i am going wrong?

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Srujan, cardio on an empty stomach is another “advanced” fat loss strategy you can implement. It’s one of those things that you will notice more of a difference if you are already at a lower body fat. The important thing is that you are exercising – period. You don’t need to do it on an empty stomach to lose fat. However, it can help squeeze out some additional fat loss pounds.

  • bj

    Hi CC am wanting to lose one kilo a week, minimum to lose an excess 40 kilos. there is always a period of 7 days in each 30 where i plateau, for about 7 to 10 days. why is this? what’s the best way to kickstart the loss again?

    • Coach Calorie

      The reason it happens is because it does. Really though, there is no good explanation. Weight loss is not linear. I can go a whole month sometimes without dropping any weight and then it will all of a sudden pick up again. Just stay consistent and understand that it’s going to happen. It will come off when it’s ready.

  • http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

    If your goal is purely fat loss, I would go protein/fat/veggie after the steady state cardio, and carb/protein/veggie after HIIT. However, the differences will be negligible as long as you’re eating whole foods.

  • http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

    After strength training I like to have a carb/protein meal. Something like chicken/rice, or beef/beans. Those are obviously over-simplified ideas, but you get the idea. This article will help too – http://www.coachcalorie.com/what-do-i-eat-after-a-workout/

  • mark

    Clear and descriptive advice. Many thanks :)