What should I take after aerobic exercise?

If you have just finished doing moderate-to-high-intensity aerobics for more than 30 minutes, the most important thing to replenish is water and electrolytes, and then add an appropriate amount of carbohydrates as needed. The protein supplement can be adjusted according to your exercise duration and goals. There is no need to copy the fixed recipes online.

When I first started practicing long-distance running last year, I ran into a lot of pitfalls. Every time I came back after running 10 kilometers, I drank ice water and drank it. I felt that the ice was so refreshing. As a result, I had stomach cramps after drinking it, or I fell asleep and woke up with leg cramps in the middle of the night. Later, I talked with the rehabilitation staff of the running group and found out that not only water is lost when sweating, but also electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. If you only drink pure water, it will dilute the electrolyte concentration in the body. The more you drink, the more likely it is to cause problems. Now after I finish running, I always take two or three sips of warm electrolyte water, wait for about ten minutes, and then slowly drink enough. I have never had any cramps again.

Nowadays, there is quite a debate on the Internet about whether to supplement protein after aerobic exercise. Some people say that aerobic exercise does not build muscles, and protein supplements are a complete waste of money. Others say that if you do not supplement, you will lose muscles. In fact, both opinions are a bit extreme. If you usually just walk briskly for 20 minutes a day and dance for half an hour of low-intensity exercise, you already have enough meat, eggs, and milk in your daily diet. There is really no need to supplement protein, just eat normally. ； But if you do aerobic exercise for more than an hour each time, such as running a half-marathon or riding dozens of kilometers long distances, and you are still in the fat loss period and are afraid of losing muscle, then it is absolutely fine to supplement 10-15g of protein after exercise. For example, eating a boiled egg and making half a cup of whey protein can reduce muscle breakdown and will not add any burden to the gastrointestinal tract.

Don’t believe the nonsense that “eating after aerobic exercise is a waste of exercise”. I couldn’t catch up with my meal after running the half marathon last time, so I bought a banana and a tea egg on the roadside. The total was only about 100 calories, which was not even a fraction of what I consumed. Instead, I replenished enough glycogen, and I wasn’t so sore the next day that I couldn’t get out of bed. The stomach and intestines that have just finished exercise are like those who have just finished running. They have not yet recovered from the excitement. Don’t stuff them with heavy foods such as fried chicken and iced milk tea. Not only will you not be able to replenish what you should replenish, but you will also easily suffer from gastrointestinal problems. The gain outweighs the loss. If you are just in time for a meal after exercising, just eat one meat, one vegetarian and one punch of staple food as normal, it will be more effective than any expensive supplements.