Just finished a hard workout session? If so, the next thing on your mind should be getting in your post workout nutrition. What you eat immediately after a workout session is going to have a significant influence on how quickly you recover post workout and therefore, how fast you can get back into the gym again to train hard for your next session.

The body requires both protein as well as carbohydrates immediately after exercise to replenish used up muscle glycogen as well as provide the energy and building blocks for the muscle repair and rebuilding process.

You may already realize that whey protein powder is ideal post workout due to its fast digesting nature. But, what about carbohydrates? Which carbs should you be focusing on?

Here are three perfect post workout carbohydrates that you’ll want to consider.

BANANAS

When it comes to post workout fuel, it doesn’t get much better than the banana. The reason the banana is so great is because it contains potassium, which can help replenish your potassium stores which may be low due to the intense exercise just performed, and it also contains a good dose of starch and sugar.

Unlike most other fruits which just contain sugar, bananas contain more starch as well, which is what will help restore muscle glycogen.

Combine that with the natural sugar found in the banana, which helps to spike insulin levels so the starch and protein get into the muscle cells and you have the ideal food on your hands.

Two bananas will work great for those on muscle building plans.

SWEET POTATOES

Sweet potatoes are another excellent choice. These are going to help restore muscle glycogen without producing an incredibly high blood glucose spike followed by crash. This doesn’t mean they will delay recovery however.

They do still contain some natural sugars, so the carbs will still make their way into the muscle tissues in time for proper muscle repair and refueling.

Boiled sweet potatoes are even better as this will increase the GI rating slightly.

DATES

Finally, another fruit that you may wish to consider is dates. If you are someone who can’t tolerate solid food well post workout, dates work great because they’re so dense, so you won’t need to eat many to get the carbs in you need.

Dates also have a high GI rating, but provide nutrition along with the sugars they provide, so will the healthier way to restore muscle glycogen after a hard workout session.

Just four to five dates, depending on the workout just performed should be sufficient in the immediate post workout period. Then you can follow that up with a solid meal about an hour later to finish off the recovery process.

So keep these tips in mind as you plan your post workout meal. You want to typically aim for around 50-100 grams of carbs post workout depending on your overall calorie intake requirements as well as the length and intensity of the workout just performed.