Post workout nutrition while cutting

W

windjammer

New Member
I was wondering if it is a good idea to consume carbs after a workout while cutting? I have read that it is good to eat fruit / juice after a workout as this replenishes glycogen or something, but during cutting will this inhibit fat burning? Also, would it be smart to consume creatine while cutting? I found this product which has no sugar but a new form of carbs that is supposed to maximize creatine uptake...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nutrex/vitargo.html
 
I am no expert on cutting but plan to run a cut early next year, maybe even on HST. Your understanding of the post workout complex carb loading is correct, it will replenish your muscle glycogen stores and help facilitate recovery. I do not believe that this feeding will result in a conversion to fat as long as it is done within the one hour window after the workout and you arent doing something wild like eating a whole chocolate cake. I have done a post workout carb load for a long time now and have had no issues of undue weight / fat gain. I believe this is because the body is scavenging for carbs during this time period and the uptake goes directly to the blood stream to the muscles due to the depleted glycogen state the body is in.

My post workout shake is 16 - 20 oz 2% milk, two scoops whey protein, one scoop of powdered milk (looking to add some more milk protein sources for slow digestion since I workout in the evening), one whole banana and three table spoons of good old Hershey's chocolate syrup. I blend it all up with 6 - 8 ice cubes and it makes a very cold and thick shake that is actually pleasant to drink.

(Not looking forward to the cut. Wildman likes to eat big and lift big but I know I need to get rid of about 45# to reach my own personal goal of 280# body weight. I dont want to be super thin and cold all the time. Heh. I used to run ten miles easily at 280# and really felt very good at that weight.)
 
See? You got my mind on food and I never even addressed your creatine question. I have stayed on creatine now for three years with only a few weeks here and there off. The only thing I have noticed as far as side effects is a hardening of the stool (most likely due to near dehydration), water retention which is normal (the cause of my near dehydration), and a strong odor to my urine on occassion (also due to the dehydration I believe). I got about a 5% increase in my lifts when I first started using it, according to my logs. I also noted a significant decrease in DOMS after moderate exertion. Under a high level of exertion or when I swapped out exercises I still experience DOMS to some degree.

The long and short is that I dont think it will negatively impact your cut but that is just my instincts. I suppose you could possibly want to cut creatine out of the diet if you were looking for that paper thin skin appearance as the water retention could make you look fuller and mask striations. I would think you would do this closer to a bodybuilding meet and resume as soon as you were finished.

Hopefully a bodybuilder can confirm or deny my observations and give you better advise.

Good luck on that cut bud!
 
There's really no way creatine could hurt your cut that I could think of

As long as your running a net deficit, and vanilla cutting (not shooting for glycogen depletion in a refeed system)
carbs post workout and pre workout is fantastic. It'll keep you as anabolic as possible when you need it.

The fat loss will come from deficit. Don't aim to turn your weight lifting while cutting into fat burning, because thats not why you're doing it. You're doing it to keep beef!
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I have read that it is good to eat fruit / juice after a workout as this replenishes glycogen or something ...</div>
Just a precaution agains excessive fat gains:

Juice carbohydrate content is often made up of nearly half fructose, half glucose. Fructose is only processed by the liver, and when the liver glycogen stores are full, the excess fructose will be converted to fat, by a process called de novo lipogenenesis. Usually the liver can only store roughly 80 grams of glycogen, so if you know the liver glycogen stores are empty (after approx. 24 hours of fasting) you may have juice drinks roughly 160 grams worth of carbs (that is, if they are containing 50% fructose - grape juice is one exception). If the liver glycogen stores aren't empty you will have a lot less space to fill before the tank is full. Major bad!  
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On the other hand, you have to eat plenty of fruit to get that much carbs as you get from a single bottle of juice, so you may eat a lot of fruit without fear.  
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Carbs around a workout are very helpful. IIRC Lyle recommends 30g carbs during WOs even when people are on ketogenic diets. The intensity of the workout is important and carbs help you keep that intensity.

I wouldnt worry about DNL. I cant imagine anyone would drink that much fruit juice. DNL is uncommon under normal conditions, but someone who is hypocaloric and exercising has nothing to worry about in that aspect. The body prefers to use carbs over everything else and will do so if possible. Diet and exercise make it very possible. ANy intake of carbs will inhibit fat burning in the short term. Worry about calories in vs calories out.

I wouldnt worry about carbs with creatine either. Creatine in water will cause you to store creatine if capacity is available. The difference is not significant so i wouldnt worry about it. Just get some plain old CMH and dont pay for brand name crap that promises the world.
 
Yeah I was pleasantly surprised reading one of Bryan's articles about creatine, and not needing big time sugar to absorb it. I think the moral of the story was, in the short term, it increases uptake, but as long as you keep taking it you'll reach that saturation point with or without carbs.
 
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