Bodybuilding Tips - Eating Honey Post-Workout



Many bodybuilders consume maltodextrin or dextrose for the energy required to complete 60 to 120 minutes weight and cardio training sessions. These carbohydrate sources are selected because of their slow-burning nature, which aids in blood glucose level management following workouts as well. However, many bodybuilders are quickly discovering that honey is a great substitute with some additional benefits.

Honey, like dextrose, is terrific in post-workout protein shakes for increasing insulin levels in this very small anabolic growth window. Not only does it provide a different taste (always a plus in the bland world we know as bodybuilding nutrition), but the body, which can actually stretch this anabolic window for a longer period of time, also burns it slower. Honey should not replace dextrose as your primary post-workout carbohydrate source. After all, nearly half of its calories come from fructose, the carb flavor that often becomes fat. But it is a viable option to keep on hand should you ever run out of dextrose, if you're enjoying a cheat meal, or if you're in a bulking phase and extra calories are what you are seeking. Honey can be purchased at any grocery store, and can be a great grab if you're on the road without a good protein shake, and just picking up some lunch meat or other quick protein source following a workout. Knock down 1-2 tablespoons of honey with the meat for maximization of that time period following a workout. A fast food solution (which should always be the exception, not the rule) would be some KFC chicken smothered in honey from their handy honey packets.

Honey also provides additional anti-oxidant effects on the body, making it doubly useful for bodybuilders in that all-important recovery window following a workout. Be careful if you are allergic to honey (as many are) and consult a doctor if you have any adverse reactions to this tasty and useful food. Enjoy the variety and added benefits that honey can provide to your bodybuilding diet!


Dane Fletcher is the world's most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.

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