Why You Should Try Eating Eggs After A Workout

Working out is one of the best things you can do for your health and wellbeing. Research has shown that having a consistent workout routine can provide a number of health benefits and can even help you live longer. Maintaining a consistent exercise practice can boost brain health, sharpen cognition and judgment, improve the health of bones, muscles, and joints, decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve sleep quality, and help control blood sugar. Regular exercise also helps improve strength, balance, physical function, and cognition as you age, which is why it is particularly important for older people to maintain an active lifestyle. Additionally, people who regularly get their heart rate up have reduced chances of developing many serious illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and type two diabetes, according to the CDC.

However, working out is only one end of the equation. Nutrition is another very important part of a healthy lifestyle, and these two pieces often go hand in hand. In fact, one of the most important ways to boost the effectiveness of your workout is by following it up with a healthy, post-workout snack. But what's the best thing to eat after finishing your sweat session?

You might have noticed that working out can build up quite the appetite. But you might want to be mindful of what you reach for after pumping iron or lacing up your running shoes and hitting the trails. You probably already know that hydrating after working out is essential, but post-workout nutrition can be just as important as post-workout hydration. In fact, a good post-workout snack can aid in muscle recovery, repair muscle protein, stimulate the growth of new muscles, and even help boost your athletic performance the next time you exercise, according to Healthline.

According to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, eating "an intake of ~ 20–25 g of a high-quality protein" helps to maximize muscle protein synthesis after working out. Eggs, which contain about 6 grams of high-quality protein in a single serving, are the perfect food to help deliver this protein boost without a lot of unnecessary additives, such as sugar, according to Today. 

Eggs also contain all nine amino acids, which are essential to your diet because the human body cannot synthesize them on its own, per the North Carolina Egg Association. The fact they're also cheap, versatile, and easy to prepare makes them just about the perfect post-workout food.

While eggs are a great source of protein and amino acids, they aren't the only dietitian-approved post-workout snack. Foods that contain a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat are ideal for helping you increase your muscle growth and aid in recovery after an intense workout. 

While protein is what stimulates the growth of new muscles and aids in muscle protein repair, carbs are important for replenishing the body's glycogen stores, which are depleted during exercise, according to Healthline. And while fats may not play as essential a role in recovery, eating healthy fats along with your carbs and protein can help slow your digestion without affecting the absorption of nutrients. Well-rounded snacks, such as apples and peanut butter, avocado on whole grain toast with eggs, or Greek yogurt with fruit are all healthy options to reach for after your workout.

The timing of your meal also has an important impact on your recovery. Experts recommend eating within a two-hour window after you finish your workout to reap the most benefits from the nutrients, according to the Mayo Clinic. So the next time you work up a sweat in the gym, at the track, or in the weight room, don't forget to pack a healthy snack to fuel up after your workout is done.