Figuring out PWO carbohydrates

[Daniel Olmstead]

Over the past couple months, I think I've gotten pretty good at the low-carb diet. Most days I'm under 100g carbs, and about 25 of those are fiber.

However, on the advice of gurus like Robb Wolf and Mike O'Donnell, I'm interested in tweaking the diet to allow a relative binge in carbs for the meal immediately following workouts. The purpose for this is to refuel muscle and liver glycogen quickly, and hopefully speed recovery. I know enough from related research to make some general assumptions, but I do have some questions I'm hoping you kind folks could answer.

Here are my assumptions. Please challenge them if they are in error.

• The meal should come within 2 hours of the workout. 1 hour would be better.
• I should aim for an approximate 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein.
• Since fat slows carb absorption, I should keep fat to a minimum.
• The carbohydrates should come from real food - not powdered shakes.
• It's OK if the carbs are relatively high GI (ie, rice), but probably shouldn't all be from sugar.
• On rest days and pre-workout on evening workout days, I should still eat as low-carb, high-protein & fat as possible.

Here are my questions:

• I understand the exact amount of carbs varies from person to person and probably also depends on the severity and type of workout, but where's a good place to start, roughly? 100g? Is it fair to say that the more wiped I feel, the more carbs I should allow?
• It feels natural to do this after metcons or high-volume work, but what about low volume, 5x5 type stuff?

Here are some sample meals I've come up with, let me know if any of these are a bad idea:

• Low-fat kefir and fruit smoothie
• Burrito with rice & beans, no guacamole or sour cream
• Spaghetti and meatballs
• A scramble or omelet with toast and hashbrowns (this may be high in fat)

[Gittit Shwartz]

I'm no expert on PWO nutrition but off the bat I don't think you'll get much love on here for the last three (non-Paleo) options on a regular basis. Yams or berries are better.

Other than that, if you do a search I think you'll find an answer to most of these questions, and if you don't, that question probably falls under the category of "try and see what works for you".

Hope this helps

[Dan Heaney]

According to the book "Nutrient Timing"

Before
Whey: 5-6g
High GI carbs: 20-26g

After
Whey: 13-15g
High GI carbs: 40-50

Usually you see 3:1 CHO/PRO or 4:1 CHO/PRO ratios recommended

I usually have 35g CHO and around 20g PRO (only because that what's in a scoop of whey) before and eat low fat meal about 45-60 min later. I say don't worry so much about the ratios of you PWO meal as long as you are getting a good amount of PRO and CHO and keep the fat as low as you can.

Here are some sample meals I've come up with, let me know if any of these are a bad idea:
Low-fat kefir and fruit smoothie
Burrito with rice & beans, no guacamole or sour cream
Spaghetti and meatballs
A scramble or omelet with toast and hashbrowns (this may be high in fat)

Not so sure I'd eat ground beef or eggs in the PWO because of the fat or beans because of the fiber. I usually have rice, baked potatos, sweet potatoes something along those lines.