Feeding your fitness

Women and men require different nutritional approaches to promote muscle recovery after exercise. Optimally, women should refuel within 45 minutes, while men have up to three hours. Hormone differences drive women’s faster post-workout muscle breakdown. During the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, women may also crave more carbohydrates and want to eat more. Women should consume about 20 grams of protein within 45 minutes of working out. If fat loss is desired, women should cut calories at other times of the day, not after exercise.