healthmedicinet

The question: “I often run errands after the gym and don’t eat something until an hour or two later—am I missing out on the post-workout refueling benefits that experts always talk about?”

The expert: Heather Bauer, R.D., founder of Nu-Train, a diet and nutrition counseling center in New York City

The answer: After a workout, your muscles are primed to take up protein to repair damaged tissue—which means refueling shortly after you leave the gym is ideal for building up your body. (Read: seeing faster progress!) “Post-workout is when your body is most hungry for protein,” says Bauer. You also need to restore your glycogen levels—i.e., your body’s stored carbs—which have likely been depleted by exercise.

Of course, some people feel nauseous immediately after exercise, making it tough to stomach even a small snack. (This may be especially true after a crazy-hard workout.) If that’s you, “it’s fine if you want to wait half an hour before eating,” says Bauer. “You can let your body calm down.” 

But you really shouldn’t go much longer than that since your blood sugar could plummet. The result: You may choose a chocolate bar rather than a piece of fruit and peanut butter, since you’ve entered a state of feed-me-now hypoglycemia, she says.

Another motivation to dig in right away: Exercise gives your metabolism a jolt, so you’re more likely to quickly burn off the food you eat immediately post-workout.

What’s the ideal post-workout munchie? Here are some snacks you can easily throw in your gym bag—perfect for eating while doing errands.

MORE: QA: What’s the Best Dinner to Eat After an Evening Workout?