THE ANABOLIC WINDOW

foto: Iza Grzybowska

Every organism during a challenging workout goes through particular processes. Glucose level in blood drops sharply and adrenal glands start to produce cortisol. Catabolic processes break down your muscles, glycogene supplies are used and you also experience loss of water and electrolytes.

To get your body back on an even keel you need to provide it with a portion of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, right after your workout such as the bars and balls that I make for my husband and myself. A sugar shot like this lowers the cortisol level and enables insulin to work its magic in anabolic processes (building). This is the exact moment when the so called anabolic window “opens”. It’s a it’s a period of time after your training session when your body is particularly primed to accept food. Because our organism needs some building material, for the next meal, we need to provide it with protein. It can be either meat or fish with vegetables, with a minimum amount of fat.

An athlete who replaces fluids and electrolytes, eats (preferably in the locker room) a portion of carbohydrtaes with a high GI level and half an hour later eats a protein meal will really benefit from a hard training. Using the anabolic window right helps the muscle, strength and power growth.