Quick Pre and Post-Workout Snacks When On The Go
Article by: Bryan Baez
Have you ever been in a hurry to get to the gym or been in a hurry to be somewhere after the gym, and have very little time to sit down and eat something, or forget to bring your supplements with you. Well here are a few quick pre and post-workout snacks you can grab when on the go, that supplement your hard work at the gym.
Iso-pure Zero Carb Drink
This drink has everything you need pre and post- workout. It has 40 grams of protein in one bottle, it also has zero carbs and zero fats which is excellent. Also, it is made of whey protein isolate. Whey protein is the best type of protein to have pre and post workout, due to its high muscle protein synthesis. Whey protein isolate is quickly absorbed by the muscles, so, much of the protein is not wasted.
By it being absorbed quickly by the muscles, it helps repair your muscle fibers much faster, which in turn helps you build muscle. Another great part about it is it has very little lactose, so you don’t have to worry about the bloating or stomach issues that come with lactose containing protein drinks/shakes. The only downfall is it is hard to find and taste a bit chalky but if your all about gains taste shouldn’t be a big factor in our, eyes.
All around this is a great snack/drink when on the go.
Muscle Milk Pro Series
You should be able to grab this one at a lot of the bigger gas stations or vending coolers/ machines at the gym. This is another great go-to snack, it has 40 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and 2.5 grams of fat. Just the like the isopure it has great protein to calories/fats ratio. Also, it tastes pretty good given the low-fat and low sugar content.
The only downfall is, it is made mostly of milk protein isolate, which is about 80% casein protein. The casein protein is slow digesting, and doesn’t have the same high muscle protein synthesis, as whey protein does. Then again there is very little pre- ade protein drinks/snacks that are made of whey protein (except for the Isopure zero carb drink). All in all, this is a great protein snack pre and post-workout.
It has everything you need to support your workout, pre and post workout.
The Lean Body Protein Shake
Also, a good choice and it tastes pretty good. The only drawback compared to the other mentioned protein shakes, is that it has 9 grams of fat, so it is not necessarily lean, when compared to the other protein drinks. On top of that it is made of milk protein isolate. Being made of milk protein isolate and containing some fat, may slow the digestion of it a bit more, not allowing that high muscle protein synthesis to happen.
But like we said earlier there is very little of the pre- made whey protein drinks out in the market except for the Iso-pure zero carb drink that we know of (might be some other ones, but that is the only one were aware of). So, this is a good protein drink either way.
Quest Protein Bars
These are available at most gas stations and are very popular. The amount of protein changes between flavors but on average they have 21 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat and 21 grams of carbs. This isn’t to bad, it is right in the middle. When it comes to protein bars, no matter what protein bar you get, you are always going to get some carbs and fats with them.
The only way you minimalize carbs and fats in a protein bar is by getting ones with higher sugar alcohols. However, bars with too high in sugar alcohols could cause diarrhea. If we had the choice, we would rather stick to protein drinks if accessible pre and post workout when in a bind, but, if you must go the bar route this is a great bar.
It is very balanced and has a good amount of protein.
The Pure Protein Bars
This bar, the Brand Pure Protein Bar, is also very common in bigger gas stations and vending coolers/ machines at the gym. It has about 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of sugar and 20 grams of protein. It has a little bit more sugar alcohols than the quest bar, but, we are guessing they added the sugar alcohols to help lower the fat content a bit.
All around it is a solid bar and has a good protein to fat/ carbs ratio. It is a very good choice among bars.
In summary, we recommend you try sticking to shakes/drinks pre and post-workout when in a bind as they are leaner and higher in protein content. You can also just reach for a protein bar if there are no other options. It all depends on your daily calorie restrictions/diet specifications. One thing is for sure, you should always try to have some type of protein in your bloodstream pre-workout and post-workout.
Pre-workout – to provide a buffer to prevent muscle breakdown and post-workout – to repair and build the muscles. If we had to pick between all, we would go with the Iso-pure zero carb, it is just the best of all worlds. Not taking anything away from the rest they are all great, and give you that protein needed for your workout. If you are looking for vending machines that have all these great options, look for our vending machines at stayhealthyvendingmiami.
Meet Bryan Baez: A fitness enthusiast. who intensively writes about nutrition and health related topics. He also owns a healthy vending machine company, and you can feel free to check him out at http://www.stayhealthyvendingmiami.com/
