Is Green Juice Good After a Workout?

Should you skip the Gatorade or protein shake and take a green juice instead? Well, that’s what we’re going to discuss in this article.

A lot of people are tired of being a slave to marketing and buying the latest protein shake, energy drink with supplements, or fancy sugar drink. These people want to take control of their health and their life and are not satisfied with just drinking some premade drink that has been sitting on the supermarket shelves for months.

We’re going to break this article down into a few sections. The first one will discus if it’s even a good idea to drink a green juice after you workout.

Then we’re going to review what sort green drinks you should be incorporating into your pre or post workout routine.

It’s that simple.

Before or After: Best Time to Drink a Green Juice

Alright, here we’ve come to the first question that needs to be answered. Should you be drinking a green drink before or after your workout. And honestly, there are a few different approaches to this question. My contention is that drinking a green drink can be beneficial either before or after a workout.

However, there is some decent science that backs up the idea that it’s better post workout. While a pre-workout juice has some benefits, I am a strong advocate for a post workout drink.

The main reason that I suggest taking your green juice after you workout is that you’re going to avoid a sugar rush. That’s not something you want during your workout. Again, while some people like the idea of a pre-workout where you take caffeine or some other stimulant, I’m not a big advocate of it.

And while fresh green juice isn’t going to provide the same kick that caffeine will, it’s still a strong energy boost.

So, if it does provide this energy boost, why don’t I suggest taking it?

Well, it has to do with the sugar in juices. Now, while that sugar is healthy and natural, it’s still a sugar. It is not something that is necessarily going to provide a long lasting energy throughout your workout. And in some cases it can cause a “crash and burn” to come upon you.

The better option is to take that juice post workout–and to take a juice that’s not loaded up with sugars. While some sugar is beneficial after a workout (the reason you see guys in the gym eating candy after they workout) it’s not necessary unless you’re training super hard like a pro bodybuilder–honestly other people are overdoing it.

The reason behind spiking insulin post workout has to do with muscle growth and protein synthesis. And unless you’re hyper advanced and training super hard, just focus on normal training.

 

Why Are Green Juices Good After You Workout?

 

Alright, so why exactly should you have your green juice after you workout?

Basically, the reason why I think that a green juice is best for after your workout has to do with the immediate effects of a fresh juice.

When you drink a fresh juice you are going get an immediate burst of energy, but not anything that is going to let you power through a workout in the same way that a “pre-workout” would let you. Of course, a green juice is also much healthier than a pre-workout that you get in the store (I don’t think I have to cover the endless ways that pre-workouts can damage your body-damage your heart, kidneys, and liver!).

No, the reason that a green juice is best for a post workout drink is that it replenishes and provides nutrients in ways that regular sports drinks don’t.

If you’re making a good green juice with a combo of fruits and green vegetables, then you’re going to get healthy sugars as well as vitamins and minerals that you can’t get from a simple store brought juice.

As a matter of fact, if you look at some of the other benefits that you can get with a green juice, when coupled with the right fruits such as dark cherries, then you also get a great anti-inflammatory benefits. And when you’ve just put in a long session at the gym (be it weight lifting or cardio) you should be concerned about inflammation.

I like to tell people that green juices can be amazing recovery drinks. Think of them as refreshing and healthy recovery juices for after a hard workout. And, unlike a protein shake, they can quench your thirst! That’s not something that a protein shake will do.

And believe me, I like Protein shakes and think they definitely have their place in a workout plan. But, protein shakes and green juices serve two separate roles. One (the protein shake) is designed to build muscle. You can blend up a protein shake and hit your macro protein goals super easy. The green juice, on the other hand, is better designed for recovery and stamina.

It’s important to remember that inflammation after exercise is not something to be concerned about. In fact, it’s been well documented that exercise can overtime reduce the effect of chronic inflammation.

What Type of Green Juices Should You Drink Post-Gym

 

 

 

 

 

What I suggest you do is make a green juice that has the addition of a small amount of fruit. This serves two purposes.

First, the fruit makes the green juice taste better. And if it does nothing else, that would be enough. Because for most people, a green juice isn’t that tasty. It’s not something that you really want to drink, but more something that you feel you should drink.

So, the main thing I would do before selecting the greens for your juice is to select the fruit you would want. Then you can build your juice around those choices.

I would choose dark cherries or organic lemons. The lemon is a good option for those who want to cut down the sweetness by something that is sour.

As for what type of green juices you should choose to juice for a post workout drink? I would stick to kale or spinach or wheatgrass.

Spinach should be juiced in moderation–oxalic acid is a concern–which is why I tend to prefer kale or wheatgrass (both of which have lower levels of this particular acid.

When making a green juice, you should opt for a juice that is nutrient dense, thirst quenching, and also doesn’t create any inflammation issues.

So, my suggestion would be as follows:

Kale or Wheatgrass for the Greens

Lemon for the fruit (choose an organic lemon and juice the entire fruit, peel included).

Coconut Water (added once the juice is finished) to lighten the juice and make it more thirst quenching.

When you finish the kale/wheatgrass and lemon, then what I would suggest it to add a dash of organic turmeric powder to the juice, and then add some cold coconut water. Any brand of coconut water is good as long as it’s straight coconut water–don’t get one with added sugars. Zico is a popular brand, as is Vita.

Then you can mix the juice in a blender bottle or some other container and you’ll be set.

Can You Drink Juice After a Workout?

Of course you can, hence why I am advising you to drink a green juice after a workout and not before.

The primary reason that you want to keep your juice until after you have finished working out is so you can reap the benefits of an anti-inflammatory, thirst quenching, and recovery juice. That’s not something you want or nee pre-workout. It won’t hurt, but the real benefits come post workout, after you’re stressed out your body and put it through the max.

If you are someone who is an advanced lifter, or has your gym goals down tight…then great. If not I’ll link to some good workout plans in the next post. Stay tuned.

And for anyone who has yet  to buy a juicer, I recombed reading my article on the best juicers for beginners. It covers everything you will need to know.

 

Sources

1. Functional Beverages For Athletics – Study
2. Fasted Exercise- Study on Performance
3. Pomegranates For Post-Workout Recovery
4. Pre-workout Stimulant