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Fitness & Health

26th Oct 2016

Conor McGregor’s nutritionist says this is the biggest diet mistake people make after a workout

Ben Kenyon

Conor McGregor is back under the watchful eye of top UFC nutritionist Georges Lockhart.

There is nothing this man doesn’t know about performance nutrition and The Notorious will be hoping his knowledge can give him the edge in the octagon.

Weight cutting specialist Lockhart has been back imparting his boundless expertise in another vido blog with Firas Zahabi of the famous Tristar gym in Canada.

One question that came up was athletes (and the rest of us) fuelling their recovery after a heavy workout session.

Lockhart says there’s one mistake that people make above all others – that’s not eating the right macro nutrients immediately after you’ve trained.

He says people think they can just have a protein shake and will suffice, while others won’t eat for several hours until they get home.

Protein is important to give the body amino acids to help rebuild the muscles, but carbs are just as important.

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“Post workout is essential, he explains. “Load up on those carbs.”

“You definitely, definitely need to take in a fast acting carb and a lot of them, depending on the intensity and duration of the workout.

“A lot of people don’t realise this but they will workout and then they don’t have anything after the workout.

“They go ‘oh, I had a protein shake’ and then they get home two or three hours later and they’re starving.

“At that point they overindulge themselves. But if you give your body what it needs, when it needs it, then later on its not going to affect you.”

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So what are the best kind of carbs to eat? Whether you get your carbs in liquid form, or like Lockhart through eat natural, whole food, you want fast-acting, sugary carbs that get into your system quick.

“I like to eat my carbs. I’m not going to say ‘it’s the best thing. There’s the ‘perfect diet’ and then there’s the ‘perfect diet, for you’.

“I will have raisins right after I’ve worked out or even cranberries. Dates is a really good one. A lot of sugar, it’s fast acting and it gets to your body quickly, replenishes it and give you what you need.

“It’s also got magnesium and a bit of calcium in it too.”

It just goes to show you don’t need dozens of expensive sports supplements to give your body optimal performance nutrition.