What do you take after you workout? Nothing? Water? Gatorade?

The science out there says that during and after your workout you should have a drink with a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein.  I go with 80 grams of a Dextrose/Maltodextrin mix with a 20g scoop of whey protein, mixed in 24 oz of water.  Yum!

There is a great book out there called Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition
that details what happens in your body during and after exercise, and what you should do during those windows to get the most benefit from your workouts.  I read it a few years back and adhere to its principles to this day.

The short end of all the research is that if you do your workout nutrition right, you will minimize soreness and recovery time while maximizing strength and size gains.

My favorite nutrition author, John Berardi, writes tons of really good articles online, one of which discusses Nutrient Timing and the science behind it.  It is long, but a really good read…The Science of Nutrient Timing.