He has reportedly worked with The Rock and LL Cool J
A well-known celebrity trainer and bodybuilding coach has explained why, in his opinion, gummy bears are a wise choice post-workout.
Dr. Jim Stoppani is an exercise physiologist who counts The Rock, LL Cool J and a vast number of fitness personalities among his previous clientele.
You might assume someone of his standing would be a proponent of a highly-strict ‘clean eating’ diet plan, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Stoppani likes to eat sweets post-workout, and is encouraging others to do the same.
In a video posted to his Instagram page, Stoppani said:
“Following a workout, there’s nothing I look forward to more than recovering with a handful of gummy bears.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLSZ5h0pQNN/
But there’s method behind the apparent madness. It isn’t as simple as wolfing down as many tins of Christmas chocolate as possible.
Stoppani added: “The best, the fastest and the most complete muscle recovery occurs when you consume carbs immediately after you train in the same form as your blood sugar (glucose). It’s often listed on food packages as dextrose.”
He then explained why he opts for gummy bears in particular.
“If I specifically recommend Haribo gummies, it’s because they use more glucose and dextrose and less fructose.
“Fructose is problematic because it’s not even in the same form as glucose. Your body has to convert it to glucose. This takes far too long after exercise to provide any recovery benefits.”
You should still avoid certain kinds of sweets and candy after training, however, according to Stoppani.
“Look for candies that don’t list sugar or high-fructose corn syrup first on the ingredients list and instead list ingredients like dextrose, glucose or corn syrup.”
To optimise muscle recovery after training, the ex-Yale University educator recommends consuming 30-60 grams of carbohydrate and 30-40 grams of protein.
