The Workout Hangover: Why You Feel Heavy The Next Day
Carbohydrate timing is about tomorrow’s performance.
We recently looked at the 30-minute protein window, telling you that you don't need to panic and chug a shake in the locker room.
But when it comes to Carbohydrates, timing plays a very specific role. It isn't about today's gains, it's about tomorrow's performance.
If you have ever walked into the gym feeling heavy, slow, or sluggish, you might simply be under-fueled.
Here is the physiology of the Low Carb Hangover and why skipping carbs after a workout can seriously slow you down and make you question your own fitness.
The Fuel Tank (Glycogen)
When you lift weights or do high-intensity conditioning, your body burns Glycogen. This is sugar stored in your muscles and liver. It is your premium fuel source for high-output activity.
Think of your muscles like a gas tank. A hard workout burns through a significant portion of that fuel.
If you go home and eat a low-carb dinner (e.g., just chicken and salad), you are not refilling the tank. You go to sleep with the needle on half-empty.
The Consequence: The Next Morning
You wake up. You feel fine. Sleep was great! But when you get to the gym for your next session, the wheels fall off.
1. Perceived Exertion Skyrockets Your brain is smart. It senses that fuel stores are low. To protect you, it increases your Rate of Perceived Exertion. 100 pounds feels like 200. You feel like you should be done after the warmup. This is your brain's governor mechanism trying to force you to slow down because the tank is low.
2. The Cortisol Spike Training on low glycogen is a major stressor. When fuel availability is low, your body pumps out extra Cortisol to mobilize energy from other sources (like breaking down muscle tissue). By skipping carbs, you are effectively turning a training session into a stress session.
3. Flat Muscles (The Water Balloon Effect)
Think of your muscles like a water balloon.
When you eat carbs, your body stores them in your muscles. But here is the trick: Carbs are like a magnet for water. For every bit of carbs you store, your body pulls in three times as much water with it.
This makes the muscle tight, full, and springy like a water balloon that is filled to the top. This tightness gives your body better leverage. It creates a strong, stable base to push from.
If you skip the carbs, you lose that water. Your muscles become like a half empty balloon. They are soft and squishy. It is much harder to lift heavy weights with a squishy muscle than a firm one.
your post-workout meal should include a serving of mostly whole-food carbohydrates.
The meal following your workout is important - it should include whole food carbohydrates (minimally processed).
The Solution: Refill the Tank
You don't need to eat a bag of gummies after a workout… but the meal following your workout is critical.
If you train in the evening, your dinner must contain carbohydrates.
Why? Digestion takes time.
If you skip carbs at dinner and try to catch up by eating a banana 30 minutes before your morning workout, it's too late. That fuel won't be synthesized into muscle glycogen in time. You need to refill the tank the night before.
The Strategy: Refuel Properly
On hard training days, your post-workout meal should include a serving of mostly whole-food carbohydrates to replenish glycogen and set you up for tomorrow’s session.
Think:
Rice
Potatoes or sweet potatoes
Oats
Fruit
Other starchy vegetables
More processed carb options can fit occasionally, but they shouldn’t be your default. Whole-food carb sources bring more than just fuel, they also provide fibre, micronutrients, and better appetite control, helping you recover, feel energized, and stay consistent long-term (not just survive the next workout).
A solid post-workout dinner might look like:
Protein: chicken, fish, eggs, tofu
Carbs: rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit
Vegetables: whatever you enjoy and digest well
Fueling well isn’t about eating anything with carbs, it’s about choosing foods that support performance, recovery, and overall health.
Take the next step
If you are ready to rebuild your energy, strength, and confidence, let’s talk. Sit down with us for a free No-Sweat Intro, where we will go over your goals and design a strategy that works for you.