Not so conventional wisdom.

What if we told you everything you knew about carbs was wrong? You probably wouldn’t take to it to kindly and quote some workout science you probably read on a website (maybe this website). While we’re not exactly saying that, we are saying that information on carbs has changed, and your conventional wisdom might just be outdated.

The reason why you want carbs after a workout is because it aids in the breakdown of proteins your body is craving after a long day at the gym. Carbohydrates also spike insulin, which when reacted with amino acids will downregulate muscle protein breakdown and reduce UPP (ubiquitin-proteasome pathway). This is why you’ll often find traditional builders doing things like a high-glycemic index shake with some added protein/BCAAs after exercise, because they figure the insulin flood will only aid in rebuilding the muscle.

But according to a study in the American Journal of Physiology this could be wrong, or at the very least unnecessary. The study gave tested participants after a leg resistance workout, giving them similar amounts of essential amino acids (20 grams) and differing the amount of carbs from 30 grams (low) to 90 grams (high). The results showed that there was no significant increase in the amount of muscle protein synthesis past the 30 grams mark. The researchers did not detect any significant differences in gene expression for markers of muscle catabolism following larger dosages of carbohydrates. In fact, the changes in muscle protein metabolism that were detected, changed when the essential amino acids were manipulated, irrespective of the carbohydrate dose or insulin spike.

In short make sure your essential aminos are in order and keep your protein intake to about 30 grams post workout if you want to capitalize on the protein synthesis ceiling. This is not a hard and fast rule as everyone’s chemistry will be slightly different, just a general guide based off of research. If you like all the post workout shakes with all the bells and whistles, go for it. It may not necessarily be harmful, but if you’re working on a need to know basis, now you know.

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