Did you know that what you eat directly after exercising – typically within two hours – can have a significant impact on the health benefits you reap from your exercise?

Consuming sugar within this post-exercise window, will negatively affect both your insulin sensitivity and your human growth hormone (HGH) production.

A recent study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that eating a low-carbohydrate meal after aerobic exercise enhances your insulin sensitivity. This is highly beneficial, since impaired insulin sensitivity, or insulin resistance, is the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes and a significant risk factor for other chronic diseases, such as heart disease.

In addition, as HGH Magazine explains, consuming fructose, including that from fruit juices, within this two-hour window will decimate your natural HGH production:

"A high sugar meal after working out, or even a recovery drink (containing high sugar) after working out, will stop the benefits of exercise induced HGH. You can work out for hours, then eat a high sugar candy bar or have a high sugar energy drink, and this will shut down the synergistic benefits of HGH. 

… If you miss reaching HGH release during working out, you will still receive the calorie burning benefit from the workout. However, you'll miss the HGH "synergy bonus" of enhanced fat burning for two hours after working out.

This is an extremely important fact to remember if you want to cut body fat and shed a few pounds.

The University of Virginia research team demonstrated that carbohydrates are burned during exercise in direct proportion to the intensity of training. Fat burning is also correlated with intensity. However, the actual fat burning takes place after the workout, during the recovery. 

This makes the "Synergy Window," the 2 hour period after a workout, very important in maximizing HGH, once it's released during exercise.

… If you are middle-age and want all the benefits from exercise induced HGH, then apply this strategy."

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/07/27/the-growing-promise-of-shorter-more-intense-strength-training-workouts.aspx

According to a study published in Journal of Applied Physiology, “Maintaining an energy deficit after exercise had the most potent effect on lipid metabolism, as measured by a higher plasma triacylglycerol concentration, and increased plasma fatty acid mobilization and oxidation compared with when in nutrient balance. Carbohydrate deficit after exercise, but not energy deficit, contributed to the insulin sensitizing effects of acute aerobic exercise. Whereas maintaining an energy deficit after exercise augmented lipid mobilization”.

Sean Alec Newsom et. al.  Energy deficit after exercise augments lipid mobilization but does not contribute to the exercise-induced increase in insulin sensitivity. J Appl Physiol (December 31, 2009).

http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/01106.2009v1

So what is the bottom line?

The following is excerpted from Limiting Refined Sugar After Workouts

by Phil Campbell - Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness for Time Crunched Adults posted at :

http://www.howtobefit.com/limiting-refined-sugar.htm

Refined sugar causes the body to produce more insulin to reduce blood sugar.  This increase in insulin also causes the release of Somatostatin, a neurohormone that inhibits Growth Hormone.

Elevated insulin levels contribute to the reduced growth hormone (GH) response to GH-releasing hormone in obese subjects, 1999, Lanzi

In another study, researchers report similar findings, "insulin exerts a negative effect on GH release," (Evidence for an inhibitory effect of physiological levels of insulin on the growth hormone (GH) response to GH-releasing hormone in healthy subjects, 1997, Lanzi).

So if someone does high intensity interval strength training, or high intensity interval sprint workout and increases their body’s natural supply of anti-aging, weight reducing, muscle building exercise-induced growth hormone, and immediately after the workout eats a postworkout shake containing sugar or a candy bar, this will defeat the purpose of the high intensity training.