By Elena Voropay

Building muscle. This is the reason you go to the gym - become stronger, leaner and bigger. But while you are working out it's the opposite process that takes place in your body - you are becoming weaker and weaker with every rep. The ultimate 'building' phase starts the minute you put the weights down after a super-intense workout. If you could zoom down to the microscopic level of your muscles, you'll be surprised, astonished and maybe frightened. You probably didn't realize what a tremendous damage you've done to your muscles by torturing yourself on the threshold to perfect physique.

While you rest and relax after the hard work, your body is not. In fact, the inside of your body is undergoing the most necessary part of building muscle - "recovery", the repair of torn muscle fibers and growth of tissue cells. In order to protect against future trauma, muscle fibers need to become stronger and bigger during recovery. The greater muscle tears, the stronger they might become. But only if there is sufficient energy for growth.

Protein is known to help recovery. And so are carbohydrates. But when and how much is a continuous discussion. The research has supported the claim that you can facilitate the recovery by eating 0.5 g of protein along with 1.5 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight withing 30 minutes of exercise. Even though they don't have a good reputation in the "diet-world", high-glyceimc carbs work best in this equasion. Dextrose, maltodextrin, sucrose may all be consumed in the form of honey, table sugar or fruit juice.

When you take carbohydrates and protein together, two hormones essential for recovery are released. Insulin levels go up speeding up the movement of glucose and amino acids into starving cells. Insuling serves as an acceleration pedal fueling the glycogen-making engine.Another chemical messenger is growth hormone conduive to muscle growth and recovery.

The word of caution - if you miss the 'gold 30 minutes' after the workout and not supply your broken down muscles with growth energy, they will not only cease to grow, but start corroding from the inside to make up for lost glycogen. The end result - smaller and weaker lean tissue. And all the brutalizing workouts at the gym are a waste of time. So plan your meals ahead - take a snack or a shake to the gym with you, and drink it on your way out.