After a workout session is a great time for your body to assimilate many important nutrients. Your muscles are striving for protein, your body is depleted of carbohydrates, and your body is ready to absorb many important supplements.
First I recommend a high protein liquid shake. A liquid shake is absorbed quickly after a workout, and you can digest almost twice as much protein after weight training. For example if I can eat and digest 15-20 grams of protein any time during the day, after a workout I could digest 40-50 grams of protein.
Your body needs carbohydrates after a workout to replenish the glycogen that it used. Your body uses glycogen that is stored in the muscles and it needs to be replaced after using weights. This is one time a day that a simple carbohydrate such as sugar would be a good choice. It will digest fast and raise the blood sugar back up.
After a workout is also a good time to take other supplements because they will digest extremely fast. If you are taking any joint products that would be a good time to add them into a shake. Also, after a workout, creatine and glutamine would be a good addition to any supplement program.
Trainer Tips: Some products offer a combination designed to give you all of your supplements after a workout. Check out Genetidyne’s Aftermath. It combines carbohydrates, creatine, glutamine, antioxidants, glucosamine (for: joint repair), and amino acids all designed to help recover after a workout.