Eating fast food after a workout may be just as beneficial as dietary supplements , a study has claimed . Researchers found that during recovery periods between periods of exercise , it didn ’ t matter what food was eaten . Performance remained the same after resting for several hours , while levels of glycogen - used by muscles as ‘ fuel ’ - were actually slightly higher after fast food was eaten as a recovery food . Research led by the University of Montana has found that eating fast food ( stock image shown ) after a workout may be just as beneficial as dietary supplements . Researchers found that during recovery periods between periods of exercise , it didn ’ t matter what food was eaten . The research , published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism , was led by University of Montana graduate student Michael Cramer . In the study , 11 male athletes were asked to fast for 12 hours , before a 90-minute endurance workout . After this , half were fed hot cakes , hash browns and orange juice , followed by a burger , fries and a Coke two hours later . If you fancy a burger , then sprint to the fast-food joint to get it . Short bursts of intensive exercise before a high-fat meal can help protect blood vessels from the effects of a poor diet , researchers have found . Just eight minutes of high-intensity cycling was found to be more beneficial than going at a moderate pace for 25 minutes - the current recommended level . Scientists at the University of Exeter say the short burst approach may be more appealing to youngsters - few of whom achieve even the minimum of an hour of moderate exercise a day . The other group were given Gatorade , organic peanut butter and Cliff Shot Bloks , followed two hours later by Cytomax powder and PowerBar products . Two hours after the second meal , all participants were then ask to ride 12 miles ( 20km ) on a stationary bike a fast as they good . Each meal eaten by the participants was roughly equal in calories , carbohydrates and protein - although the fast food had more sodium and slightly more fat . At various intervals , the researchers took muscule tissue samples and did blood tests , to check glycogen levels . After a week , the participants returned and performed the task again , this time switching their diet to the one they didn ’ t do last time . The results showed that , when performing the second exercise task , the times were about the same no matter which meal group the participants were in . In the study , 11 male athletes were asked to fast for 12 hours , before a 90-minute endurance workout . They were then given meals of either fast food or supplements . Two hours after the second meal , all participants were then ask to ride 12 miles on a stationary bike - and performance for all was the same . Also , levels of glycogen across the two groups were almost the same - with the fast food group being slightly higher . No differences in insulin , glucose or cholesterol were found , while neither group reported any serious stomach discomfort . ‘ These data indicate that short-term food options to initiate glycogen resynthesis can include dietary options not typically marketed as sports nutrition products such as fast food menu items , ’ the researchers wrote . However , the researchers said that the experiment included a fairly small sample , and the long-term effects on workout recovery of eating fast food over other , healthier sources of food are not known .
the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism student studied recoveries after a workout . Gave participants either fast food or supplement meals during recovery . Found there was no difference in performance between the two groups . And levels of glycogen in fast food group were actually slightly higher .