You should know by know that getting in a good post-workout meal is a necessary component if you hope to get results from your workout program.

Not only is the post-workout meal going to help supply your body with the amino acids it needs in order to effectively rebuild new muscle tissue, it's also going to replenish the muscle glycogen stores in the body, helping to prepare the body for your next workout.

When you short yourself of these carbs immediately following a workout, it's going to take you longer to recover before the next session, meaning you'll have to use a reduced frequency with your workout program.

As muscles typically respond best to higher frequency, this is a critical issue that you need to be concerned with.

That said, not all post-workout meals are created equally.

Here are some really good post-workout carbohydrate choices that are all good additions to your regular diet program.

Cereal

Don't reach for the whole grain cereal here! This may come as a surprise, but those kiddy cereals you enjoyed when you were young can be the best choice post-workout.

Why?

They contain sugar that will spike insulin levels, shuttling the glucose into the muscle tissues and helping increase the rate of glycogen resynthesis.

Obviously you will have to watch your portion sizes to be sure you don't over consume calories, but on the whole sweetened cereal is a smart move as far as your recovery is concerned.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Again, this is going to come as a big surprise to many. Ice cream sandwiches are actually one of the best choices for the post-workout period.

Again, they've got a good combination of sugars and carbs, and are often relatively low in fat as well.

Since fat is to be avoided in the post-workout period, this is essentially exactly what you want.

Gatorade Powder

The third post-workout carb that's a smart idea is Gatorade powder.

This is going to be part glucose and part dextrose, which are both optimal carbs to have immediately after a hard exercise session.

This option is good for those of you who typically don't have much of an appetite after a workout and would prefer to take their nutrition in beverage form.

Again, measure how much you put in carefully, as you want to be sure you're not overdoing it as far as calories are concerned.

Bagels With Jam

Finally, for those of you who are very active, another good post-workout choice is a bagel with jam. The bagel will be slightly slower digesting, but it is still an excellent source of carbs and will still be faster than other options such as grain bread or oatmeal, and the jam will provide a good dose of sugar to add to that for that very fast insulin spike.

Since bagels are more calorie dense, you'll want to save these for when you have a really hard workout, or are having a very active day in general.

So, keep these ideas in mind next time you're looking for something to have post-workout. Getting this meal right is essential in order to see the greatest benefits from all your hard work in the gym.