I have been wondering about this for a while, and thought I would post this question. Assuming that you put in a hard workout that would generate a measurable EPOC, what is the best strategy for maximizing its fat-loss potential?

It would seem to me that you should not eat anything PWO, so that your body draws from its fat stores over the several hours post work out, but conventional wisdom seems to be a PWO shake with dextrose or other carbs as energy replenishment.

Wouldn't that negate any fat-burning potential for EPOC, since it now has ready energy sources for consumption rather than tapping into fat stores?

Any input would be appreciated.

Post cardio workout meal != Post lifting workout meal

I think you are correct. You will burn more fat if you don't eat a post workout shake. You will also stand to gain less (or lose more) muscle. So you try to meet somewhere in the middle. How about fewer carbs with the PWO shake? Use oatmeal instead of dextrose. Use less protein.

Right?

From what I've read, a lot of the extra metabolic impact you get from a workout is the glycogen replenishment process. This also goes with the advice to save your carbs for PWO where they'll not be likely to be excess carbs in the system that might cause the liver to convert them to triglycerides for storage.

Not to mention that you want to stop the systematic stress that raises cortisol, so I vote to eat after a HIIT/Lifting/GPP style workout within an hour or so.

in her book `power eating` Sue Kleiner recommends very high calorific PWO meals - in some plans 30% of the days calories come from this meal. But she is one of the proponents of building muscle to burn fat.