i can't give you a full explanation, but i'll tell you what i've heard.
- it is recommended for weight lifters to eat 10-15 minutes after a workout of high protein to avoid any muscle from being broken down for energy and it also aids in speading up muscle recovery
- i have recently started reading a book called "ready, set, go!", which talks about what foods are good after a cardio workout to maximize your body's ability to burn fat after a workout. Apparently, your body will continue to burn fat up to 2 hours after a workout if you don't interrupt it by eating the wrong foods. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten far enough to know what those foods are. Maybe someone else on here has some ideas.