Proper Nutrition for Post-Recovery Workout

Excerpted from Marion Webb

When Is a Recovery Liquid or Food Needed?

The need for a recovery food or drink depends largely on the duration and intensity of the workout, the food experts agree.

“During lower-intensity or easier workouts, you don’t need to worry too much about recovery and making sure that the muscles repair themselves.”

A 45-minute workout at moderate intensity doesn’t warrant any special recovery considerations. That doesn’t mean clients shouldn’t eat if they feel hungry after a workout.

“It’s important that if you’re plain old hungry after a workout, it may be nice to have an apple to curb the hunger,” Ryan notes. “It’s not so crucial for fuel recovery, but for hunger, so you don’t feel ravenous when you sit down for dinner.”

This is especially important for people who are trying to lose weight, she adds.

Rules of Recovery

In general, most people who exercise an hour or more need to replace lost nutrients.

“People lose 30 grams to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of training or more, depending on the intensity of the workout.”

The biggest mistake clients can make is to wait too long to replace those nutrients.

“We know that the rate of replenishment of carbohydrates into the cell immediately following a workout is very rapid,” Kleiner says. “You have a 15- to 30-minute window after you exercise, then the rate slows for the next two hours, and slows even more for the next 24 hours. About two hours after you exercise it’s time for a meal, unless you exercise at 8 p.m., then it’s not recommended.”

People focusing on serious resistance training should consume more protein-0.68 grams to 0.91 grams of protein per pound of body weight, Digate Muth says citing accepted sports nutrition guidelines.

What’s Better for Recovery: Liquids or Solids?

“People who work out in the morning should have a liquid,” Kleiner says. “Ideally you don’t even change or shower, but down a beverage right after your workout. If you can’t carry a liquid and the only option is food, you need carbohydrate and protein, ideally with whey protein in it.”

Energy Bars

“The higher carbohydrate ones (bars) are generally lower in proteins, so you want to add a glass of low-fat milk,” she suggests. Kleiner prefers downing a beverage with milk protein, ideally a whey protein, carbohydrates and a minimum amount of fat or no fat.

Soy vs. Whey Protein

Research studies comparing soy to whey protein show that protein metabolism and growth is slightly greater with whey, Kleiner says. “That doesn’t mean soy is useless; you just get an edge with whey,” she says.

Make Your Own Recovery Drink

Among the easiest, more cost-effective and reliable ways to ensure that your clients get the right mix of carbohydrates and high-quality protein for recovery may be to mix their own drinks. A smoothie is nutritious and easy to make.

“If you can make a recovery drink and take it with you (to the gym), you will have such an enormous spectrum that will help you recover and one that you will never find in an engineered product,” Kleiner says.

Smoothie Recipe

For men: Blend 1 cup of non-fat milk, ½ a cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of honey, ¼ cup of frozen strawberries and 21 grams of isolated whey protein powder.

(350 calories, 54 grams of total carbohydrates and 33 grams of total protein).

For women: Blend 1 cup of non-fat milk, ¼ cup of orange juice, ¼ cup of frozen strawberries and 14 grams of isolated whey protein.

(212 calories, 29 grams of total carbohydrates, 24 grams of total protein).

Chocolate Milk for Recovery?

Here’s another option: A recent study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism that compared chocolate milk to meal replacement recovery drinks found that chocolate milk was just as effective as the more costly recovery drinks, Kleiner says. Coffee drinkers can enjoy the same benefit.

“Get a Latté or a light Frappucino,” Kleiner says. “It works well. People say it’s awfully sweet, but if you have done serious exercise and need that to recover it’s fine.”

The high-calorie drinks however aren’t recommended for people trying to lose weight.

Recovery Foods

Ryan says plain old food is as good for recovery as engineered sports nutrition products. Clients working at a moderate intensity may recover well with a light snack, some crackers or a piece of fruit after exercise. Your clients who exercise at higher-intensity levels may consume a half a bagel topped with peanut butter, a banana, or other carbohydrate-rich breakfast foods to recover, she adds. For clients preferring foods over liquids, a low-calorie yogurt with a piece of fruit or a cheese stick or a glass of milk works well too, Kleiner adds.

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