Post Exercise Recovery Nutrition - The Wrong & Right

Wrong: Not Eating After a Workout

After workouts we can find ourselves off to the shower, getting ready, and on the go. When it comes to exercise recovery, not refueling post workout is one of the worst things you can do! Your body needs it and without proper post workout nutrition, you will feel it the next day. Ingesting carbohydrate after an intense workout is a must to replenish the glycogen stores, your body's stored form of carbohydrate, in your muscle and liver with in two hours. But the faster, the better your recovery will be. Replenish your body with what it needs. You and your body will be happy you did.

Right: Refuel Immediately, Maximize Your Recovery

Why is refueling your body after an intense workout important? Most importantly to replenish your body's glycogen (fuel stores) with simple carbohydrates and repair cellular damage. Before an intense workout, your performance is influenced by your nutrition and how much muscle and liver glycogen is stored. During your workout, if you are exercising at an intensity that depletes your body of its glycogen stores, they must be replenished. To get the full benefits of post exercise replenishment and recovery, within 30 minutes post workout consume 0.7 grams of simple carbohydrates (sugar, preferably glucose) per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 130lbs, consume 91 grams of carbohydrates post workout. After that initial 30 minutes, continuing every 2 hours for 4-6 hours. For an even better recovery, it is better to eat or drink more often to better maintain blood glucose and insulin levels. Try consuming 0.2 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight every 15 minutes, glycogen will be synthesized at nearly double the rate compared to consuming every 1-2 hours. For example, if you are a 130lbs, consume 26 grams of carbohydrates every 15 minutes. Try mixing dextrose into water and sipping on it post workout. It is an easy and inexpensive way to consume what your body needs.

Besides just consuming a simple carbohydrate post workout, protein is another important macro nutrient to help repair cellular damage after an intense workout and long runs. To help repair muscle fibers that are damaged during the workout, consume 20-30 grams of protein post workout. This can also help maximize muscle glycogen storage.

The best way to get post workout nutrition is through a drink compared to a solid food. Food takes longer for your body to break down and digest the nutrients you need. I recommend dextrose and a whey protein. Both of which are easily digested by your body and absorbed back into your muscle and liver for glycogen storage and cellular repair. Current research has shown that chocolate milk is another great alternative for a post workout drink because it's high in simple carbohydrates and protein.

Remember, post workout nutrition is essential to training and recovering from your exhausting workouts. Every time you do, you will be happy you did!

REFUEL. REST. RECOVER. = Happy Running :)