Best Nutrition For Recovery

When most athletes think about improving performance, they picture monster training sessions that push their limits and lead to massive gains. It is true that faster times and greater strength will not come without hard work, but it also requires another important piece of the puzzle: adequate recovery. More specifically, post-exercise nutrition can make all the difference in the improvement process, either boosting the positive effects of your workouts or hindering them completely.

Performance improvement is completely dependent upon recovery. Running stimulates muscular and cardiovascular adaptation, but as a part of the natural strengthening process, muscle breakdown occurs. As a result of this muscle disintegration, our bodies require a recovery period. This allows the body to rebuild muscle tissues and make them stronger. Without allowing their muscles to rebuild, runners risk overtraining and injury.

As recovery is such an important part of athletic improvement, it should be taken just as seriously as the workout itself. In addition to physical rest and other common recovery techniques, proper nutrition is crucial for adequate recovery and continued performance gains.

Following strenuous exercise, the body needs proper nutrition in order to:

• Reduce inflammation and assist with overall comfort
• Replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores
• Synthesize new muscle proteins as part of the repair and adaptation process
• Replace lost fluids and electrolytes
• Assist the immune system in handling the added stress to the body caused by the workout

Carbohydrate consumption is the most important factor when it comes to post-exercise nutrition. Glycogen, the body's stored form of glucose, is the body's main fuel source during moderate to high-intensity exercise. Without proper carbohydrate consumption to replenish glycogen stores, recovery will be delayed, and future workouts could be compromised.

Protein is also very important for recovery. Our bodies use the amino acids in proteins to rebuild and repair the broken down muscle tissues mentioned above. Contrary to popular belief, endurance athletes experience similar muscle breakdown during their workouts as power athletes and lifters. As a result, runners and other endurance athletes require protein for proper recovery. Protein intake can help runners maximise glycogen storage potential and help support the immune system as it copes with the stress imparted by tough training sessions.

When considering the right time to eat post-exercise, there are two primary windows when nutrition is best absorbed to assist in the body's recovery efforts. Ideally, a meal composed of a 3:1 (or even 4:1) ratio of carbohydrates and proteins should be consumed within 30 minutes after a workout. During this critical window is when you can maximise your muscle glycogen stores and optimise muscle tissue recovery. Another meal should be consumed in a window of 1 to 3 hours following your workout. Again, this meal should consist of a healthy balance of carbs, proteins, and fats to reap all the benefits of recovery.

Eating a large, high-calorie meal after a run can be challenging, particularly if you have a sensitive digestive system, but quantity is not the emphasis of recovery nutrition. Instead, quality is much more important, and the main goal is to obtain the calories your body needs, while more importantly, introducing the right combination of nutrients into your system. If balanced and timed properly, then nutrition will help drive a fast and efficient recovery that will have you feeling ready to run again in no time.

Most experts recommend between 1 to 1.5 grams of carbs per kg of body weight for the optimal post-run recovery. If you don't want to deal with the conversion of your weight from pounds to kilograms, you can get a rough estimate of the recommended grams of carbohydrates by dividing your body weight in pounds by 2. Once more, keep in mind that all-important carbohydrate-to-protein ratio (3:1 or 4:1 carbohydrates to proteins) so you can amplify your recovery efforts.

Below is a cheat sheet you can use to estimate your carb and protein recovery needs.

Consuming an energy drink is one of the easiest ways to address all of your post-exercise nutritional needs. A well-balanced recovery drink or protein shake contains the desired combination of carbohydrates and proteins. It also promotes the intake of fluids necessary for post-workout hydration, which is another key component in proper recovery. Recovery drink mixes are very convenient and can be used on their own or as a creative addition to "real food" options. For example, blending fruit and nut butter with a scoop of recovery drink mix to make a delicious smoothie.