Or maybe, it just depends on the day. Exercise depletes our energy stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Exact quantities of stored glycogen vary with body size but we store approximately g of glycogen in the muscles and a smaller, but still significant, g in the liver.

When glycogen stores have been depleted through high-intensity or prolonged exercise 1. In very simplistic terms, the body breaks carbohydrates down into glucose a type of sugar.

This provision of carbohydrates stops the body from looking for energy elsewhere e. the muscle. The rate of carbohydrate ingestion which optimises recovery and maximises the rate of glycogen resynthesis has been pinpointed to plateau at ~1. Image Credit: Unsplash copyright free. Bear in mind that matching your carb intake to your activity level is important.

On hard, heavy training days, a higher intake of carbohydrates is warranted, whereas a lower amount might be better on lighter, easier training days. Including some protein in your post-exercise meal helps repair exercise-induced damage to tissues, like muscle, and may help accelerate the uptake of carbohydrates.

For most people, supplementation i. protein shakes, powders is not needed. Adequate recovery can be achieved without consuming super high amounts of protein, but some is definitely helpful. Research which has looked specifically at the post-exercise period has shown that around 20 grams of protein maximises results.

The one caveat of this was athletes with higher levels of muscle mass who might benefit from an intake of up to 40 grams. Image Credit: Pexels copyright free. When making food choices, remember that protein can come from many different sources and mixing up your protein intake with some high- and low-fat sources can help to hit high and low calorie days depending on your demand.

The timing of post-exercise feeding is a hot topic. This concept for carbohydrates was first introduced in the s by Sports Scientist, John Ivy. His research team saw a significant increase in the rate of glycogen storage when carbohydrates were fed immediately after exercise compared to a two hour delay.

This finding sparked the idea that athletes could capitalize on their recovery if they took advantage of this early window of opportunity. In practice this means that only an athlete looking to train or compete within that first eight-hour post-exercise period would benefit from rapid feeding.

Come the next day, our glycogen stores will have readjusted to the same level again and should be good to go. Under these circumstances, opting for carbohydrates with a high glycemic index GI is advantageous.

High GI carbohydrates are foods which are broken down rapidly and affect your blood sugar levels quickly. Examples might include white bread, cakes and other sweet treats, fruit juices and most breakfast cereals. Our bodies need carbohydrate reserves to sustain energy during exercise.

After an intense workout, our muscles temporarily break down. They need a rebuilding phase, aided by dietary protein, to get stronger. Additionally, exercise stresses the body and promotes inflammation. Antioxidants like vitamin C can help restore balance and rejuvenation.

To ensure casual and professional athletes alike properly support healthy recovery following rigorous exercise, they should follow the Four Rs — all of which are rooted in sports nutrition.

One of the first goals after completing a workout or training session is to rehydrate the body by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes.

The amount of hydration needed depends on factors such as the training environment, exercise intensity, and personal sweat rate. To cover your bases, always bring a water bottle to the gym or field.

Sip water as you exercise to keep your body as hydrated as possible. Rehydration post-exercise is also key. Pairing water with a salty snack such as crackers, cheese, nuts, or milk can return you to a hydrated state.

Sodium helps the body retain water and improves the rate of rehydration. As an example, our muscles and liver store glycogen, which is a form of glucose.

When we exercise, we tap our glycogen reserves, which means we need to replenish what we use by eating carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are key to post-exercise recovery. They are essential for active individuals and athletes in multiple situations including pre-workout, during exercise, and throughout the day.

Keep a post-workout snack in your gym bag, especially if you expect a delay between the end of your workout and your next well-balanced meal.

Pro tip: chocolate milk can be a convenient way to refuel as it contains fluid, carbs, sodium, and protein. Repair Muscle protein synthesis MPS is activated by, for example, resistance exercise or the ingestion of dietary protein.

When we consume high-quality protein after a workout, we experience a big nutritional boost that positively promotes MPS. This creates the environment for effective muscles to repair and grow. Without sufficient protein, the body will enter a state called negative nitrogen balance, which leads to muscle loss, decreased performance, intolerance to training load, injury, and disease.

By combining a carbohydrate with a protein in a meal or snack following exercise, you can improve muscle repair and build strength.

Optimum protein consumption is key to stimulating muscle protein synthesis and facilitating repair. Protein recovery guidelines for strength training include:. Dreyer, H. You might be interested: Recipes for Gaining Muscle.

During the recovery process, fats are important as an energy source, hormone production, and inflammation reduction. The Standard American Diet SAD is notoriously pro-inflammatory, with the Omega 6:Omega 3 greater than closer to Saturated fat should come from grass-fed, pasture-raised animals.

Olive and avocado oils are good choices for cooking. Simopoulos, A. Athletes should consume 20 to 35 percent of their calories from fat. See how to track macros in this blog post. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. They are required in small quantities to ensure normal metabolism, growth, and physical well-being.

Phytonutrients, also called phytochemicals, are chemicals produced by plants. Phytonutrient-rich foods include colorful fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, tea, cocoa, whole grains, and many spices. Phytonutrients can aid in the recovery process due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

Reactive oxygen species ROS and reactive nitrogen species RNS are free radicals that are produced during exercise that can cause skeletal muscle damage, fatigue, and impair recovery. However, ROS and RNS also signal cellular adaptation processes. Many athletes attempt to combat the deleterious effects of ROS and RNS by ingesting antioxidant supplements e.

In addition, antioxidant supplementation can have harmful effects on the response to overload stress and high-intensity training, thereby adversely affecting skeletal muscle remodeling following resistance and high-intensity exercise.

The bottom line is that physiological doses from the diet are beneficial, whereas supraphysiological doses supplements during exercise training may be detrimental to one's gains and recovery.

Merry, T. Water regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, and transports nutrients. Signs of dehydration can include fatigue, muscle cramps, and dizziness. During the recovery phase, staying hydrated can help stimulate blood flow to the muscles, which can reduce muscle pain.

In addition, hydration can help flush out toxins which can exacerbate muscle soreness. Blend ingredients and chill. See for more on hyrdation: Hydration: Through The Lens of Fitness. Timing your nutrition for recovery should include ensuring pre-exercise meal s adequately fuel your activity and that you optimize your macronutrients, as mentioned above, to maintain glycogen stores and protein balance.

Supplements can help enhance repair, but only when the foundation energy, macros, micros, hydration, and timing is covered. Supplements can be categorized based on how they support not block inflammation as well as their role in muscle, tendon, and bone repair.

Inflammation :. Muscle Repair :. Tart cherry juice has been shown to aid in muscle repair and soreness. Tendon Repair :. Bone Repair :. Recovery smoothie makes about two servings. Blend ingredients and enjoy! Check out Athlete Recovery Techniques for more on supplementation.

There are several key performance biomarkers that can be used to monitor training and recovery. These include:. Nutrition and metabolic health 2. Hydration status 3. Muscle status 4. Endurance performance 5. Injury status and risk 6. Through comprehensive monitoring of physiologic changes, training cycles can be designed that elicit maximal improvements in performance while minimizing overtraining and injury risk.

Keep these in mind when you are doing active recovery work. Beelen, M. Nutritional strategies to promote postexercise recovery.

International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 20 6 , Bubbs, M. PEAK: The new science of athletic performance that is revolutionizing sports.

Chelsea Green Publishing. Sports Medicine Auckland, N. Clark, M. NASM essentials of personal fitness training. Currell, Kevin.

Performance Nutrition. Crowood Press April 1, Leucine-enriched essential amino acid and carbohydrate ingestion following resistance exercise enhances mTOR signaling and protein synthesis in human muscle. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology And Metabolism, 2 , EE Dupuy, O.

An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.

Frontiers in physiology, 9, Lee, E. Biomarkers in sports and exercise: tracking health, performance, and recovery in athletes. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31 10 , Malta, E.

The Effects of Regular Cold-Water Immersion Use on Training-Induced Changes in Strength and Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports Med 51, — Melin, A.

Energy Availability in Athletics: Health, Performance, and Physique, International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 29 2 , and Ristow, M.

J Physiol, — Naderi, A. Timing, optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based uses in sports nutrition.

Norton, L. Leucine regulates translation initiation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle after exercise. The Journal of nutrition, 2 , SS. Energy Expenditure, Availability, and Dietary Intake Assessment in Competitive Female Dragon Boat Athletes.

Sports Basel, Switzerland , 5 2 , Selye, H. Pairing water with a salty snack such as crackers, cheese, nuts, or milk can return you to a hydrated state. Sodium helps the body retain water and improves the rate of rehydration.

As an example, our muscles and liver store glycogen, which is a form of glucose. When we exercise, we tap our glycogen reserves, which means we need to replenish what we use by eating carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are key to post-exercise recovery.

They are essential for active individuals and athletes in multiple situations including pre-workout, during exercise, and throughout the day. Keep a post-workout snack in your gym bag, especially if you expect a delay between the end of your workout and your next well-balanced meal.

Pro tip: chocolate milk can be a convenient way to refuel as it contains fluid, carbs, sodium, and protein. Repair Muscle protein synthesis MPS is activated by, for example, resistance exercise or the ingestion of dietary protein. When we consume high-quality protein after a workout, we experience a big nutritional boost that positively promotes MPS.

This creates the environment for effective muscles to repair and grow. Without sufficient protein, the body will enter a state called negative nitrogen balance, which leads to muscle loss, decreased performance, intolerance to training load, injury, and disease.

By combining a carbohydrate with a protein in a meal or snack following exercise, you can improve muscle repair and build strength. Remember that you gain the most benefit when you pair protein with carbohydrates.

It is recommended to seek the guidance of a sports dietitian to maximize your training gains. Try eating a snack with carbs and protein immediately after your workout followed by a well-balanced meal within two hours to gain the necessary protein. A smoothie, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, yogurt cup, or turkey roll-ups are easy snacks to stash and eat immediately after a workout.

Antioxidants are substances found in vitamin C-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. They are also found in herbs and spices. They can reduce muscle soreness and tissue damage. Antioxidants can help the body bounce back easier from one training session to the next.

Certain foods like cinnamon, pomegranate, beetroot, tart cherry juice, and turmeric have all been explored as recovery enhancers. Work antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory food sources into your meals and snacks throughout the rest of the day following a workout for the best results. Eat a balanced array of foods that vary in color like leafy greens, oranges, and red cherries to maximize your performance and recovery.