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We all know how important recovery is after a big workout, but did you also know that what eat and drink immediately after you’re finished is just as important? The Sports Medicine section of About.com has several articles about how and why everyone needs rest and recovery after a major workout or extended exercise.  A major part of immediate short term recovery is replenishing  “energy stores and fluids lost during exercise and optimizing protein synthesis by eating the right foods in the post exercise meal.” The essential components of this meal consist of water, carbohydrates, and protein.  Generally, the guidelines are:

  • 20-24 fluid ounces of water for every pound lost
  • 0.3 – 0.6 grams of carbohydrates from every point lost
  • 1 gram of protein for every four grams of carbs consumed
This should be done as soon as possible following the end of the workout session.  About.com, a New York Times affiliate, states:

It is also important to consume carbohydrates within 15 minutes post-exercise to help restore glycogen.  Research has shown that eating 0.3-0.6 grams of carbohydrate for each pound of body weight within two hours of endurance exercise is essential to building adequate glycogen stores for continued training. Waiting longer than two hours to eat results in 50 percent less glycogen stored in the muscle. The reason for this is that carbohydrate consumption stimulates insulin production, which aids the production of muscle glycogen.

To avoid deficiencies of vital nutrients, it is important to supplement your intake of protein with certain complementary vitamins and minerals, especially if you’re a vegetarian.  The key things to look out for are zinc, vitamin B12, and Vitamin C. Try to maximize your intake with supplements that cover most of your needs.  Products like Max N-Fuze contain essential carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals that, combined with water, replenish all the important elements that your body loses after strenuous activity and exercise.

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