If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you must be familiar with the term “recovery.” It refers to the time after a workout when your body repairs itself and returns to its pre-exercise state. A key component of recovery is refueling your body with nutrients and fluids to replenish its energy stores, rebuild muscle fibers damaged during exercise, and repair any tears in muscle tissue caused by intense exertion. Moreover, research suggests that the right combination of nutrients can increase IGF-1 levels in muscles — an important factor in speeding up your recovery rate.
Importance of post-workout recovery
Post-workout recovery is essential to getting the most out of your fitness goals. Heavy exercise creates microtears in our muscles. When these tears heal, they become stronger than before. However, if you don’t allow enough time for those microtears to heal (or if you don’t eat enough), your progress will suffer. You may even get injured if you’re not careful! If you don’t permit your body to recuperate, it won’t be able to adapt and improve.
The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to maintain a healthy diet and consume the right foods after a workout—and they’re all listed below!
Water
Your body needs water to perform at its ideal, but it doesn’t take a scientific study to know that. The good news is that drinking water after a workout is one of the easiest ways to boost your recovery—and it’s free! Your body loses fluids during exercise, so it’s essential to replenish them immediately with some cold H2O. In addition to helping with dehydration, drinking water helps replenish electrolytes and flush out toxins from your system (which can help reduce muscle soreness).
This is especially important if you’re exercising in hot weather or sweat heavily while working out (because when you sweat, those electrolytes are also lost). If possible, try to drink about half of your weight in ounces every day—for example, Someone who weighs 160 pounds would aim for 80 ounces per day; Someone who weighs 125 pounds should aim for 63 ounces per day.
Kratom
Kratom is a plant-based drug made from the leaves of the tropical tree Mitragyna Speciosa. It’s often used to treat chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. It is known to help with opioid withdrawal symptoms and provides energy and mood-boosting effects.
The benefits of Kratom include boosting your mood, reducing pain, improving focus, and enhancing sleep quality. When following guidelines the side effects can be minimal compared to other drugs like opioids or alcohol, but it’s still important not to abuse it as too much can cause severe liver damage when consumed in high doses. Keep in mind that kratom is still illegal in many places, if it is legal in your area it is important that you always buy high-quality products from a trusted and reputable vendor. Do some research and ask questions before making a purchase to ensure that you understand all of the possible risks and benefits and that you are taking the right supplement to support muscle recovery.
Chocolate milk
Chocolate milk is an excellent source of calories, protein, and carbohydrates your body needs to recover after a workout. It’s also a better option than soda or other sugary beverages because it contains calcium and potassium, which help in muscle recovery.
The best part about chocolate milk? It tastes delicious! You can enjoy it as a post-workout snack or use it as an alternative to coffee during your morning commute if you don’t have time for breakfast (or want something warm to sip on).
Keep in mind that not all brands are created equal regarding nutrition value and sugar content – so keep an eye on labels before buying! If possible, go for organic brands with fewer additives.
Strawberries
Because they’re a good source of carbs, strawberries provide energy for your body’s post-workout needs. Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C and have many benefits, which help to stimulate protein synthesis and muscle repair. They also contain potassium—an electrolyte that helps to maintain balance within the body. Plus, the fruit is packed with folic acid (aka vitamin B9), which maintains red blood cells and keeps you healthy overall.
Whole Egg
Egg whites are an excellent protein source, essential for recovering from exercise. They also contain leucine, an amino acid shown to help with muscle growth. And if you have egg allergies or intolerances (or don’t like the taste), you can opt for other protein sources, like egg substitutes or quinoa.
Eggs are easy to cook in many ways—they can be poached, boiled, eaten alone, or mixed into omelets with vegetables and spices. You might toss them into a blender with some veggies and add some spices—it’ll make your post-workout smoothie taste delicious!
These foods can help you to recover after a workout and prevent cramping along with other possible side effects.
When you work out, your body goes through its energy stores as it attempts to keep your heart siphoning and muscles contracting. The more serious your exercise, the more fuel you’ll need—and the longer it will take for those energy stores to be replenished.
That’s why post-workout recovery is so important: It’s when your body rebuilds itself so it can get back up and do it all again tomorrow (or at least try!). Post-workout nutrition helps restore muscle glycogen levels faster than usual so that you don’t feel fatigued or have trouble getting out of bed the next day. Eating right after working out helps prevent cramping by providing much-needed electrolytes such as potassium and sodium lost during sweating.
You might think simple carbs are best for refueling after a challenging workout since they provide lots of quick energy; however, if eaten too soon after exercise, they can lead to stomach upset or even low blood sugar in some people—so avoid them! Instead, opt for complex carbs like quinoa (try our recipe), brown rice, or whole wheat bread, which provide slow-release energy and aid in muscle repair through amino acids found naturally within these foods.
Conclusion
If you want to recover faster after your workouts, healthful eating can be the best thing to help you. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should eat all day long! Keep moderation in mind, and you still need to exercise and get in shape. But if you find yourself with some extra time on your hands after a workout session, these five foods will benefit your recovery.
This article was written for WHN by Alexandra Doherty, who is an avid blogger and health advocate.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN/A4M. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.
