If you enjoy working out or strenuous physical activities such as long-distance cycling or trail hiking, you are likely to feel exercise-induced muscle pain on occasion.
Muscle soreness is not only unpleasant, but it may also interfere with your exercises and daily routines.
Many recovery measures, fortunately, can help reduce muscle discomfort, limit exercise-induced muscle soreness, and accelerate muscle recovery. Ensure you choose the right kind of food for your post-workout recovery meal to promote recovery while also building strength and fitness.
Why is recovery food essential?
You have to push yourself to attain your fitness goals, and those challenging workouts can leave you psychologically and physically exhausted. This is because intense activities burn many nutrients, which you need to replace to keep building muscle and fitness.
Post-workout meal restores the carbs your muscles use during exercise and supplies the protein your body requires to heal muscle damage and grow muscle. In other words, if you’re working out hard and want to grow stronger, recovery eating is an essential component of your routine—it helps your body adjust to conditioning demands and prepares you for the next round.
Eating the right kind of foods will help you:
Repair damaged muscles – Muscle is broken down during exercise, and the meals consumed afterward can help with tissue healing, repairing, and strengthening your muscles.
After training, consume 20-40 grams of high-quality, lean protein to boost protein synthesis for muscle repair and development. When competing in a tournament or many workouts in a day that leaves less than 2 hours to recover, athletes should avoid consuming protein until after the events are over (or eat a smaller amount). Knowing how your body behaves in these situations can assist you in determining what works best for you.
Replenish your glycogen stores – The body burns carbohydrates (glycogen) stored in the muscle during lengthy or severe activities.
Eating carbs soon after exercise assists the body in rebuilding glycogen reserves. Athletes should ingest 12 grams of carbs per pound of body weight, which translates to 75 grams for a 150-pound athlete.
Rehydrates – Sweating causes athletes to lose many electrolytes and fluids. An athlete should drink 20-24 ounces of fluids for every pound of water lost.
While water is frequently adequate, sports drinks or workout recovery blends containing electrolytes and carbohydrates can help restore what the body has used up during an exercise, especially ones lasting more than 60 minutes.
Staying hydrated when exercising entails consuming fluids before, during, and after the activity. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests 16-24 ounces of water 2-3 hours before working out, 4-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes during activity, and 16-24 ounces for every pound of fluid lost after training to avoid dehydration.
What you should eat post-workout
Preparing your post-workout meal does not have to be difficult. The most crucial element is organizing your food so that you have a plan and know what you will drink and eat after your workout.
Generally, your post-workout meals should contain a combination of carbs, lean proteins, and fluids. However, you should experiment to see what works best for you. Here are some suggestions on what you should eat after your workout.
Eggs
Eggs are rich in protein, which supplies amino acids essential for muscle rehabilitation. They also provide healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals like phosphorus and iron, which help with muscle restoration and general health recovery.
This superfood may be taken practically any form and with almost any dish. Eggs can be eaten hard-boiled, poached, scrambled, or folded into an omelet with vegetables. They go well with toast and sandwiches and when tossed in with brown rice.
Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt. Aside from protein, Greek yogurt is high in calcium and probiotics, which are essential for bone health and digestion.
Unsweetened and unflavored Greek yogurt is preferable because flavored varieties might be high in sugar. Yogurt provides a plethora of healthful meals that need little effort. Serve it simply or with honey, chia seeds, berries, nuts, granola, or fruits. It is one of the simplest things to consume after an intense workout.
Chocolate milk
Chocolate milk provides double the nutritional value. It contains high-quality protein and quick-digesting carbs, as well as the rich flavor of chocolate. It promotes muscle repair and energy restoration. Chocolate milk has evolved into the ideal recovery drink for athletes.
It is both inexpensive and convenient for travel. According to research, low-fat chocolate milk offers a 4:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, as well as fluids and sodium, to aid recovery.
One of the best drinks to consume after your workout is plain chocolate milk or a chocolate milk smoothie.
Avocado
Avocados are monounsaturated fats and provide nutritional advantages to athletes for post-workout recovery. They are convenient and nutritious post-workout snacks because of the mix of avocados’ beneficial fats.
Avocados are high in potassium, vitamin E, vitamin K, B vitamins, folic acid, and fiber, in addition to fats.
Blueberries
Blueberries are high in antioxidants, assisting muscle repair and reducing inflammation. They postpone the development of muscular pain during a high-intensity run.
You can mix blueberries with yogurt as a smoothie, oatmeal, or spread on toast.
Nuts and Seeds
All nuts are high in protein and good fats, which enhance hormone synthesis. They are also high in minerals like zinc and calcium, which promote bone health.
Nuts like cashews, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, and seeds like chia, pumpkin, flax, and sesame are excellent post-workout snacks. They give the protein, fat, and sodium the body requires after an intense workout.
You can also mix nut butter into your smoothies, salads, cereal, and yogurt or spread it over whole-grain toast. Seeds can be used in smoothies, oatmeal, granola, or yogurt.
Hydrating fluids
Exercise causes the body to lose essential electrolytes, which must be replenished to remain fit and healthy. It is critical to drink enough water after your exercise. Aside from water, numerous other beverages aid in the recovery of minerals and nutrients.
Sports drinks, skimmed milk, tart cherry juice, watermelon juice, and orange juice aid in muscle recovery, immunity, and the prevention of inflammation and muscle soreness.
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