After Workout/Muscle Recovery Supplements?

FireRox21

I have a question about after workout supplementation. I am finding that my muscles just aren't recovering after my workouts. I always do a proper cool-down/stretch, but the next day all of my muscles are stiff and I just can't get a proper workout in. I have never had this problem before. I am getting plenty of water before, during and after my workouts. I have tried eating more bananas and increasing my protein, but nothing is working. I am also finding that I am getting worse and worse muscle cramping torwards the end of my workouts.

I am interested in trying a protein shake or complex carb shake, but am wary about the added calories. I am also quite confused about protein shakes, whey protein shakes, etc. I have never had to deal with issues like these before, but my workouts have increased in duration and intensity as I am preparing for swim meet season starting January. Any help/advice would be great.

fitpro1970

Two products i use regularly come to mind from your post comments. muscle fuel and post workout recovery. i will add a link let me know if i can answer any questions.
https://www.advocare.com/10046243/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=P3361&id=B&flavor=B&size=P

https://www.advocare.com/10046243/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=P4421&id=B

NightOwl1

Try GNC 100% Whey Protein for after workout protein shakes. You can mix it with water, and it's really not high in calories. One scoop, which has 20g of protein, is about 110 calories.

As for muscle soreness, products like Tiger Balm and Icy Hot are good for sore muscles. I used to use them all the time back in High School when I played football and we had two a days during the summer. They're topical creams, and they will burn/tingle, and the feeling can either be good or bad.

Also, if you have access to a gym with a steam room, definitely try that. 15-20 minutes in the steam room, with proper hydration before and after, can significantly aid muscle recovery.

KeepOnMoving

If you are looking for more natural ways of recovery, I recently read the following:

Chocolate milk to restore muscle

Tart cherry juice after work out. (Although expensive, I like 100% cherry juice and organic.)

Pickle juice for muscle cramps

Of course: Water, water, and oh yeah, more water.

binary_jester

Whey would be my first suggestion. Personally I have found drinking BCAA's while working out has allowed me to push myself harder and avoiding (or greatly lessening) DOMS. Lastly is L-Glutamine. I am mixed about this one. Lots of studies that show it is not as effective as it is touted to be. Read articles from lots of people "in-the-know" and they say it is very effective for DOMS due to working out. Admittedly I am trying it because it is a fairly inexpensive supplement.

TrainingWithTonya

Honestly, it doesn't sound like you need a recovery drink so much as a recovery day. You shouldn't be working the same muscle groups two days in a row, so if you are trying to get a workout in with muscles that have been worked the day before, you aren't going to get a good workout in. When you weight train, you actually cause cellular damage to the muscle. By repairing that damage, the muscles get stronger and depending on how you trained maybe bigger. If you don't give the muscles the time to repair, then you won't get the improvements in strength. Over time, if you keep working without recovery time, you will see declines in your strength. So, before I'd recommend a recovery supplement, I'd want to know what your training schedule looks like.

FireRox21

I am a competitive swimmer, so my workouts are daily swim workouts between 2500-3000 meters (about an hour and a half) daily. Each day's workout is built around a different stroke.

Mon-Freestyle
Tues-Butterfly and Breast
Wed-IM which is all four strokes
Thurs-Back and Free
Fri-Speed/Interval work

I do break up my workouts daily by working with the water dumbbells in 6 minutes increments focusing on abs, stretching and resistance training. I take weekends off from the pool, but since I tend to eat more on the weekends, I try to take the dog for a walk. And just to throw another thing into the mix, I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, so sometimes I scale back my workouts. Due to the RA, I do not lift weights, use a treadmill/elliptical, etc. All of my exercise is strictly in the pool. My joints cannot handle anything else.

Also, I'm not looking to break the bank with a supplement, just something to take the edge off of the soreness.

musclebuilder

I am a competitive swimmer, so my workouts are daily swim workouts between 2500-3000 meters (about an hour and a half) daily. Each day's workout is built around a different stroke.

Mon-Freestyle
Tues-Butterfly and Breast
Wed-IM which is all four strokes
Thurs-Back and Free
Fri-Speed/Interval work

I do break up my workouts daily by working with the water dumbbells in 6 minutes increments focusing on abs, stretching and resistance training. I take weekends off from the pool, but since I tend to eat more on the weekends, I try to take the dog for a walk. And just to throw another thing into the mix, I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, so sometimes I scale back my workouts. Due to the RA, I do not lift weights, use a treadmill/elliptical, etc. All of my exercise is strictly in the pool. My joints cannot handle anything else.

Also, I'm not looking to break the bank with a supplement, just something to take the edge off of the soreness.

If you have never had this issue before you may need a mental and physical break. When is the last time you did a deload or a recovery period of training? How many weeks/months straight have you been training at a high level of intensity?

musclebuilder

Whey would be my first suggestion. Personally I have found drinking BCAA's while working out has allowed me to push myself harder and avoiding (or greatly lessening) DOMS. Lastly is L-Glutamine. I am mixed about this one. Lots of studies that show it is not as effective as it is touted to be. Read articles from lots of people "in-the-know" and they say it is very effective for DOMS due to working out. Admittedly I am trying it because it is a fairly inexpensive supplement.

Glutamine has not been shown to have any anabolic or anti catabolic effects. There is some evidence that glutamine may promote the synthesis of muscle glycogen post WO recovery period in combination with carbohydrate..But would it lead to an increase in glycogen synthesis beyond a optimal amount protein/carbohydrate meal? Probably not. May have some use on a diet seeing it is a gluconeogenic precursor..But as far as performance, anabolism, anti catabolism, immunostimulatory I have not seen any evidence that glutamine contributes in any significant way. Personally I don't spend my money on the stuff..But I know many will fight tooth and nail over the positive benefits of glutamine. But I can only control what I do and I don't spend my money on glutamine.

TrainingWithTonya

I am a competitive swimmer, so my workouts are daily swim workouts between 2500-3000 meters (about an hour and a half) daily. Each day's workout is built around a different stroke.

Mon-Freestyle
Tues-Butterfly and Breast
Wed-IM which is all four strokes
Thurs-Back and Free
Fri-Speed/Interval work

I do break up my workouts daily by working with the water dumbbells in 6 minutes increments focusing on abs, stretching and resistance training. I take weekends off from the pool, but since I tend to eat more on the weekends, I try to take the dog for a walk. And just to throw another thing into the mix, I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, so sometimes I scale back my workouts. Due to the RA, I do not lift weights, use a treadmill/elliptical, etc. All of my exercise is strictly in the pool. My joints cannot handle anything else.

Also, I'm not looking to break the bank with a supplement, just something to take the edge off of the soreness.

If you have never had this issue before you may need a mental and physical break. When is the last time you did a deload or a recovery period of training? How many weeks/months straight have you been training at a high level of intensity?

Thats what I was thinking. Yes, you are doing different strokes but you are still using the same muscle groups every day. If you've been doing it for a while, it may be time for a recovery week. I recommend them for my athletes about once every three months.

How does your RA react to stretching? If you can handle it, I would recommend a week of gentle hatha yoga or light Pilates or even just a general athletic stretching to help those muscles recover. Also, resistance training has been shown to be beneficial for RA symptoms so once you recover you might want to slowly add it in by starting with just the movement and no weight and then slowly adding weight. I have a client who is doing remarkably well in managing her RA this way. She's up to using 8 and 10 pound dumbbells now and has fewer flares because of it. Personally, my arthritis is osteo caused by injuries over the years, so it is different then what you experience, but I wouldn't be able to move if it wasn't for my strength training. I know it hurts at first, but if you just start with the movements you can add 1 pound weights relatively quickly and then progress from there. And make sure any movements you try to do on land are none impact. I'm not recommending a plyometrics program or even an aerobics class, just some slow controlled weight training. Nothing ballistic at all. I don't know how your competition schedule goes or would effect your need for training, but if you can maybe alternate days of your normal routines and on the days in between swimming you put on an aqua belt and do some deep water jogging, that will help too. That way those muscle groups get a day of rest before you work them again. Remember, rest is when muscle repairs and rebuilds and is just as important as training.

FireRox21

Thank you all for your responses. I am thinking that I might start breaking up my workouts a bit more to allow myself some rest time. I used to take the water aerobics class at the gym religiously to work different muscle groups, but stopped that about six months ago to focus strictly on competition training. I might start taking those classes again; they are an hour long and do give a good workout in the pool. I would make those days my off-days from training. It would allow me more time for stretching and resistance work.

I also looked into a glutamine supplement, but am still unsure. I did try a light Pilates class, but as most of my joints are fused, I could not do most of the exercises. Yoga was a complete disaster as well. I do have to see my Rheumatologist on Jan 3. He's been really pressuring me to get surgery on my knee....if I go for it, that's at least 6 weeks out of the water. I will take everyone's advice into consideration, and again I really do appreciate it.

It's a new year coming up, so why not change up the ol' routine!!! :happy: