What is the best way to recover after an intense workout?

lisamgould

I workout 5 days a week at 5pm. M T W strength training and cardio and abs. T TH strength training and cardio. However I am exhausted after working out. Does anyone have a good recovery drink or food or suggestion that will help me maintain my energy till bedtime.

lisamgould

I workout 5 days a week at 5pm. M T W strength training and cardio and abs. T TH strength training and cardio. However I am exhausted after working out. Does anyone have a good recovery drink or food or suggestion that will help me maintain my energy till bedtime.

lisamgould

oops I ment MWF noy MTW

slimkitty

Are you getting enough sleep, are you well hydrated, are you eating whole nourishing foods? What is the intensity of your workouts, how long do you workout for, exactly what exercises do you perform? A little more info might be helpful to figure out why you are so tired.
Kim Lyons from one of "The Biggest Looser" seasons says that working out too much and not eating enough can be very counterproductive.

lisamgould

I would like to say this is a typical day but I had to go back a week to get it. While reviewing my history I realized I am just not eating enough my average seems to be around 900 calories a day.. Seriously how is that possible. I do train hard as well. the workout is typical.

May 9, 2009
FOODS Calories Carbs Fat Protein Cholest Sodium Sugars Fiber
Breakfast
Sugars - Granulated (sucrose), 6 serving packet 65 17g 0g 0g 0mg 0mg 17g 0g
Generic - Black Coffee, 16 fl oz 9 2g 0g 0g 0mg 9mg 0g 0g
Kroger 1 % Milk - Milk - Lowfat, 1% Milkfat, 0.5 cup (8 fl oz) 50 6g 1g 4g 5mg 60mg 6g 0g
General Mills - Cheerios - Whole Grain, 3/4 cup 80 15g 2g 2g 0mg 140mg 1g 2g
Lunch
Raw Green Bell Peppers - Green Bell Peppers, 5 Strips 3 1g 0g 0g 0mg 1mg 0g 0g
Turkey - Meat only, cooked, roasted, 0.25 cup, chopped or diced 59 0g 2g 10g 27mg 25mg 0g 0g
Bagels - Plain, onion, poppy, or sesame, 1 oz 78 15g 0g 3g 0mg 151mg 0g 1g
Cream cheese - Plain, 1 tbsp 51 0g 5g 1g 16mg 43mg 0g 0g
Cucumber - Peeled, raw, 4 slice 3 1g 0g 0g 0mg 1mg 0g 0g
Eggs - Hard-boiled (whole egg), 1 large 78 1g 5g 6g 212mg 62mg 1g 0g
Dinner
Beef - Ground, 95% lean meat / 5% fat, patty, cooked, broiled (hamburger), 1 serving ( 3 oz ) 151 0g 6g 22g 65mg 55mg 0g 0g
Lettuce - Red leaf, raw, 5 leaf outer 14 2g 0g 1g 0mg 21mg 0g 1g
Fresh - Corn on the Cob - Plain, 0.5 ear - medium 39 9g 1g 1g 0mg 7mg 1g 1g
Cottage cheese - Lowfat, 1% milkfat, 0.25 cup (not packed) 41 2g 1g 7g 2mg 229mg 2g 0g
Cake - Shortcake, biscuit-type, prepared from recipe, 3 oz 294 41g 12g 5g 3mg 430mg 0g 0g
Strawberries - Raw, 1 cup, halves 49 12g 0g 1g 0mg 2mg 7g 3g
Cream - Half and half, 0.5 cup 157 5g 14g 4g 45mg 50mg 0g 0g
Corona - Original Beer, 1 bottle 148 14g 0g 0g 0mg 0mg 0g 0g
Snacks
Luna Bar - S'mores, 1 bar 180 27g 5g 10g 0mg 125mg 13g 3g
TOTALS: 1,549 170g 54g 77g 375mg 1,411mg 48g 11g
EXERCISES Calories Minutes Sets Reps Weight
Cardiovascular
Stair-treadmill ergometer, general 95 10
Elliptical Trainer 191 20
Strength training (weight lifting, weight training) 95 30
Strength Training
Low Plank Stationary 3 12
Push Ups (push-ups) 3 18
Squat 3 8 5
Medicine Ball Pickup / Balance 3 12
Medicine Ball Oblique Crunch 3 8
TOTALS: 381 60 15 58 5

Amy_B

I have heard several times that chocolate milk is a good recovery drink.

lisamgould

Wow look what I found.. Men's Health Hope this helps all those looking.

If you work out seriously, whether it's running, weightlifting or any other intense sport, you have to make sure that you're giving your body the fuel and nutrients it needs to recover adequately from the effort.

After a workout, your body's stores of glycogen -- the carbohydrate that is stored in the muscles and liver -- are depleted. If you don't replenish them, your body won't recover properly and your performance will suffer during your next workout. This is particularly important for athletes who partake in intense training sessions or competitions. If you only workout a couple of times a week, you will likely restore your glycogen between sessions; however, athletes who train hard almost every day must really pay attention to what they eat immediately after they exercise.

That's where the concept of "recovery foods" comes in. The best way to replenish your glycogen stores is to consume carbohydrate-rich foods within the 30 minutes that follow your workout. Since your blood flow is increased and your muscle cells are more sensitive to insulin right after your workout, you'll get the best results if you consume recovery foods within this time frame.

Ideally, you should ingest approximately 3/4 of a gram of carbohydrates per pound of body weight -- about 135 grams of carbs for a 180-pound male -- within 30 minutes of your workout, and about the same amount or slightly more two hours later.

But it's not all about carbs. Studies have shown that including some protein -- 10 grams to 18 grams is ideal -- in your post-workout snack or meal helps to replenish the glycogen more quickly, and stimulates muscle growth and repair. Also, don't forget to rehydrate your body by drinking lots of fluids after your workout.

One word of caution: Because many of these foods, particularly those specifically designed as recovery foods, are meant to restore glycogen, they are often high in sugar. Therefore, if you aren't a serious endurance athlete undergoing intense training, you should probably steer clear of the high-sugar choices if you don't want to end up ruining your efforts by packing on the pounds.

That being said, the following 10 recovery foods offer a good balance of both carbs and protein, and generally contain little fat. While each individual food may not offer the optimal amounts of protein and carbs outlined above (only a complete meal will give ideal amounts), these snacks are a good start. I chose a mix of commercial products designed as recovery foods and natural foods you can buy at any supermarket.


Number 10
PowerBar Energy Bites
These little crispy clusters come in three flavors -- Chocolate Crisp, Oatmeal Raisin Crisp and Peanut Butter Crisp -- are great for an energy boost before or during an intense workout, but they're also perfect as a post-workout recovery snack. A 50-gram bag of the Chocolate Crisp variety contains 200 calories, 32 grams of carbs, 8 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat. Oh yeah, and they also contain a bunch of essential vitamins and minerals. Bonus.

More post-workout snacks you can buy ready-made or they may even be hiding in your kitchen...

Number 9
Low-fat granola cereal
A good choice is GOLEAN by Kashi: A 1-cup serving has 140 calories, 30 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fat. And with 10 grams of dietary fiber -- which helps you to lose weight and may prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity -- you'll already have 40% of your recommended daily value. But beware of other granola brands that may be much higher in calories, sugar and fat. Your best bet is to read the labels closely. Also, be on the lookout for a new generation of recovery cereals, such as Nature's Path's Optimum ReBound, which should be available in the organic foods section of your local grocery store.

Number 8
GeniSoy Protein Bar
Despite its name, GeniSoy's bar isn't just a good source of protein. In fact, with 220 calories, 33 grams of carbs, 14 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fat per bar, it is a perfect recovery food. Plus, you get all the health benefits of soy, which reduces the risk of heart disease, promotes bone health, helps prevent prostate cancer, boosts the immune system, and more. However, this bar is high in sugar, so beware if you're not a serious athlete.

Number 7
Cinnamon raisin bagel
The key here is size; while a small bagel can be a good post-workout snack, a super-sized one can ruin all your training efforts. Aim for a 70-gram whole-grain bagel (about 3 inches in diameter), which contains approximately 190 calories, 38 grams of carbs, 7 grams of protein, and 1.2 grams of fat. It is also a source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Number 6
Meal-replacement drink
There are many types of meal-replacement drinks out there, but they are not all created equal; some are not as "healthy" as they seem. A good choice is Boost, which has 240 calories, 41 grams of carbs, 10 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fat per 8-ounce bottle. Boost is also an excellent source of 26 vitamins and minerals, but it does contain 27 grams of sugar per bottle, so don't go overboard.

Number 5
Fruit smoothie
Tasty and refreshing, a fruit smoothie is also a great recovery food. But beware of commercial mixes as they can contain a lot of sugar, and even fat. Your best bet is to make your own. Try this recipe: In a blender, combine 2 chilled bananas, 2/3 cup of strawberries or mango slices, 12 ounces of chilled grape juice or any fruit nectar, 8 ounces of fat-free yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of honey (optional). This makes six servings, each of which contains 152 calories, 47 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, and 2 grams of fat. It is also a good source of fiber, and vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, calcium and iron.

A great bar, a common sandwich, a hard-core recovery drink, and my top pick...

Number 4
Clif bar
Clif Bar is a "natural" energy bar (70% of the ingredients are organic) that is marketed both as a pre-workout energy-boosting snack, as well as an ideal recovery snack due to its 4-to-1 carbs to protein ratio. In fact, the Chocolate Brownie flavor boasts 240 calories, 45 grams of carbs, 10 grams of protein, and 4.5 grams of fat. It is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, soy, and many essential vitamins and minerals. This bar is an all-around excellent choice.

Number 3
Peanut butter and honey sandwich
Not all recovery foods have to be purchased in a foil wrapper or plastic bottle at a heath food store or gym. A simple post-workout snack consists of peanut butter and honey on two slices of whole-wheat bread. Although this snack is higher in calories, carbs and fat than any other option on this list, it is also more filling than many other choices and contains "healthy" complex carbs. One peanut butter and honey sandwich has approximately 430 calories, 73 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, and 14 grams of fat.

Number 2
Endurox R4
Specifically designed as a recovery drink, Endurox R4 is composed of the optimal 4-to-1 ratio of carbs to protein necessary to replenish glycogen stores, as well as antioxidants to decrease muscle damage and glutamine to reduce stress on the muscles. Two rounded scoops (74 grams) of the ready-to-mix powder (chocolate flavor) contain 270 calories, 52 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, and 1.5 grams of fat. However, with 44 grams of sugar, you should really steer clear of this unless you are a serious endurance athlete.

Number 1
1% chocolate milk
Yup, believe it or not, 1% chocolate milk is one of the best recovery foods out there. Two cups of this sweet stuff provide you with 320 calories, 52 grams of carbs, 16 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat. Okay, so it does contain some saturated fat and is fairly high in sugar, but as an occasional glycogen-boosting drink after a hard workout, chocolate milk is a great choice.

r'n'r foods
If you're training intensely more days a week than not, you probably need a little post-workout boost once in a while in order to be prepared to perform during your next session. Try some of these recovery snacks, but don't go overboard or you'll just end up packing on extra pounds.

lisamgould

quote]
I have heard several times that chocolate milk is a good recovery drink.
[/quote]
according to the article chocolate milk was number one...great advise

hiddensecant

Yeah, I'll have chocolate milk right after my P90X workouts and a protein shake within an hour.

charliesgold

I seem to remember EAS having a glycogen powder, I think it was fruit punch flavor, from back when I did Body For Life, it doesn't taste bad at all either. Keep in mind I did BFL more than five years ago and their product names have changed but I was always impressed with them.

lisamgould

Great I will look in to "glycogen" Thanks so much!!!