Best thing for recovery after a hard workout?

My trainer says a hot bath after your work out helps lift the lactic acid from the muscles which is what causes us to be sore. Also, I would bump up the potassium you take in (i.e a banana after your workout)...plus the usual lots of water.

I'm not sure how protein powder reacts with different people but protein powder causes me to gain lbs, since that's basically what its meant to do (pack on muscle). If you are still trying to lose I would keep on incorporating your lean proteins (chicken, fish, ect) and not rely on the powder for your proteins.

Good luck to you, hope that helped some what

I'm not sure there's anything you can actually ingest to help this - except maybe some ibruprofen. Bananas might help but I eat them every day and they never help me with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Protein may help with the actual recovery of the muscle fibers but that doesn't mean it aids the actual healing process as far as your pain goes. You've made little tears in those muscle fibers and they're going to take up to 3 days to heal up and feel better depending on how much damage was done.

However, there are things you can DO to help. Don't stop moving just because you're sore. On your off day, do something less intense like a nice 20-30 minutes walk and once your body's good and warmed up, stretch really well. I've heard conflicting information on heat or cold but use what you think works best. You could also try massage and/or using foam rollers.

This is temporary...as you get more fit and your body gets used to the workout, you will be less sore. Drink plenty of water!

Here's a nice article about DOMS

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/doms.htm

Anything with a 4:1 carb to protein ratio. Chocolate milk is a good option so is apple juice & a scoop of protein powder. I use a product called Vega recovery accelerator (you can buy it at Whole Foods.) I'm sure if you went to a GNC or Vitamin World you could find something similar.

You don't need a recovery drink after 30DS. Your muscles are sore because you haven't been using them The soreness is DOMS and is perfectly natural. Eat a healthy diet and don't worry about recovery. Warm baths, stretching and Ibuprofen will get you through until you build up some stamina and strength.

I'm not usually sore any more, but my ritual is to have a protein shake made with skim milk asap after my workout. It helps me to not be hungry the rest of the night. Keep in mind, my classes finish about 8:30pm, so I definitely don't want to munch when i get home! Plenty of stretching, and a hot shower

Part of your answer depends on what you are recovering from. For example, if you are lifting heavy, most information that I have read suggests consuming between .9 and 1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight, depending on various factors. Here is stronglifts opinion - http://stronglifts.com/protein-daily-needs-myths-best-sources-protein/ . My point here was only to give you a reference for "lots of protein".

Here is what I have done for muscle soreness and have had success related to both weightlifting and things like plyometrics. It works for my body though of course YMMV as we are all different.

When lifting - I take 4.4g of BCAAs and make sure i have had some protein (15g minimum) before lifting. I then take 6.6g more of BCAAs right after lifting with a minimum of 25g of protein. BCAAs are one of the few supplements where I could find positive scientific studies that showed aiding in the reduction of CPK levels (your soreness). I use goole scholar to find study based information. For example, http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/2/538S.short

For plyometric/cardio based stuff - 1)I have to make sure to get enough potassium and hydration to prevent cramping. Hydration has always been easier than potassium for me. Thank goodness for low sodium v8 - I drink one after every hockey game, right away. 2) Once I have the soreness, drinking more and more water helps. Flushing the system for me helps in the recovery for some reason. 3) Invest in a foam roller and/or a massage stick (cheap version - http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym-18-Massage-Stick/17804154). The foam roller will be better for certain muscles and the maasage stick will be easier to use for others. I learned about these in physical therapy. Note that they will be very painful to use when you are already in pain but they will definitely speed up your recovery process. Be sure to read the instructions on these before you use them as you want to do certain exercises with them in certain ways because of blood clot potential risks. As an aside, I use the massage stick as pre and post workout routine at times when I know my calf is likely to act up. Knowing how my body reacts helps to guide me in this stuff. 3) The BCAAs can also help here but they don't seem to be as effective for me as they are in lifting recovery. I take them before bed with cottage cheese (protein source) to help aid the overnight recovery/rebuild.

Again, just my experience which may or may not work well for you and your body.

if you are really daring, I know people that swear by immediate ice baths after plyometric type things. Later they use the warm bath but the ice bath really kills their DOMS. Sports athletes use it a lot.

Sleep

food and sleep

Muscles...

Torn in the gym
Fed in the kitchen
Built in bed

Eat right and sleep well.

The best thing is 8+ hours of sleep.

I drink Beverly Internationals Glutamine with BCAA's while I'm working out and have to say that I rarely get sore when I'm doing that! I am currently running, doing uphill intervals with weights in between and also Jillian Michaels Buns and thighs...

I like contrast showers and active rest.

I use P90X Results and Recovery!