EAT AFTER EVERY WORKOUT RECOVERY NUTRITION

PONDER THIS……. What does Recovery Nutrition mean to you? How does it work? Why is it important?

WHAT IS RECOVERY NUTRITION? The nutrients put into ones body following a workout

WHAT HAPPENS DURING EXERCISE During exercise, you decrease and sometimes deplete muscle glycogen stores, depending on the duration of the activity Glycogen is stored in the muscles and liver and when needed is converted into glucose for energy to be used throughout the body Muscle glycogen stores must be repleted to have energy to call upon for your next exercise bout

OTHER FUNCTIONS OF MUSCLE GLYCOGEN STORES Maintaining adequate energy stores is important for immune function to avoid getting sick Especially for avoiding upper respiratory tract infections

BUILDING MUSCLE For 4-6 hours after exercise, the body’s ability to build muscle is maximized Exercise increases the body’s ability to take amino acids up into the muscles and increases the enzyme activity that is needed for muscle protein synthesis or in easier terms…..building muscle Remember….Amino acids are the building blocks for protein and protein/amino acids are what helps repair/build muscle in your body

EXERCISE AND BUILDING MUSCLE You must first have enough energy for your workout duration – Muscle Glycogen Stores After your workout, your muscles are hungry and ready to take in amino acids which will help build muscle It is important to take in Carbohydrates (replace depleted muscle glycogen stores) and protein (amino acids) within 30 minutes to 1 hour after exercise to start the repair/repletion process

HOW MUCH CARBOHYDRATE/PROTEIN TO TAKE IN AFTER EXERCISE Protein – Recommendation is grams of protein Your body can’t absorb more than 20 grams at once so taking in more won’t lead to any benefit for the body and can be stored as fat Ideal ratio of carbohydrate to protein for recovery is 4:1 Chocolate milk has this ratio which is the reason for its popularity as a post-workout recovery drink

HYDRATION AFTER EXERCISE Hydration is important in replenishing fluid lost during exercise Important for recovery after exercise as it helps deliver the carbohydrates/protein to where they need to go to aid in recovery Hydration also has many benefits in performing better and delaying fatigue

ANTIOXIDANT FILLED CARBOHYDRATES Foods with antioxidants are important to helping reduce inflammation and muscle soreness After exercise bouts, many times there is increased inflammation which leads to muscle soreness Fruits/vegetables are high in antioxidants and can help reduce soreness and speed recovery Fruits are a great source of carbohydrates for recovery *NOTE : Unhealthy fat found in things like chips, fast food and fried foods can increase inflammation in the body….in turn impairing recovery and prolonging muscle soreness

RECOVERY NUTRITION IDEAS Chocolate Milk w/ Fruit Fruit/Peanut Butter Sandwich/20 oz Water Fruit/Protein Shake Vegetable/Chicken Breast/20 oz Water