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• Recovery Strategies Part 2
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Ask Dr Nina!

I am wondering what the best postworkout fuel would be for my recovery during training?

I often feel great during the first few workouts of the week but by the third one I start to feel sore and tired more quickly.

Fueling-Hungry, North Vancouver

Dear Fueling-Hungry,

The trick to re-fueling is two-fold. One, is timing and the second is what you eat.

Timing for proper refueling should be a recovery drink within 30 minutes post workout (any workout that is higher intensity and/or over 45minutes) and another well-balanced meal/drink within 2 hours.

The ratios of protein,carbohydrate and fat, electrolytes are key to optimizing your body's need and abilty to absorb and utilize these nutrients. Research has shown that the body's low glycogen stores after a workout increase the body's ability to store glycogen for the next workout by double, if taken within the first 30 minutes after the workout! This is an essential factor in recovery! Also, by replenishing stores quickly, your body will not be under the stress of low blood sugar levels for longer than necessary - this will take the load off the adrenal glands which are taxed by periods of stress and can become depleted and lead to adrenal burnout over time (as you can imagine, this is NOT the goal of all your hours of hard work in training!).

Within 30 minutes of the workout the easiest is to take a recovery drink that is composed of a ratio of 4 (Carb) : 1 (Protein), low in fat and has some added electrolytes. There are several ways to do this, the easiest of which is to use a prepared product such as "Endurox"  or "PowerBar Recovery"(which is balanced and also contains L-glutamine, an amino acid that helps in muscle repair and immune system function). You can also prepare your own by mixing together a protein powder such as good quality whey/rice/soy, a carbohydrate ("Fly" is a pure carbohydrate (dextrose) powder) and some electrolytes (I add "Elete", electrolyte drops) to replenish Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium. You can mix this with soy/rice/almond milk or coconut water. There are also many great recipes out there for other options that don't require any packaged products, just a bit more time! (I highly recommend the book Thrive by triathlete Brendan Brazier).

The second meal/drink, to be eaten within 2 hours of the workout, should be composed of a bit more protein, healthy fats and fiber. A smoothie with whey/rice/Vega powder, bananas, berries, Omega369/flax/fish oil, ground flax/nuts, yogurt (optional) with water/coconut water, soy/rice/almond milk would be great.  As long as you are well-hydrated and not overtraining, this should help with the recovery.

Try it and see how much better your body feels after a few consecutive workouts!  When your legs don't burn as much you will be thanking the recovery drinks more than you imagined!

Nina Lange is a Naturopathic Doctor at Pacifica Naturopathic in West Vancouver. You can contact her by email: drninalange@yahoo.com or check out the website:  http://www.pacificanaturopathic.com/