This is because we don’t get fitter during an actual training session, we get fitter afterwards, during recovery. Training merely sets up the potential for fitness improvements.
Recovery is when our body upgrades itself; it repairs damaged muscle fibres and it builds more mitochondria, to name a couple of the hundreds of incremental improvements that contribute to becoming Faster, Higher, Stronger.
But these improvements need building blocks, and after a training session, there is a window of time in which we must “supply” our body with these building blocks; the right nutrients at the right times, in order to optimize these changes.
We must also replenish our fuel supplies. A hard training session will deplete our carbohydrate stores, and unless these are replaced, our next training session will suffer, resulting in less potential for fitness to be gained.
How to recover optimally
The key nutrients during the recovery period are protein, carbohydrates, and fluid. The amount you require depends on your weight, training goals, and the training undertaken, not to mention personal preferences, and practicalities.
Despite the need for a personalised plan, the following advice is reasonably failsafe:
- Take a protein and carbohydrate containing snack immediately after exercise
- Include protein and carbohydrate in your next main meal
- Have water on hand and drink to thirst
- Eat a variety of colourful vegetables to restock your vitamins and minerals
Our favourite practical post workout snacks are:
- Cereal, yoghurt, milk, fruit
- Eggs, avocado, toast, beans
- Cold meat and lettuce sandwiches
- Smoothie (milk, berries, yoghurt, banana, rolled oats, nuts)
Once you know how much of each nutrient you need, recovery meals are simple, quick, and are an effective way of ensuring you get the most out of your training and see the results you deserve.
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