Why Are Recovery Drinks Good For You
Although the list of benefits that exercise can bring to your health is lengthy, exercise can deplete your body of vital fuels and nutrients. Consuming a beverage that contains the right types of nutrients at the appropriate timings after your workout could make a huge difference in your performance and overall well-being. Always consult a qualified medical professional for advice when making any changes to your eating or exercise routine.
Timing
A good recovery drink can replenish the fluids and energy that you lost during exercise and help prepare you for your next workout. In the first two hours after exercise , the liver produces glycogen, the sugar storage substance, at a rate of one-and-a-half times normal rate. This is the best time to take a high-carbohydrate refueling drink. Consuming carbs immediately after exercising will also trigger your pancreas and cause it to produce insulin, which instructs your cells to absorb glucose. During the next four hours glycogen production remains elevated, however, it slows down gradually.
Fatigue
If you train twice per day, consuming a carbohydrate-based recovery drink will provide enough energy to power you through your second workout. It will also help you avoid potential injury and progress faster toward your fitness goals. Through time and consistent training the glycogen capacity can increase by as much as 20 percent. This means you’ll have more endurance and performance in the sport you are interested in. Try to consume 1.5 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of your body weight for the first 30 minutes following exercise, as well as every 2 hours for the first four to six hours as recommended by nutritionist Sari Edelstein co-author and co-author in “Life Cycle Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach.”
Aerobic Capacity
The recovery drink you choose to drink will provide both your sugar needs and satisfy your chocolate cravings. The University of Texas at Austin Department of Kinesiology and Health Education chocolate milk that is low in fat is an ideal post-workout recovery drink to help increase lean muscles and less fat. Protein in chocolate milk can make it a better recovery drink to those with carbohydrates on their own. It can also improve your strength, speed and endurance — a measure of your body’s capacity to use oxygen up to two times.
Body Composition
A study published in issues of June, 2012 of “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” found that a drink for recovery that contains carbohydrate, protein and the amino acid ribose — one of the building blocks of ATP, an important energy-carrying molecule — may enhance the body’s composition for endurance athletes. All males with a mid-life stage took the drink after exercising 5 days a week for eight weeks. Results showed reduced percentage of body fat in the first of three-to six weeks. Body weight, endurance, and aerobic capacity did not change significantly when compared to the recovery drink used in this study.