On Day #10 I discussed how muscles recover and grow. Now it is time to discuss the fuel that they need to do all of that. One thing that many of us forget about food is that it is first and foremost fuel. In fact, if we all remembered every minute of the day that food is only fuel then we wouldn’t have weight issues. But alas, we forget. I wish I could say I’m not guilty of this forgetfulness, but I am.
Fueling our bodies specifically for recovery should happen within one hour of completing our workouts. Whether it is an aerobic or a weight training workout really doesn’t matter. What matters is that we take advantage of that one-hour window to fuel our bodies well for the work we want them to do.
The fuel our bodies need is pretty specific. First, we need electrolytes, those very important minerals that our muscles need for their own version of internal combustion: sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride. Then we need to replenish the muscles’ supply of carbohydrates that have been depleted for the energy to work out. Lastly, we need protein so that our muscles can repair themselves and (hopefully) grow.
The general recipe for recovery includes 16 to 24 ounces of fluid with 3 grams of carbohydrates for every 5 pounds of your body weight and one gram of protein for every five pounds of body weight. Liquid is the best form for recovery because it delivers the nutrients to the body much more quickly than solids. In a pinch, you could have a bottle of Gatorade and a whey protein drink but I would recommend something more along the lines of a Myoplex or MetRx shake. Both of these come in powder or ready-to-drink formulas. Ultimately, powder is less expensive per serving but ready-to-drink formulas provide a great deal of convenience and flexibility for those who are on the go.
Related Blogs:
Are you subscribed to the Families.com Weight Loss Blog? With the click of a button, you can receive an email notification anytime a new blog is posted in the Families.com Weight Loss Blog! Just look to the right of this blog and find the subscription center (it looks just like this picture). Click on “Subscribe via Email”. You’ll be instantly subscribed and the email address that you registered at Families.com with will receive an instant notification whenever we post a new Weight Loss Blog! Don’t miss a thing – subscribe now!