The three Rs of post-workout recovery

October 18th, 2018 by Mike Sohaskey

Sponsored post from guest contributor Tailwind Nutrition

Ultrarunner and 2018 Western States 100 champ Courtney Dauwalter knows recovery

We all know the feeling after a long workout. You are exhausted, to the point that even the thought of taking off your shoes sounds exhausting. Shower?! Yeah, right. But before you sit down for that hard-earned relaxation, you cannot forget the one thing your body needs after a tough adventure: recovery. Your body needs to be replenished, and quickly, of the critical nutrients it just lost. And not only for the workout you just did, but to prepare you for the next!

Refueling after a workout can seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. While having access to a kitchen would be ideal to replenish your body with whole foods, sometimes that just isn’t possible. When ending your workout at the trailhead, at the campsite, or even just a long drive from home, it is important that you get the nutrients you need quickly in order for your body to recover faster. Remember, after a workout your muscle fibers are broken down, your energy stores are depleted, and your body is fatigued. Getting your body the protein, carbohydrates, fats and hydration it needs can be the difference between crushing your next workout or taking the day off.

Rehydrate

When thinking through recovery, there are a few important items to consider to give your body what it needs. One of the most important aspects is hydration. After a workout, your body is dehydrated. All of the sweat you just lost needs to be replenished through water and electrolytes. It is important to drink something that includes the key electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) to restore fluid balance. Dehydration can slow the recovery process down, so it is vital to rehydrate quickly following a tough workout.

Rebuild

Remember that during a workout, you are constantly tearing and breaking down muscle fibers. In order to recover, you need to refuel your body to allow the broken-down tissue to repair, recover, and continue to build. The best way to rebuild and repair the damaged muscle you have just broken down is to fuel your body with complete protein, that is, a protein source that contains a sufficient proportion of each of the nine essential amino acids required in the human diet. Fueling with complete protein allows your body to absorb the needed amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and immediately use that protein to get to work in preparing your body for the next workout.

Replenish

In addition to rehydrating and rebuilding, you also need to replenish your glycogen stores and restore your energy after a hard workout. Carbohydrates serve as your muscles’ major source of energy, which makes it important to include carbohydrates in any post-workout nutrition. Between 30 to 60 minutes after a workout, your muscles absorb glycogen at an accelerated rate to replenish your glycogen stores. This is known as the “magic hour” and is the most important time to consume a post-workout snack! While you may not feel particularly hungry after a tough workout, your body’s recovery can’t wait for your appetite to come back. Replenishing within the hour allows your body the best chance for recovery, and you the best opportunity to ace that next workout!

Don’t forget the post workout

Recovery plays an important role in setting you up so your next workout can return even better results. Why, then, is it often overlooked? As mentioned earlier, the thought of kicking off your shoes and grabbing a cold beverage sometimes gets in the way of thinking about the nutrition you need to recover. But your body just got you through that hard workout, so don’t you want to reward it by giving it what it needs? We’re all for enjoying a nice cold drink post workout (we do it ourselves!), but not until you properly refuel your body and rehydrate, rebuild, and replenish to make sure you kick butt on your next workout, too.

At Tailwind Nutrition, they know your life adventures often end far away from a kitchen. Whether you finish your workout at a trailhead, at the top of a mountain summit for the night, in your tent, or simply far away from your final destination, they know the importance of post-workout recovery. That’s why they’ve formulated the first sport recovery drink based on a patent-pending perfectly complete protein. They start with organic rice protein and supplement it with essential amino acids to make that protein complete. Then they add carbohydrates, some healthy fats from coconut milk, and just the right amount of electrolytes. Nothing repairs your muscles more efficiently, restores your energy faster, and makes you feel better sooner. Try Tailwind Rebuild, a vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free recovery drink to get back on the trails, in the saddle, or out doing what you like faster! Adventure is waiting — is your body ready? Save 15% now thru Oct 31 with code RaceRaves15!

The three Rs of post-workout recovery

Rehydrate

Rebuild

Replenish

Don’t forget the post workout

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