You’re done with your exercise for the day and all you want to do is go home and rest. But, not so fast, you need to think recovery first! Why? Well, no one wants to feel stiff and sore for long and you want to get back to doing that exercise you love asap right? Sports recovery doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, recovery nutrition can make it simple… and tasty! We’ve got your ultimate guide to sports recovery and recovery nutrition, answering all your questions and giving you the tools you need to be better at your sport.
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Contents:
- What is recovery and why does it matter in sport?
- How long does it take for muscles to recover?
- What are carbohydrates and how do they relate to recovery?
- What can I do to aid recovery?
- What happens if I don’t take steps to recover and how can that impact my performance?
- How do I know if my muscles need recovering?
- Do you have to take a recovery shake for muscle recovery? And why can I not just eat food?
- What recovery supplements are available & how do I choose the best one for me?
- The Bottom Line
What is recovery and why does it matter in sport?
Let’s start at the beginning. Recovery refers to the process your muscles go through after they have been stressed during exercise. When your muscles are working hard it is normal for them to become sore and stiff. When you rest and refuel, muscles will repair and recover and once this has happened, they will be stronger. Sounds good right?
A speedy muscle recovery is important in sport as we all want to get back to doing what we love as quickly as possible, work muscles hard again, recover them and keep coming back stronger and stronger. For runners, especially, optimising post-running meals can significantly enhance recovery and performance. There are things you can do to help your body recover . If you don’t, your muscle recovery process will be slower and you can feel stiff and sore for longer, which means it will take you longer to get back to your sport, and no one wants that!This is particularly important for athletes and those competing because you don’t want to be recovering slower than your competitors!
How long does it take for muscles to recover?
We hate to say it but unfortunately there’s no one size fits all. The length of muscle recovery will vary person to person, on the exercise undertaken and how their body copes with that exercise. Roughly speaking, several sources report that typically you will fully recover from light exercise within 24 hours and more strenuous exercise within a few days.
What are carbohydrates and how do they relate to recovery?
Carbohydrates are a sports nutritionist’s best friend and here’s why. During sport, the energy stored in your muscles (muscle glycogen) will deplete over time. This is normal as your muscles can only store up to 90 minutes of carbohydrates, the fuel that gives you energy. The depletion of muscle glycogen can impair muscle function resulting in fatigue and reduced exercise performance. This is why many people take on nutrition like energy bars or energy gels during sport as a convenient way to keep energy levels up.
After sport, you will most likely rest and consume nutrition either through a meal or a post-workout shake and this will typically contain protein, which can repair muscle damage and promote the growth of muscle, and carbohydrates which will recover muscles, stopping you feeling stiff and sore for too long. Carbohydrates replace glycogen stores and without them muscle breakdown will increase and recovery will be reduced. If you don’t give your body the carbohydrates it needs, especially after exercise, your body will react by craving them, often meaning you will end up over consuming in the 12 – 48 hours after exercise. And no one wants that… Protein and carbohydrates especially are two macronutrients that are essential to muscle recovery. Put simply, carbohydrates are an absolute must for energy and recovery. Can you see why sports nutritionists like them so much?
What can I do to aid recovery?
Naturally, with rest and food your muscles will recover but there are definitely steps you can take to kickstart the recovery process and ensure your body is getting the vital things it needs to recover. For a quick and full recovery, you want to give your body what it needs as soon as you can, so here are the recovery aids you should take immediately after exercise.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the king of recovery. Carbohydrates help to recover muscles, so you don’t feel stiff and sore for too long. For the full effect, you need to consume 4g per kg of bodyweight within 4-6 hrs post-exercise. But of course, the sooner you get the carbohydrates into your body then the sooner the recovery process can commence.
Protein
If carbohydrates are the king of recovery then protein is the queen. Protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of mass. You need 0.75g of protein per kilo of body weight per day for general muscle maintenance but if you’re exercising regularly you should take on more to compensate for the extra stress on muscles.
Fluids and electrolytes
While these aren’t directly related to muscle recovery, hydration is incredibly important for general heath and especially in sport. Rehydration after exercise is often forgotten about so we’re here to remind you to hydrate! Always! And that means fluids but also replenishing the electrolytes you’ve lost though sweat with a hydration tab like ZERO, if your recovery shake doesn't already contain them.
Micronutrients
Let’s not forget the micronutrients, particularly vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, zinc, iron, vitamin D and essential B vitamins. These have a whole host of benefits that are important daily but especially if you’re exercising regularly and want to be in tip top condition.
What happens if I don’t take steps to recover and how can that impact my performance?
If you don’t aid your recovery then you’re likely feel stiff and sore for longer and you’ll certainly feel like not getting back to exercise any time soon! If you’re not competing or don’t have any particular goal then this isn’t necessarily a problem but if you do then a slower recovery will definitely reduce your training sessions, which could mean you don’t hit your goal as quickly as you’d like or fellow competitors will have an advantage because they’ve managed to squeeze in more training.
How do I know if my muscles need recovering?
After any strenuous exercise your muscles will need to recover. An easy rule to follow is if you worked hard, recover! If your muscles ache the next day then that’s a sure sign a post-workout recovery shake was needed.
Do you have to take a recovery shake for muscle recovery? And why can I not just eat food?
Of course you don’t have to take a recovery shake for muscle recovery but it certainly helps. When it comes to muscle recovery, speed is of the essence. The quicker you give your body the nutrition it needs the quicker it can start the recovery process. This is where recovery shakes come in. In 10 seconds you can prep and drink a shake. Whereas, if you’re relying on a meal, you need to allow for prepping and cooking time and typically a meal will take more than 10 seconds to eat! You’re also relying on that meal having the right amount of carbs, protein and general nutrients that your body needs for a full recovery. With a specifically designed recovery shake you can have the confidence that it has everything you need to recover.
Of course, it’s not a shake versus food. We’d recommend having a recovery shake as soon as you’ve finished exercising and then having a wholesome meal one to two hours later. People often find this works well because who wants a heavy meal while they’re still sweating! Reward yourself with a delicious post-workout shake, which will be easy to drink, to kickstart your recovery and then when you’re ready have that lunch or dinner you’ve been dreaming of!
What recovery supplements are available & how do I choose the best one for me?
Because recovery is so important post-exercise, there are supplements especially designed to recover your muscles. Here's a rundown of what's available and how to choose the best one for you:
Recovery Drinks
What are they: Generally speaking recovery drinks are carbohydrates and protein, usually in a milkshake-type drink. These can be ready to drink or a powder that you mix up with water.
Our HIGH5 Recovery Drink contains 20g protein, fast-release carbohydrates, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals in a great-tasting smooth milkshake drink. This is a complete recovery product so you can get back to doing what you love again and again.
Why choose them: They are specially designed to repair and recover muscles post-exercise. Whether it’s a ready to drink or powder you mix with water they are quick to prep and drink so you can be reassured that you’ve kickstarted the recovery process as soon as you’re finished exercising.
When should I take them? For best results, you should consume one serving within 20 minutes of finishing exercise. You can also have another one or two servings later in the day or before you go to bed. Recovery drinks are suitable for muscle recovery after any exercise whether that’s cycling, running, football or a gym workout. If you’ve worked hard then it can’t hurt to take a recovery supplement.
Recovery Bars
What are they: Like recovery drinks, recovery bars are mainly made up of protein and carbs. They’re just in another format so really it’s down to you whether you prefer a bar or a drink.
Our HIGH5 Recovery Bar contains 14g of protein and 24g of carbohydrates and comes in a naturally flavoured and great tasting chocolate flavour and banana-vanilla flavour.
Why choose them: Like recovery drinks they are specially designed to repair and recover muscles post-exercise. As bars are convenient to carry with you, you can have one as soon as you cross the finish line!
When should I take them? For best results, within 20 minutes of finishing exercise. Recovery bars are suitable for muscle recovery after any exercise so whether you’ve been cycling, running, playing football or working out in the gym, don’t forget to pack your recovery bar!
All in ones
What are they: All in ones are another option for recovery because they tend to give you energy during sport but they also contain protein to help with muscle growth post-exercise.
We offer Energy Bar with Protein or Energy Drink with Protein, both are designed to fuel your sport while you’re doing it and promote the growth and repair of muscles afterwards.
Why choose them: Energy bars or drinks with protein included are great if you’re doing long sessions or multi day events that requires a lot of energy and muscle recovery in quick succession. They’re also good if you don’t want to carry too much nutrition and want a product that can do several things.
When should I take them? During exercise as your body will need the energy and after exercise so the carbohydrate and protein content can kickstart muscle repair and recovery. Energy bars or drinks with protein can work for any sport but we especially recommend them for long sessions or multi day events.
The bottom line
- Recovery refers to the process your muscles go through after they have been stressed during exercise
- A speedy muscle recovery is important in sport as we all want to get back to doing what we love as quickly as possible, work muscles hard again, recover them and keep coming back stronger and stronger
- The length of muscle recovery will vary person to person, on the exercise undertaken and how their body copes with that exercise. Roughly speaking, you will fully recover from light exercise within 24 hours and more strenuous exercise within a few days
- Carbohydrates replace glycogen stores and without them muscle breakdown will increase and recovery will be reduced.
- For a quick and full recovery, you want to give your body what it needs as soon as you can, so here are the recovery aids you should take immediately after exercise: carbohydrates, protein, fluids and electrolytes and micronutrients like vitamin C, zinc, iron, vitamin D and essential B vitamins
- If you don’t aid your recovery then you’re likely feel stiff and sore for longer and you’ll certainly feel like not getting back to exercise any time soon!
- After any strenuous exercise your muscles will need to recover. An easy rule to follow is if you worked hard, recover!
- When it comes to muscle recovery, speed is of the essence. The quicker you give your body the nutrition it needs the quicker it can start the recovery process. This is where recovery shakes come in
- We’d recommend having a recovery shake as soon as you’ve finished exercising and then having a wholesome meal one to two hours later
- You can maximise your game from the get-go by fueling right. For top pre-game nutrition tips, explore our guide on what to eat before football and start every match at your best.