Why Are Recovery Drinks Good For You
While the list of benefits of exercise for your health is lengthy, exercise also can deplete your body of vital nutrients and energy. Drinking a recovery drink with the proper types of nutrients at the right timings after your workout could make a huge difference to your results from exercise and overall health. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for guidance before making adjustments in your fitness or diet routine.
Timing
Recovery drinks are a great way to replenish fluids and energy lost during your workout . They also help prepare you for your next workout. For the first two to three hours after exercising, your liver produces glycogen, which is the short-term storage form of glucose at an incredibly high rate. This is the best time to take a high-carbohydrate refueling drink. Consuming carbs immediately after exercising helps your pancreas release insulin, which instructs the cells to absorb glucose. In the following four hours, glycogen production is still elevated however, it decreases gradually.
Fatigue
If you train twice per day, consuming a carbohydrate-based recovery drink can give you the energy for the second session. It will also assist you to stay safe from injury and help you progress faster toward your fitness goals. As you progress through time and training regularly your glycogen storage capacity can grow by as much as 20 percent. This can lead to more endurance and better performance in the sport you are interested in. Aim for 1.5 grams of carbohydrate for each kilogram of your body weight for the first 30 minutes following your workout and every two hours during the first four hours to six hours as recommended by the nutritionist Sari Edelstein coauthor on “Life Cycle Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach.”
Aerobic Capacity
Your recovery drink is able to meet your needs for glucose and your chocolate cravings. As per the University of Texas at Austin Department of Kinesiology and Health Education chocolate milk that is low in fat is the perfect post-workout drink for promoting more lean muscles and less fat. Protein in chocolate milk can make it a better alternative to drinks that contain carbohydrates only. It is also able to boost your speed, strength and endurance — a test of your body’s capability to utilize oxygen by up to two times.
Body Composition
A study published in month of June in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” found that a drink for recovery that contains carbohydrate, protein and ribose — which is one of the components of ATP which is an important energy-carrying molecule — may increase body composition among endurance athletes. Participants, who were all males in their mid-20s were given the drink within minutes of exercising five days per week for eight weeks. Results showed decreased body fat percentages in the first up to three weeks. The body weight as well as endurance didn’t change much with the help of the recovery drink used in this study.