Recovery from endurance exercise - Nutrition

When exercise recovery is mentioned ice baths, normatec boots and anabolic steroids are what most people think of. But before you go trying the next designer drugs consider the basics of recovery Nutrition, Hydration and rest. If you are neglecting these fundamentals you are wasting your time with anything else. This is part one on post exercise nutrition. enjoy!


Most people think the reason cyclist sit around at cafes eating cake and drinking coffee is because they are pretentious wankers. This is true. But also, there may be a very timely delicate nutritional balance at play.


Some key points:

• Glycogen is the stored source of fuel in the body. It is essential for high performance training - it is derived from Carbohydrates and stored in the liver and muscles.
• Protein makes up cells and is essential in rebuilding damage after exercise, particularly to muscles.

Without adequate carbohydrate and protein in combination with fluid and electrolyte balance, exercise adaptations may be suppressed and subsequent exercise bouts hampered.

The main goal of post exercise nutrition is to optimize carbohydrate resynthesis and repair muscle damage through protein synthesis (building cells with protein)

Carbohydrates consumption directly after training and within the first 4 hours following training is crucial. Delaying of carbohydrate intake post exercise is particularly unfavourable when exercise bouts are less than 8 hours apart (e.g. morning and afternoon session).

It is recommended for athletes undertaking frequent exercise bouts to consume 1-1.2g of carbohydrates per Kg of body weight within the first 4 hours post exercise, then resume normal daily nutritional regime. (Unless your normal nutritional regime is really shitty, in that case resume someone else's regime)

Glycogen resynthesis post exercise takes place in two phases.

1. Directly after a session (30 mins -1hr) - This is when the body is most receptive to glycogen reuptake.
2. From 1 hr up to 48hrs after depending on level of carbohydrate depletion.

Protein synthesis  is also of crucial importance as part of effective recovery. Studies have show that post exercise consumption of protein not only increases the rate at which this happens but also prevents further breakdown of muscles. Timing of protein intake is a significant factor in this process.

For this reason it is recommended that 20-25g of protein is consumed within the first 1-2 hrs of an exercise session. This is the greatest amount of protein that can be adsorbed in one hit. (any extra just gets turned into wee wee)

One study found a beverage containing Carbs 53g and Pro 14g administered directly after exercise was extremely effective for nutritional recovery.

Recommendations

• Refuel early (within 30mins ideally)
• First meal should contain combination of carbohydrates and protein. (above example as a guide)
• 1-1.2g of carbohydrates per kg body weight within 4 hours post exercise
• 20-25g protein within 1-2 hrs post exercise and every 3 hrs thereafter

These quantities may be a little hard to make sense of, so here are a few examples of some foods with protein and carbohydrate values to give some reference.

If you would like to investigate nutrient content further I would suggest

1. Follow this link to the Australian & NZ foods standards list of foods and nutritional quantities http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/ausnut/ausnutdatafiles/Pages/foodnutrient.aspx
2. Check out the "Easy diet diary" app for iPhone. (super easy to use)
3. Read the label on the package.

Things to consider:
Recovery of muscle glycogen levels is important when sessions are close together and when performing at high intensity. If you train infrequently (once every day or two) you will have sufficient time to replenish carbohydrate stores anyway.

There are many angles and points of view when it comes to nutritional sport science. The important thing to remember is, everyone else is wrong and can go fuck themselves.