Throughout these last few weeks, we have been looking at how much we should eat before exercising or how we have to eat during sports, as well as some hydration recommendations.
On this occasion we will talk about the recovery of the efforts, that is, the post-training or the post-race, and how we can make this process as fast and optimal as possible through nutrition.
These guidelines are stipulated for high-intensity training, which has involved significant physical exhaustion. After training or racing, our body needs to recover properly and, above all, as quickly as possible in order to adapt to the stimulus and improve performance.
The adaptation occurs when the body is already recovered, hence the rush to speed up this process.
First, carbohydrates are responsible for fueling glycogen stores (muscle energy storage). At the end of a high-intensity and long-term activity, these deposits are practically exhausted, and must be replenished with simple carbohydrates, that is, fast absorption.
In this way, our body will produce an insulin spike, causing these carbohydrates and nutrients to be quickly transported to the different organs and muscles that need them. If we talk about quantities, approximately, we should ingest between 0.8 and 1 gram of carbohydrates for each kilo of weight.
Nor should we forget about proteins, the macronutrient responsible for repairing broken muscle fibers and tissues. They should have a presence of between 0.25-0.35g/kg of weight.
Combining these two macronutrients, carbohydrates and protein, can help maximize muscle tissue synthesis and repair. In fact, if we look at the proportions of each macronutrient, we see that they have a 3:1 ratio, which is what we usually find in most recuperators.
The most effective format for ingesting these macronutrients is liquid, through recovery shakes, which facilitate rapid absorption. In this sense, there are also vegan recovery options, with vegetable protein sources. As we have commented, in this process “time is money”, and all factors add up when it comes to improving the assimilation of efforts.
When it comes to hydration, it is important to replenish fluids lost during exercise, as well as electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
With these basic guidelines you can optimize recovery after a demanding competition or training. Remember that post-exercise adaptation occurs once the body has recovered correctly. Otherwise, we are more likely to become stagnant and overtrain, which could lead to much more serious problems in the long run.
