Rest & Recovery is Key
To recover from the high demands of strenuous exercise/training, you should refuel your muscles with high carbohydrate foods within 15-30 minutes of exercise. Remember, carbohydrates are the gasoline for your body. They keep your body’s fuel tank FULL .You will recover faster and minimize fatigue. Plan ahead to have the right foods available. (See Snack Attack)
Common refuelling mistakes
- Greasy, fatty foods: donuts, burgers, pastries, nachos, fries, chips, and other high fat choices WILL NOT refuel your body and can inhibit performance. Many also lack nutrition.
- Too much PROTEIN: by filling up on steak, chicken, rather than adding potato, pasta, rice, and Remember, protein can help with recovery, but will not help restore glycogen (your gas tank) if quality carbohydrate foods are not available.
- TOO FEW Calories: this is very common amongst weight conscious athletes. They may mistakenly believe carbohydrates are “fattening” and may refuel with protein rich cottage cheese, tuna, turkey and fish. The rest of the diet (salads and vegetables) offers too few carbohydrates to replace depleted glycogen stores. Performance will suffer.
HIGH PERFORMANCE RECOVERY
- Eat a high carbohydrate meal within 2 hours of training
- Eat a high carb snack within 15-30 minutes after training
- High Performance combination recovery fuel
- Bowl of cereal, low fat milk, and fruit (breakfast)
- 2 slices of wheat bread and fruit
- Pasta, rice, potato, or bread with protein at dinner
- Yogurt and Fruit or Pretzels (small bag)
- Energy Bar
- Smoothie
An optimal recovery diet is especially important if you train or compete more than once a day. The following tips can help you design an effective recovery diet in to both your daily training program and after game/event meals.
DETERMINING YOUR CARBOHYDRATE NEEDS AFTER EXERCISE
Body Weight 120lb | Carbs (grams) 55 |
| 140lb | 64 |
| 160lb | 73 |
| 180lb | 82 |
| 200 lb | 91 |
| 220lb | 100 |
| 240lb | 109 |
| 270lb | 125 |
| 300lb | 140 |
You must eat your required amount to fully replace carbohydrate stores.
COMMON CARBOHYDRATE FOODS FOR RECOVERY
| Food | Amount | CHO (g) |
| Rice, cooked | 1 cup | 50 |
| Pasta, cooked | 1 cup | 34 |
| Bagel | 1 | 50 |
| English muffin | 1 | 30 |
| Oat meal, regular | 1 cup | 24 |
| Raisin Bran | 1 cup | 42 |
| Grapenuts | 1 cup | 89 |
| Low-fat granola cereal | 1 cup | 85 |
| Whole-wheat bread | 1 slice | 12 |
| Granola bar (NV) | 1 pkg | 30 |
| Fig Newton | 1 | 11 |
| Pizza (cheese)* | 1 slice | 39 |
| Kashi Go Lean | ¾ cup | 30 |
| Raisins, seedless | ½cup | 59 |
| Grapes | 1 cup | 37 |
| Banana | 1 | 30 |
| Potato, mashed | 1 cup | 35 |
| Corn | 1 cup | 42 |
| Baked beans | 1 cup | 52 |
| Milk, skim or1% | 1 cup | 12 |
| Frozen yogurt, low fat | 1 cup | 34 |
| Pudding, chocolate | 1 cup | 60 |
| Low-fat vanilla shake | 1 serving | 72 |
| Gatorade | 8 oz | 14 |
| Cranberry juice box | 1 cup | 36 |
| Power bar | 1 (63g) | 41 |
| Crunchy granola bar | 1 (46g) | 16 |
| Chewy granola bar | 1 (28g) | 21 |
| Builder Bar | 1 | 30 |
| Clif Bar | 1 | 52 |
| Harvest Bar | 1 | 45 |
| Met-Rx High Protein | 1 | 57 |
| Protein Plus Power Bar | 1 | 40 |
**Food in bold letters are ones that you can pack in your bag, no excuses!