The power of a good recovery drink
Never underestimate the power of a good recovery drink. What? You only drink water or some kinda sports drink after your workout? Hmmmmm....
A recovery drink has some important attributes.
First of all, your body needs protein. If you worked out correctly, you broke down some muscle, so you need to build it back up. To do that, you need to ingest some protein.
Secondly, you need some carbs. Not only do you need them to replenish the glycogen stores you depeleted during the workout, but you also want to spike your insulin. Why's that? Because insulin does lots of things in your body, and one of them is facilitating muscle-building.
"Okay," you say. "I need protein and carbs. Why don't I just eat a recovery meal of steak and potatoes?"
Well, that is fine, if you want to do that, I suppose, but I gotta tell you, I am not really in the mood to either make or eat a big meal right after I work out. If you think you'll just go out to eat, consider that there is only a 45-minute window after your workout that is prime time for a recovery drink/meal, so by the time you shower, get to a restaurant, and get your food, well, you are likely past that 45-minute window.
But let me tell you something else about the recovery drink I use. I love it. It is one of my favorite things to eat/drink. So the prospect of having that recovery drink after my workout is sometimes a great motivator on those days when maybe I am not so inclined to get a workout in.
My recovery drink is a protein shake composed of
- 8-12 ounces of unsweetened almond milk (my local grocery chain, HEB, has their own brand that is really good)
- 4 or 5 dates, and
- a heaping scoop of a vanilla-flavored low carb whey protein powder (Optimum Nutrition makes my favorite).
The dates don't all chop up in the blender, so there is a little spoon action at the end of the drink, and, man is it good!
Whatever you choose to use for your recovery drink, don't skip it -- it's the most important meal of the day.