How to recover form training faster
As athletes we always want to recover faster from training because that means we feel better, and more importantly we can train harder the following day.
However majority of athletes out there don't really understand how to actually fuel their recovery after training and in many cases post training recovery is left as an afterthought.
The main thing I want to get across in today's blog is that how you fuel your recovery window after your training will dictate how well you're going to train the following day and can have a knock-on effect on your ability to train that week.
We don't want to playing catch up with our recovery.
What you’ll gain from this blog
- An exact step by step guide as how you can tweak your current diet to enhance your recovery with the right post training fueling.
- Finally know how much water you need to drink post train to make sure you are optimally hydrated and can perform later that day or the following day.
- What's elite endurance athletes are currently using to give them that extra 1% speeding up their recovery.
Part 1 – Your Nutrition
When it comes to your nutrition post training the main aim here is to replenish stores that have been depleted during the training session and most importantly to restore the body back to a level of homeostasis.
Homeostasis is the internal mechanism that brings the body back into balance.
This allows the body to repair the breakdown of tissue that has occurred during your training which eventually allows you to adapt becoming fitter faster and stronger.
I want you to keep in mind when we're fueling after training, we have to look at repairing and recovering the body from the training session we just completed and in relation to what we're going to have to do later on that day for example if we have double training sessions or how it's going to impact our training session the following day.
So when we're fueling our post training window we're always keeping an eye on the future
Carbohydrate
The big question you should be asking is…
How much carbs should I be eating after training?
I’m sure this is a question you having been looking for an answer too, and today your going to get it.
The main things we need to consider are we getting in enough carbs to replenish are glycogen stores (carbs stored in the muscle) so we can be ready to train again the next day or even the same day if you an athlete who have multiple session a day.
A rule of thumb that you can follow is to consume 0.75 grams per kg body weight within the first hour of completing a training session.
For example if we take a 69kg athlete , they will need to consume
69kg x 0.75g = 51.75 grams of carbs after training.
I typically recommend going for fast absorbing carbs in liquid form like milk or fruit smoothies, juices etc.
.
This way you can hit your carbs needs and start to rehydrate yourself too, tackling two things at once. Liquid foods can also take the pressure off your digestion is your training late in the day close to bed time. Another reason why I love refuelling with liquid options is because there are easy to consume if you are driving/commuting from training back home.
Protein
The second big question we need to ask ourselves is…
How much protein do I really need after training?
This is a question that’s always up for debate, and today we are going through exactly how much you need.
You need to consume 0.25 grams per kg of body weight as soon as possible after your training.
For example if we take a 78kg athlete , they will need to consume
78kg x 0.25g = 19.5 grams of protein after training.
I typically recommend going for fast absorbing protein foods in liquid form like a protein shake made on milk.
This way you can hit your protein needs and some of your hydration need also.
IF you are really looking to be efficient with your post training recovery fuelling you can combine your protein and carbs together. A protein shake made on milk is a great way to do this. Not only are you hydrating yourself but you are also getting in your carbs & protein all at the same time.
That’s a win win in my eyes, especially if you’re an athlete with a jammed packed schedule like myself.
Part 2 – Your Hydration
The 3 things you should be mastering to optimally hydrate yourself to stop dehydration prolonging you recovery
Pre training
This is an opportunity to make sure you are stating your training in the best possible way. If you are dehydrated starting training which is the case for most athletes, this will have a negative impact on your ability to train. therefore you're not getting the most amount out of all your hard work and effort that you're putting in the train the body.
Getting your pre training hydration right will pay off in two ways one make sure you're not dehydrated starting your training and two it can help reduce GI issues that may be experienced when training at high levels of intensity.
I recommend drinking 10 mil of water per kilogram of body weight 90 minutes before your training starts to make sure you're optimally hydrated as well as reduce any potential GI issues that you may experience when training.
During training
In order to prove how much you should be consuming during your training session we can do a simple test known as swat testing while you're yourself pre imposed the training session record anything you eat or drink during training session and whatever you loose and weight roughly equates to what you need to drinking water.
So for example if someone loses 1 kilogram during a two hour long run then they will need to drink 1 liter during that training session stay openly hydrated which equates to 500 mil per hour to stay optimally hydrated
Post training
For every kilogram you lose of weight after your training session you need to drink between 1.2 to 1.5 liters of water until you've regained the weight that you've lost in your training. This is why it can be essential to weight yourself pre and post training to see what you lose in order to figure out how to optimally hydrate yourself after a training session.
Typical rule of thumb with post training hydration, the main thing to focus on is weighing yourself afterwards and trying to regain the weight you've lost through that training session, back by drinking water within two/ three hours of finishing that training session.
Having Sports drinks every training a bad thing?
This is a question I get from time to time and you maybe thinking about this yourself right now. Should I be drinking carb drinks in and around my training sessions.
It’s a good question and an important question, because if your are looking to really maximise your training then you need to get both your hydration and fuelling right to get the most out of your body.
So with the in mind I have created a 3 point check list that you can use for each training session to determine weather or not you just need water or something more like a carb drink.
Q1-Is the training session going to be intense ?
(i.e. is it zone 3 or above).
Q2 – Will the training last longer than 60min?
Q3 – Is my training focus on all out maximal performance?
(ie are you practising your race pace)
If you have answered no to 2/3 or all 3 questions then water is all you need in and around your training session.
If you have answered yes 2/3or all 3 then you will need to a carb drink in and around your training session.
Part 3 – Speeding up recovery with Supplements
Tart cherry juice was a game change for me and for that athletes I work when it comes to really maximising the recovery periods between training. Allowing the body to heal fast so we can train hard again the next day.
First let me tell whey is my number 1 go to if I need to speed up my recovery or get ready for an event.
Tart cherry juice is a food extract that’s a high strength antioxidant, what this means is it will reduce oxidative damage that occurs in the body from training, reducing inflammation speeding up the body’s natural repair process.
If you can repair better between training session this will allow you to adapt faster , improving your fitness.
On top of this tart cherry juice is a natural high food source of melatonin which can improve your sleep quality and thus improve your recovery also. Two for 1 here.
Just 1 thing to note we wouldn’t typically use this in base phase of training or when trying to break past plateaus as tart cherry and antioxidants in general can blunt your training response.
So, we would use this food to prepare for an event or when we are under recovered and need to focus on reducing stress.
So how should I use tart cherry juice ?
Typically you consume a serving of territory juice 90 minutes before sleep on training days that means you need to drink 35 mil of a juice extract mixed in water and drink this 90 minutes before sleep.
If you're going through a very intense training block or you're experiencing under recovery symptoms and recovery is a huge priority then you can consider taking a serving of tart cherry juice within 30 minutes of finishing your training sessions and then a second dose 90 minutes before sleep to really help ramp up the recovery process.
The brand they typically use and recommend is called active edge and this is also third party independently tested so if you're an athlete is subject to doping tests this product has gone to the next level of testing to ensure there is no cross contamination.
If you want to check it out for yourself follow the link below
Part 4 – What to avoid
How Alcohol impacts your recovery.
If you we are aiming to maximize your recovery, then alcohol is definitely something you need to avoid post training.
Don't get me wrong if you've competed in the event and you want to have a alcoholic beverage to celebrate that's OK as long as it's in moderation, and you have a few days off after before training again.
However, I do want you to understand that drinking alcohol has a serious negative impact from a recovery perspective.
What actually happens when you drink alcohol after a training session?
Two things actually happen, first your stress hormone cortisol rises, this is not ideal as you want your stress hormone to fall naturally after training to allow the anabolic (build and repairing your body) process to occur, and secondly your muscle protein syntheses (bodies ability to repair and build new tissue) is reduced by up to 37%. This effects muscle growth and adaption to exercise especially after resistance training and high intensity training, like interval training for example.
Ultimately elongating the time it takes for you to recover post training. This can have obviously negative consequences if you have double training sessions that day or you have back-to-back days of training. This can also lead build into a compound effect where recovery isn't met and stress builds day after day within a typical training week leading eventually to burnout or potential soft tissue injury if this under recovery is sustained.
Best-case scenario is just to avoid alcohol altogether as this can reduce your ability to recover and overall reduce your adaptation from your training.
What you can do next
- Make sure to consume enough carbohydrates after any intense training sessions typically for training sessions that are in zone 3 or above. Aim for 0.75 grams of Carbs per kg body weight.
- Make sure to consume protein after every training session to help kickstart muscle protein synthesis through repair and rebuild new muscle tissue. Aim for 0.25 grams of protein per kg body weight.
- If you're unsure of whether or not to bring a carb ring for your training use the tree question checklist above to help you determine whether or not you need water or carbs for training.
- If you're going through a period of under recovery or you're overstressed and you're looking to really maximize your recovery in a short space of time then the use of tart cherry juice can help you do this. Typical dosage of 35 mil of juice extract mixed in water consumed 90 minutes before bed.
- If you really want to take your recovery to the next level then consider avoiding alcohol altogether or at least avoiding alcohol on training days or when you're competing.
Are you looking for a way to enhance your performance and get the most out of your training?
We can help!
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Fill out our form, and we'll send you your personalised supplement strategy within 72 hours. You'll discover what supplements are right for you and why, when selecting the right supplements is so important to your success.
References
- (No date) Hydration - Sport Ireland. Available at: https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/2019-11/hydration-you-are-what-you-drink.pdf (Accessed: 27 November 2023).
- Bell, P. et al. (2016) ‘The effects of montmorency tart cherry concentrate supplementation on recovery following prolonged, intermittent exercise’, Nutrients, 8(7), p. 441. doi:10.3390/nu8070441.
- Lakićević, N. (2019) ‘The effects of alcohol consumption on recovery following resistance exercise: A systematic review’, Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 4(3), p. 41. doi:10.3390/jfmk4030041.
- Moore, D.R. (2015) ‘Nutrition to support recovery from Endurance Exercise’, Current Sports Medicine Reports, 14(4), pp. 294–300. doi:10.1249/jsr.0000000000000180.
