Most of us are not competitive athletes and as such won't be working at extremely high intensity levels 5 days per week (that would call for a slightly different strategy). But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't be mindful when choosing recovery nutrients. Proper nutritional planning will ensure adequate fuel supplies for our next workout and daily activities (it's also a good habit to have). There are two aspects I'd like to look at regarding fueling your body after a workout; immediate and long-term fueling.
Immediately following your workout, it is important to make sure that you re-hydrate. Most of us will lose fluids during our workout due to sweating, and it has been proven, the first 15 minutes after working out are optimum for replenishing lost glycogen stores. It's at this point (the first 15 minutes), the enzymes responsible for producing glycogen are most active. Choosing a drink fortified with carbohydrates vitamins and minerals will help accelerate this replenishment process. You can also snack on foods such as watery fruits i.e. (grapes, oranges, watermelon, grapefruit or pineapple), a smoothie (Mitch usually has a chocolate milk shake and that's ok, in this situation) or even soup.
When I say long-term I am referring to the time between your just completed workout and your next bout of physical activity. For most this will be between24 and 48 hours later. If you stick to a balanced diet you should be covered. Remember the formula is: roughly 60% of your calories from carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, grains and breads), 25% from healthy fats (vegetable oils like olive, canola and corn oils) instead of lard, butter and animal fat in meats and 15% from proteins (fish, poultry, beans and lean cuts of meat).
Your workouts will be a lot more productive and you'll have more energy, if you get in the habit of proper fueling. Remember working out is a lifestyle and appropriately fueling your body should be also, after all you are what you eat. Bona Pâté.
