Exercise Recovery: An important component we tend to forget about

You get to the gym, you tie your shoelaces, you clip into those pedals. You push yourself to extremes. You're done with a hard work out, and it is so easy to forget how important it is to replenish your body for recovery.  The intake of water, sports drinks, carbohydrates, and proteins is crucial to recovering and preparing yourself for the next work out.  It can get very technical and confusing, but have no fear! Heidi is here! I will try my best to make it simple so you can maximize the results of your efforts.

The first component to focus on is replacing fluids.  The best way to do this is to weigh yourself before and after your work outs.  You should consume 16 ounces of fluid for every pound lost within the first hour (this time is crucial) after exercise.  Your blood has two components. Intracellular fluid (fluid inside the cells) and Extracellular fluid (fluid outside the cells).  The rate at which the Intracelluar fluid absorbs liquid from extracellular fluid can be increased with sports drinks due to a higher concentration of electrolytes, carbs, proteins, and sodium/potassium.  Obviously, sports drinks have more calories, so depending on what your goals are and how soon your next work out is will determine if you should choose water or a sports drink.  Your body can rehydrate with water, but it takes longer to do.  This is why it is so important to consume water all throughout the day, not just at one time. 

The next component to focus on is intake of carbohydrates and proteins.  This is generally a 4:1 ratio (4 being carbohydrates, 1 being proteins).  Again, the most important window is an hour after exercise.  For 4 hours following exercise, a person should consume 250-350 calories from carbohyrates per hour. Your body will absorb a lot more efficiently when the calories are consumed more spread out, rather than taking them all in at once.  This is why it is important to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Your body will absorb what it needs more effectively, and it won't store the extra away. Each person's goals are going to be different, and again, you have to consider what your total calorie intake for the day should be.  You also want to consume proteins with your carbohyrates because they aid in the synthesis of the carbohyrates so your body isn't storing the carbs as fats.  20 grams of protein is the number to shoot for.  Whey protein is the most efficient at absorbing into your body, and again, during the first hour after exercise.

You can read more about recovery at: http://www.acefitness.org/blog/1654/refueling-and-recovery-part-2-of-2 , but if you have any other questions, let me know!