Why Are Recovery Drinks Good For You
While the list of benefits of exercise for your health is lengthy, exercise can deplete your body of vital fuels and nutrients. Drinking a drink for recovery with the proper types of nutrients at the right intervals following your workout will make a significant difference in your fitness results and overall well-being. Always consult a qualified health professional for guidance when making adjustments to your diet or exercise routine.
Timing
Recovery drinks help replenish your energy levels and fluids that were lost during your exercise routine and help prepare you for your next workout. For the first 2 hours after exercise, your liver produces glycogen, which is the short-term storage form of glucose, at one and a half times the normal rate. This is the best time to take a high-carbohydrate refueling drink. Consuming carbohydrates shortly after exercise can also trigger your pancreas to release insulin, which signals the cells to absorb glucose. In the following four hours, glycogen production is elevated however, it decreases gradually.
Fatigue
If you train twice per day, drinking a carbohydrate-based recovery drink can provide the energy to sustain you during the second session. It will also help you stay safe from injury and help you progress faster toward your fitness goals. With practice and time, your glycogen storage capacity can increase by as much as 20 percent. This results in greater endurance and performance in the sport you are interested in. Make sure you consume 1.5 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of your body weight for the first 30 minutes after you exercise, or every second hour throughout the first four hours and up to six hours, according to nutritionist Sari Edelstein, a coauthor on “Life Cycle Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach.”
Aerobic Capacity
Your recovery drink can satisfy your glucose requirements and your craving for chocolate. As per the University of Texas at Austin Department of Kinesiology and Health Education chocolate milk that is low in fat is a great post-workout recovery drink that promotes lean muscles and reduces fat. Protein in chocolate milk makes it a superior energy drink compared to carbohydrates by themselves. It can also improve your strength, and speed in aerobic endurance — which is a measure of your body’s capacity to use oxygen up to two times.
Body Composition
A study that was published in the month of June in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” discovered that a drink for recovery that contains carbohydrates and protein as well as ribose — one key ingredient in the production of ATP, an important energy-carrying molecule — may improve the body’s fitness in endurance athletes. The subjects, all males who were in their mid-20s consumed the test beverage immediately following exercise 5 days a week for eight weeks. Results showed a decrease in the percent of body fat within the first three to six weeks. The weight of the body, endurance, and aerobic capacity was not significantly affected after the recovery drink in this study.