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Accept All Reject All Show Purposes. Providing the body with adequate energy via specific nutrients — at the right time — can improve overall performance. Even though carbohydrates are emphasized more before training to provide you with energy for activity, they are just as important in recovery nutrition for athletes.

During exercise over an hour, blood sugar may also drop, so ingesting carbohydrate helps regulate blood glucose at normal levels. This allows protein to more optimally repair and rebuild muscle, versus be relied on as an energy source.

There are a lot of misconceptions about carbohydrates in the media and social media, but these claims are not rooted in science and this important energy source is not the enemy! Some athletes who have under-fueled for a long time may not even realize their energy is lower than it should be during training.

If that is you, all it takes is some trial and error with your eating pattern to see how energized you really can feel. If you weigh pounds, an example of a good post recovery meal would be a turkey and cheese sandwich with a fruit smoothie with your choice of cups of fruit.

If you weigh pounds, an example of a good post recovery meal would be a turkey and cheese sandwich, a high carbohydrate bar such as a Nature Valley bar, whole grain or baked chips, and a fruit smoothie with your choice of 2 cups of fruit, a low protein liquid, and third party tested protein powder.

In planning your recovery nutrition, keep in mind that choosing easily digested and lower fiber carbohydrate sources such as bread, potatoes, and rice will help speed absorption. This gets energy to your muscles more quickly, prepping you for your next training session.

Because exercise stimulates muscle tissue to accept nutrients, it is most responsive to carbohydrate refueling within the first 30 min after activity. It is best to eat carbohydrates with protein as soon as tolerated after training sessions.

If you struggle with reduced appetite after competition or training, it is best to talk with a sports dietitian to come up with creative ways to make sure you are getting enough nutrients you need to recover properly. Amino acids are essentially the building blocks of protein, and they fit together in a variety of combinations to produce many proteins in the body from muscle, to skin, to the structure of your bones and more.

Training and competing offer stresses that create tiny micro-tears to the muscle tissue. In order to effectively adapt to this stress, and become stronger and better for the next stress, adequate nutrition is important.

To recover and repair, muscle cells depend on a process called muscle protein synthesis MPS , more easily referred to as muscle repair and growth. When MPS is consistently greater than the muscle protein breakdown from exercise, damaged muscle cells are repaired and new ones are added.

When adequate calories and protein are eaten post workout, and throughout the rest of the day, muscle cells are able to rebuild and repair optimally.

Depending on your weight, in addition to carbohydrate, eating g of high quality protein at a time is appropriate for most athletes to optimize muscle protein synthesis.

However, it is important to eat this amount of protein times total throughout the day to continue repair. Choose protein sources such as dairy, soy, eggs, chicken, fish, chicken, meat, and concentrated pea protein. Hydration status impacts blood pressure management and therefore oxygen delivery to muscles during exercise, body temperature regulation, transport of energy and nutrients throughout the body, and protection and lubrication of joints and tissues.

Without adequate fluid intake — and enough of other nutrients that regulate fluids — the recovery process can be compromised.

Most athletes finish activity dehydrated and need to intentionally drink extra fluids as part of their recovery nutrition goals. Rehydration strategies should include both water and electrolytes; without adequate sodium, excess water may be lost in urine..

Because thirst is relieved before optimal hydration is reached, drinking specific amounts of fluid after exercise is recommended. In addition to normal fluid intake, student athletes should drink an extra oz of fluid for every pound lost during exercise.

Early consequences of dehydration include headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, and impaired mental and physical performance. These symptoms can increase the risk of injury as well. As dehydration progresses, heart and kidney health are at risk.

Choosing either sports drinks or adding electrolyte products and carbohydrates to water during training and competition will help you maintain adequate hydration. It is best to recover within the first 30 minutes after activity. The earlier an athlete begins the recovery process, the better.