BY STEVE BORN
After nearly 20 years at Hammer Nutrition, one of the questions I still regularly receive is something along the lines of, What is the easiest way for me to be a better athlete? While that's a fairly broad question with a number of totally feasible and logical answers, the answer I always offer first in return is, Make sure you're doing everything you can to recover properly between your workouts, starting with replenishing your body with fuel ASAP.
Now that the summer season is here in full swing and workout duration and intensity is reaching its peak, you cannot ignore this crucial aspect of athletic performance. Adopt the mantra, When the workout is done, it's not really done¦ not until I've put some fuel back in my body. Before you get out of sweaty clothes, take a shower, and stretch, be sure you refill the tank with fuel first. This is the key to getting the full value out of every minute you put in your workouts and will result in greater fitness and health.
Four benefits to ASAP post-workout refueling
Resupply the body with high-quality carbohydrates and protein within the first 30 minutes after your workout (the sooner, the better) and here's what will happen:
- Your muscle cells will be restocked with fuel so that you have it on board and ready to serve you in tomorrow's workout. In fact, the more consistently you train and resupply the body with fuel, the more your body will store an increasing amount of fuel in the muscles. That means you'll have more readily available fuel when you toe the line for your big event, and that's a definite advantage!
- Your muscle tissue has the raw materials it needs to become stronger, which allows you to make increases in your training volume and intensity without your muscles taking a beating.
- The amount of soreness that you experience between now and the next workout will be greatly diminished. So instead of worrying about whether or not you'll even be able to get out of bed, you'll be getting ready for the next day's training session.
- Your immune system gets stronger instead of tanking. When you finish a workout, your immune system is on the fence. Supplying your body with fuel ASAP after a training session will absolutely tip the scales in favor of immunity, helping you avoid missing important training sessions due to sickness.
Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite products make it easy and do it ideally!
When you take recovery seriously, you know you can't just eat whatever you want and hope to make any progress in your fitness. Unfortunately, some athletes do just that, consuming whatever's convenient and assuming, Anything will work. Calories are calories, right? Wrong! You cannot make improvements in your athletic performance or support optimal health if you put garbage in the gas tank.
To replenish your body with the high-quality fuel it's begging for after a workout, reach for Recoverite, either the original whey protein isolate-containing formula or its newer formulation, Organic Vegan Recoverite.
The original Recoverite contains complex carbs (maltodextrin) and whey protein isolate in a 3:1 ratio. It also contains 3 grams of glutamine, a full-spectrum electrolyte profile, and key recovery-benefiting nutrients. Ever since its introduction 15+ years ago, thousands of satisfied athletes have proven that there isn't a more potent or effective recovery drink than Recoverite.
Organic Vegan Recoverite contains the same ingredients in the same amounts as the original Recoverite formula with the exception of organic pea protein in the place of whey protein isolate. While not as bioavailable as whey protein isolate (nothing is), organic pea protein is an easily digested, gluten-free protein with an excellent amino acid profile and contains excellent levels of BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine), three key recovery-enhancing amino acids.
Either Recoverite will provide your body with the nutrition it needs so that it can recover thoroughly between workouts. It's easy! As soon as your workout is complete, mix a couple scoops of either Recoverite formula into 4 to 8 ounces of cold water, drink, and you're done. You've now put the best possible finishing touches on your workout and the recovery process has started in earnest.
SUMMARY
What we do in training is definitely important, no question about it, but if we neglect to consistently take steps to recover properly, we will never get the full value from the time and energy we spend training. Remember, the gains we make in our training occur during recovery and only in the presence of adequate rest and optimal nutritional support. If we don't attend to that, we not only miss out on the benefits of our workouts, but we can also create more problems such as getting sick or injured.
In all my years at Hammer Nutrition working with thousands of athletes, I remain convinced that if they recovered properly between their workouts and their races - starting with refilling the tank with quality fuel ASAP - they would:
- Be able to increase their training volume and intensity without compromising their muscular and immune systems
- Experience a lot fewer sick days
- Enjoy more personal bests in races
Peak training season is here! Now is the time! Don't wait any longer to enjoy the MASSIVE benefits that Recoverite and Organic Vegan Recoverite are ready to provide you!
