REFUEL REPAIR REHYDRATE
RECOVERY………is preparation for your next session. Are you getting it right?
By Accredited Sports Dietian, Kellie Hogan from Eatsmart Nutrtion Consultants
It’s easy to get complacent about recovery, either by thinking it’s not important or by doing it half-heartedly or thinking “that will do”. RECOVERY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Poor recovery during the week accumulates and could mean you don’t turn up to weekend competition or long training sessions, in ideal form. Adequate preparation before training can also be part of your recovery plan. If you prepare well, not only will you get more from your session, but you will not end up in such a depleted state, making the job of recovery easier.
There are 3 crucial components to recovery, whether it be from training or competition, the theory is the same. Get this down pat and you will be set.
Within 30 minutes of training sessions or competition, you must;
- REFUEL (carbohydrates)
- REPAIR and grow muscle tissue (protein)
- REHYDRATE (fluid)
RECOVERY AFTER TRAINING
Recovery nutrition priorities vary depending on the type and duration of training completed and body composition goals. Post-training nutrition becomes a higher priority if more than one training session is completed each day and there is minimal recovery time between sessions. The aim of post-training nutrition is to:
- Refuel the liver & muscle glycogen stores
- Replace fluid and electrolytes
- Promote muscle growth and repair
- Promote training adaptations
- Support immune function
RECOVERY AFTER CONDITIONING/VOLUME TRAINING or BRICK SESSIONS
TIP: For quick recovery (essential when backing up later in the day or early next morning) you need carbohydrates (~30-60g), protein (~10-20g high biological value i.e. usually animal sources) and fluid in the 10-30 minutes after finishing every training session.
Good quick recovery carbohydrate/protein combo choices include:
Fruits + Yoghurt – E.g. 1.5 cups fresh fruit salad/ 2 medium-large bananas/ 1 cup fruit in heavy syrup/ 50g sultanas or raisins + 200g flavoured fruit yoghurt = ~50-60g CHO- 1 large white bread roll with 1 banana and honey = 65g CHO
- 1 cup rice pudding with 1 tsp honey = 50g CHO
- 600ml Low Fat Flavoured milk = 55g CHO
- Trail Bag Recovery Mix
- Per bag: ¼ cup raw/dry roasted almonds, ¼ cup sunflower and pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup dried apple= 45g Carb; 17g Pro
- Small cereal/fruit bar
- E.g. 2 x Carmens Super Berry Muesli Bars = 46g CHO
- Small handful of crackers
- E.g. 75g (2 Rows) rice crackers + 40g Low fat hard cheese = 60g CHO
- 700ml Sports/electrolyte drink such as Gatorade, Endura, Powerade, SIS Go Energy
- Sandwiches
- E.g. with honey or Jam = 50g
Tip: We recommend using foods in recovery due to the increase in vitamins and mineral that come with them! Sports drinks are also an option however, and are best used after long sessions i.e. greater than 60-90mins and/or in the heat, where sweat rates are likely high– discuss this with your sports dietitian.
ALWAYS add some PROTEIN if it is a long time until your next meal or there were significant amounts of repeated “speed”, “hills”or max efforts in the session E.g. ½ scoop WPI powder, milk, yoghurt, nuts, low fat cheese, tuna, chicken etc
REHYDRATION
We encourage individuals to talk to their Accredited Sports Dietitian from Eat Smart Nutrition Consultants Gold Coast, about developing a fluid replacement plan during exercise which aims to replace fluids at a rate to ensure a fluid los of less than 2% (2% and more usually represents a detriment in performance). This is calculated by getting an individual understanding of your typical sweat rates and drinking habits called a “fluid balance study”. The Accredited Sports Dietitians from Eat Smart Nutrition Consultants Gold Coast can assist you with this. Ensuring good hydration during training and competition, obviously has a big impact on your recovery hydration needs. Replacing 150% of estimated losses in the hours post training or competition will assist with not only replacing losses during exercise, but also those that occur straight after while you are still sweating and from urine losses etc.
RECOVERY AFTER STRENGTH SESSIONS
TIP: include a source of protein and carbohydrate as soon as possible for recovery, repair and growth/maintenance of lean body mass. The amount you choose may depend on the timing of your next meal and your body composition goals. Approximately 20g of high biological value protein (which typically come from animal sources), should be included in post training meals after heavy strength based sessions.
For example:
- 1 scoop Whey protein (whey protein Isolate – WPI, is best) drink made on 250ml low fat milk OR if made on water add a small carbohydrate snack such as fruit*, or a 8-10 water crackers – try to choose high GI carbohydrates for quick release
- Fruit smoothie
- Made with ½ scoop WPI + 200ml milk + 1-2 fruits + honey
- Made with 3 tbs Sustagen Sport + 200ml milk + 1-2 fruits
- Made with 1-2 tbs skim milk powder + 200ml milk + 1-2 fruits + honey
- 500ml Low fat milk or 200g yoghurt +/- 1 pce fruit*
- Nut and dried fruit mixes
- Use Recovery trail mix example as above
- Up & Go Energize (black one is best as it contains more protein ~16g per serve) + 1 pce fruit*
- Rice Crackers (8-10 white based- can have flavoured for extra salt content after a heavy sweating session) + ~40-60g low fat cheese
*High GI fruits are preferable after heavy training sessions such as dates (fresh or dried), watermelon, lychees, honeydew melon, rockmelon, mango, ripe banana’s.
EAT SMART NUTRITION CONSULTANTS GOLD COAST SERVICES
For more information or to book an appointment with an Accredited Sports Dietitian from Eat Smart Nutrition Consultants Gold Coast, contact our Runaway Bay or Burleigh Heads clinics ph 07 5500 6470
All Eat Smart Nutrition Consultants practitioners are both Accredited Sports Dietitians and Accredited Practising Dietitians, so well placed to assist clients with both performance and or health management needs.
Eat Smart Nutrition Consultants offer a range of Performance Nutrition related Services including
Body composition Assessment
Our Sports Dietitians are specially trained ISAK accredited anthropometrists and will take measurements of your weight and surface anthropometry (skin folds). This will provide excellent baseline data by which to compare future measurements, useful for those undertaking a program to alter their physique (e.g. those whose goal is to lose body fat and or gain lean mass).
Pre & Post Training Preparation and Recovery Practices
In this session, individualised nutrition strategies are developed for the pre, during and post training period in order to optimise training performance, and enhance post training recovery and refueling.
Daily fueling for health and immunity
In this session , an assessment of your day to day training diet will be completed, and develop individualised goals and strategies to meet daily nutrition requirements for exercise, good health, and immunity.
Race Day Nutrition plans
You will leave this session with an individualised race day nutrition and hydration plan to optimize your race performance.
Hydration assessment & monitoring
Prior to this session, you will be given tools to assess your current individual sweat rates and rehydration strategies. From this, an individualized hydration plan for both training and competition to optimize performance will be provided during the session.
