Using Recovery Drinks
How much attention you pay to your recovery will determine how fast you progress in your training. Many things happen to your body during training. Vital fluids, energy stores, muscles proteins and other nutrients are depleted, cells and muscle tissue are damaged and the immune system is stressed. Once you climb off your first priority must be your recovery so you can return to training as quickly as possible fully prepared to do the work.
Hard training stimulates the release of enzymes like glycogen synthase that are responsible for the uptake carbohydrates in the muscle tissue and liver cells during recovery. These enzymes are at there highest levels in the first 30 minutes after training. This physiological response is commonly known as the glycogen replacement window.
During this critical recovery period digested carbohydrate is converted into glycogen at about 3 times the normal rate. Once the window begins to close, the rate of glycogen uptake slows dramatically to about 50% of normal at 2 hours and back to normal at 4-6 hours. Complete replacement of glycogen stores will normally take place within 24 hours if supported by sound recovery nutrition strategy. However, if the process is ignored altogether it can take up to 48 hours to fully rebuild muscle glycogen stores. This means more time in recovery and less training time.
The purpose of a good recovery nutrition strategy is to avoid chronic glycogen depletion that can take place of several days of training or competition. This means replacing all the glycogen used during exercise. The symptoms of chronic glycogen depletion are very similar to those of over-training. In both cases, avoiding the negative effects is totally within your control. Using a recovery drink is an effective method for replacing muscle glycogen along with much needed fluids and other nutrients.
The process is simple. In the first 20-30 minutes after training or competition take in 25-30 ounces of recovery drink containing 80-100 grams of carbohydrate combined with 20-25 grams of protein, a ratio of 4:1. The presence of amino acids increases the rate of muscle glycogen absorption by as much as 40% over carbohydrate alone.
There are several premixed recovery drink products on the market that contain the correct carbohydrate and protein mix. I like Endurox R-4 because it not only has the right ratio of carbohydrate to protein but also contains other nutrients like electrolytes, arginine, glutamine and amino acids that assist muscle recovery and support your immune system. The stuff really works.
Of course you can mix your own recovery drink from easy to find products. Start with a high glycemic index energy drink made from simple sugars or maltodextrin that has a good taste. Mix 25-30 ounces to a concentration of about 8% carbohydrate (usually the suggested dose by the manufacturer) and add 1gram of protein mix for every 4 grams of carbohydrate. The two products will give you a lot of combined nutrient value. Whatever recovery mix you choose, get it into your system as quickly as possible and follow it up with and healthy snack of normal food like a sandwich or fruit and cheese within the first hour to tide you over till your next meal.