Workout Recovery: Almost as important as exercising effectively and with good form, is how you support your body/muscles post workout. Consuming adequate amounts of carbohydrates and protein before and after a training session is important for optimizing muscle recovery. Consumption of protein immediately post-exercise helps in the repair and synthesis of muscle proteins and helps to preserve lean muscle mass and assure that the majority of weight loss comes from fat and not muscle. Consuming rapidly absorbed proteins such as whey protein with easily absorbed (high glycemic) carbohydrates 20-30 minutes after a high intensity workout followed by eating a balanced 1/3 protein and 2/3 complex carbs (produce/whole grains) about an hour later is when your muscles/body are most prime for utilization. The American Dietetic Association recommends that carbohydrate intake be at 1.5 g/kg of body weight (convert lbs to kg by dividing by 2.2) in the first 30 minutes post exercise and then every 2 to 4 to 6 hours thereafter as this is the time when the muscles are best able to replenish energy stores. It takes about 24 hours to fully restore muscle glycogen (stored carbs), assuming that the appropriate post-workout nutrients are consumed and that nutrition goals for supportive eating are met. This eating a combination of carbohydrate and protein in the post-workout meal(s) has been shown to enhance glycogen replenishment and may also improve muscle tissue repair. With proper recovery and supportive eating you are able to increase the intensity of your workouts but perceive training as easier since your muscle glycogen will be able to be maintained throughout your workouts.
Recovery Protein Shakes: An easily absorbed protein you can do 20-30 minutes post workout is a protein shake. Okay, so what's in a protein recovery shake? With whey and casein proteins being the most popular, how do you know what options are the best choice for your muscle recovery? Following is an excerpt from the American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual explaining just that.
"Whey, the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained, is a high quality protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. There are three varieties of whey--whey protein powder, whey protein concentrate, and whey protein isolate--all of which provide high levels of the essential and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), vitamins, and minerals. Whey powder is 11 to 15% protein and is used as an additive in many food products. Whey concentrate is 25 to 89% protein, while whey isolate is 90+% protein; both forms are commonly used in supplements. Notably, while the isolate is nearly pure whey, the proteins can become denatured during the manufacturing process, decreasing the supplements' usefulness. Unlike the other whey forms, the isolate is lactose-free (Hoffman & Falvo, 2004). Studies of whey protein have found that whey offers numerous health benefits, including increased muscular strength (when combined with resistance training) and bone growth (Hayes & Cribb, 2008).
Casein, the source of the white color of milk, accounts for 70 to 80% of milk protein. Casein exists in what is known as a micelle, a compound similar to a soap sud that has a water-averse inside and water-loving outside. This property allows the protein to provide a sustained slow release of amino acids into the bloodstream, sometimes lasting for hours. Some studies suggest that combined supplementation with casein and whey offers the greatest muscular strength improvements following a 10-week intensive resistance-training program (Kerksick et al., 2006)."
