By Sharon Lawton, Registered Nutritionist & Food Scientist
BSc (FSci & N), GCHN, RN
Were you feeling sore and tired during your workout this morning?
It might not just be a case of poor sleep. Rather, it could be a result of not recovering properly after your last endurance session.
Recovery from each endurance session can be broken down into four main categories:
1) Immediate Recovery – within 10 minutes after sport
2) Short Term Recovery – 10 minutes to 2 hours after sport
3) Medium Term Recovery – 2 hours to 12 hours after sport
4) Long-term Recovery – After 1 day of sport
1) Immediate Recovery
The most important consideration for immediate sports recovery is hydration. The body can lose between 1-2 Litres an hour in a sports session, possibly more in humidity and heat. To put that into perspective an adult woman’s body weight is approximately 50% water. So whilst 1-2L may not seem like a lot, even 1% loss in bodily fluids is mild dehydration. At mild dehydration, we can experience tiredness, muscle fatigue, reduced physical and cognitive performance, moodiness and slowed reaction times. When the body has lost 5% bodily fluids, it is in a state of dehydration where thirst, dry mouth, headache and extreme fatigue are likely.
To compound all of this, when we are dehydrated our metabolism is severely impacted and it is common for important body systems to slow down. The body also tries to compensate for the lowered fluid by increasing blood pressure. This is a main reason immediate recovery should prioritise hydrating and replenishing lost fluids.
Rather than gulping on sports drinks, start with water. Drink slowly so the body can absorb the fluids. Also consider drinking milk. Yes you read “milk”. Milk is actually better at hydrating then sports drinks, why? It has a high water content and the electrolytes (calcium, sodium and potassium) are more easily absorbed into the body.
Don’t feel like drinking a large glass of rich milk after a marathon? Consider drinking skim milk or low fat milk. They have a higher water content, less richness due to the lowered fat content and still the same great electrolytes.
Another motivator to drink milk after exercise… It is rich in the amino acid leucine which will aid in muscular repair.
2) Short Term Recovery
Hydrating and replenishing lost fluids are still important during short term recovery. However, this is the time to also consider nutrition. It is common for appetite to be lost after endurance sports. There is a shift in hormones, especially a suppression of appetite hormones such as ghrelin. But eating small amounts of highly nutritious foods is crucial for skeletal muscle to eliminate lactic acid build-up, for muscles to adapt and improve from the exercise, to replenish the body’s glycogen (energy) stores and to support the immune system.
It may seem strange to consider the immune system after exercising as there are so many benefits to endurance activities. But during endurance activities there is also a build-up of stress which can negatively affect the immune system.
One of the most efficient ways to support the immune system is by feeding the gut. Approximately 70% of a female’s immune system is located in the gut. In this short-term recovery phase, aim for eating good quality protein and dense carbohydrates. BARLEYmax is the ideal food choice. It is a power package of beneficial nutrients with four prebiotic dietary fibres to support the gut.
A 35g serving of Elevate Food Co. Original Flakes has 10.8 g of dietary fibre, including the prebiotics, beta-glucan, arabinoxylan, resistant starch and fructans. For a fast recovery snack after exercise see the delicious bar recipe below (note: Do you want to insert one of Michaela’s recipes?). For the times you have a bit more time and the appetite suppression is at bay, eat a serve of Original Flakes with yogurt, nuts and/or seeds and some fruit. We love a bowl of flakes with vanilla yogurt, poached apples, pecans and sesame seeds.
3) Medium Term Recovery
The most important consideration for medium term sports recovery is nutrition. Optimising total nutrition intake to support muscle repair and strength is essential. But there are also others: During exercise of high endurance and extreme physical challenge, the body creates a number of toxins which are a natural by-product of breathing. Lactic acid is one of these toxins which often leads to muscle pain after exercise. When the toxins circulate around the body it can cause stomach aches or generally feeling blah.
In the day after endurance exercise, it is time to think about eating the most amount of nutrients. The body is still adapting and recovering, so a colourful plate with plenty of colours is crucial. Sure, eat your greens but don’t forget about white, brown, red, orange, blue and purple fruit and veggies. In fact, the more diversity in plant foods, the better. How many do you eat in a day? Aim for 10 different plants including wholegrains, beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
4) Long Term Recovery
Long term recovery from sport is a whole lifestyle approach. You see the choices we make most often have the biggest impact on our overall health and therefore also how we recover.
Here are a few tips for health and also long-term recovery:
- Drink plenty of water every day.
- Water before coffee!
- Eat breakfast, even if it means a quick smoothie on the run
- Aim for 30 plant foods a week
- Eat more nuts and seeds > don’t count your almonds, their fats are attached to fibre which mostly contributes to better bowel movements
- Add herbs and spices instead of salt
- Use leafy herbs such as parsley, coriander and mint as a lettuce rather than a garnish
- Eat at least 4 serves of wholegrains every day
- Eat slower and chew your food properly
