Timing and Nutrition

The time factor of post-workout nutrition can go a number of ways. 24 hours? 48 hours? 72 hours? It depends. The nutrition factor can go all ways as well. What’s best to eat? Most agree within a reasonable passing of time post-workout nutrients must go in. It’s the what-to-eat that keeps the nutritional supplement manufactures in business and registered dieticians debating.

It’s time for some interesting facts and a brief review of energy replenishment:

• The average person stores between 450 and 550 grams of glycogen (carbohydrates, “carbs”) in the muscles and liver.
• Hard exercise depletes these stores (muscle = 65 to 85% and liver = 85 to 95%).
• An all-out twenty-minute workout session can deplete glycogen levels to 50% of maximum capacity. Imagine the hole dug in a demanding one-hour session. Deep.
• The preferred sources of carbs immediately post-workout are the higher glycemic, quicker-digesting simple sugars.
• The replenishment rate can vary from two to five percent per hour post-workout depending upon the amount of carbs consumed. Consuming 600 or more grams (50 grams every two hours) tops out the rate at five percent. Consuming more makes no difference.
• It takes at least twenty hours to fully replenish glycogen stores. This has huge implications for two-per-day training sessions. You can eat a slew of post-workout carbs or drink the latest recovery product, but you still cannot speed up your biology. A demanding initial training session in the morning will not allow for maximum ability if a late afternoon or evening session is on the docket. You can surely give 100% effort, but your output will not equal a true 100% effort.

Recovery Nutrition and Chocolate Milk

Chocolate milk has been touted as the epitome of inexpensive post-workout recovery options. It contains fast digesting carbs and protein – the perfect combination to begin the recovery process. It’s inexpensive as compared to some over-hyped concoctions sold via keen marketing methods, and you can obtain it at your local grocery store.

On the other side are the more expensive designer recovery drinks. They contain basically the same ingredients as chocolate milk (along with other purportedly magical chemicals). And while serving of chocolate milk may only cost fifty cents, a serving of the latest recovery drink break-through may cost $2.00 or more.

Do the math. If you consumed chocolate milk post-training, a one-month period of training four days per week would only tap your bank account for under $10.00. Use the latest recovery mixture sold at the supplement shack and it could cost you upwards of $35.00 each month.

Fast Food Is a Viable Option for Post-Workout Recovery

I know, it sounds like a step back to the dark ages by even mentioning fast food and post-workout recovery in the same sentence. But toss your intuition aside for a few minutes.

A thesis recently published at the University of Montana studied the benefits of glycogen recovery via typical fast-food choices compared to popular manufactured recovery supplements. This particular study used eleven active males between the ages of eighteen and forty who performed ninety-minute glycogen-depleting workouts on a cycle ergometer.

The ninety-minute workouts were performed twice over a seven-day period. Each workout was followed by a four-hour recovery period, then a 12.5 miles/20 kilometer (12.5m/20k) cycle event. To assure workout protocol familiarity, the subjects completed two trial workouts on the cycle ergometer on two different days, both covering 12.5m/20k distance.

The workout consisted of:

• 10-minute warm up at 55% of maximum power (MP) output
• 10 intervals of two minutes at 80% MP followed by four minutes at 50% MP.
• Eight minutes at 60% MP followed by 12 minutes at 50% MP

During the four-hour recovery, the subjects rested in a seated position and were given either a similar carb-content fast food meal or sport supplement. The carb amount for each feeding was between .54 and .81 grams per pound of body weight.

Muscle biopsies were collected from the quadriceps immediately following the workout and four hours post-workout. Feedings occurred immediately post-workout after the muscle biopsy and at two hours post-workout. Blood samples for insulin, glucose, and lipids were obtained at immediately following the workout, and then thirty minutes, one hour, two hours, 2.5 hours, three hours, and four hours post-workout.

The 12.5m/20k test was completed following the final muscle biopsy. The subjects were instructed to complete the workout as fast as possible. Subjects were instructed to avoid other exercise and record all dietary intake 24 hours prior to each test day.

The study found:

• No differences in blood glucose response, insulin response, and glycogen replenishment between the fast food (FF) and supplement (S) intake.
• No differences between FF and S on cycle ergometer ability. The 12.5m/20k workouts following the four-hour recovery did not regress in terms of maximum power (MP) when compared to the two initial trial workouts when the subjects were completely rested.
• Both FF and S feedings during the four-hour recovery allowed the subjects to regain adequate glycogen replenishment, 62% for FF and 60% for S.

From this we can conclude that muscle glycogen replenishment post-workout can vary in regards to the frequency and amount of carbs ingested. However, provided a consistent balance of micronutrients are present, the type of carbs ingested does not hinder muscle recovery and ensuing workout performance.

The reality is a wide variety of carb options exist post-workout when the goal is simply immediate muscle glycogen replenishment. Regarding your hard-earned money, it looks like it’s not necessary to purchase the high-priced recovery products. In the short term, inexpensive fast food appears to suffice as a viable glycogen replenishment choice following high-effort training sessions.

References:

1. Tardie, Gregory, “Glycogen Replenishment After Exhaustive Exercise,” The Sport Journal, published by the United States Sports Academy, February 11, 2008, ISSN: 1543-9518.

2. Aragon, Alan, “An Objective Comparison of Chocolate Milk and Surge Recovery,”Body Recompensation blog.

3. Lynch, Shannan, “The Differential Effects of a Complex Protein Drink Versus Isocaloric Carbohydrate Drink on Performance Indices Following High-intensity Resistance Training: A Two-arm Crossover Design,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

4. Peschek, Katelyn, R. Pritchett, E. Bergman, and K.Pritchett, “The Effects of Acute Post Exercise Consumption of Two Cocoa-Based Beverages with Varying Flavanol Content on Indices of Muscle Recovery Following Downhill Treadmill Running,” Nutrients 2014, 6(1), 50-62; doi:10.3390/nu6010050

5. Cramer, Michael J., “Fast Food Results in Similar Post-exercise Glycogen Recovery and Exercise Performance Compared to Sport Supplements,” Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Applied Exercise Science, The University of Montana.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Yes! Fast Food Is an Option for Post Workout Recovery appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Two-a-days are common for Breaking Muscle readers. Maybe you do a Brazilian jiu jitsu workout and then begin a CrossFit workout an hour or two later. It is very possible that what is good for muscle building isn’t the same as what’s good for replenishing energy as fast as possible for a second workout. If I were pressed, I’d have guessed that a fast-acting carb was best, and protein if you could get it.

While there has been some scant research on the topic, there have never been real-world, practical results done comparing different macronutrient (protein, carbs, and lipids) contents of drinks on performance after total-body exercise. You know, the sort of thing that actually interests us. Well, in a recent study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, science finally weighed in on the topic.

The researchers performing this study looked at two beverages that contained the same amount of calories, but had different nutrient levels. One was your typical carb-based sports drink with electrolytes, containing 68 grams of sugar. According to the label, and as the researcher acknowledged, this added up to 260 calories, which doesn’t add up if you do the math. The other drink was a protein-based drink that also contained some fat and some carbohydrates. The protein-to-carb ratio was 4:1. Since looking at ratios might make us cross-eyed, let me point out that this ratio is the opposite of the standard recommendations. This one had four times the amount of protein as carbohydrate, rather than the other way around. Some of that carbohydrate was fiber, so it doesn’t stimulate insulin either.

The participants consumed the drinks immediately after working out and were tested two hours later for agility, endurance, and power. While there was no significant effect for each individual test, there was a trend indicating a boost in performance in favor of the protein drink. Even better, when taking the results as a whole, the protein drink performed significantly better.

So there you have it. Protein drinks aren’t just good for muscle building, but they seem to be better for recovering in between workouts too, especially if your second workout has varied physical demands.

References:

1. Shannan Lynch, “The differential effects of a complex protein drink versus isocaloric carbohydrate drink on performance indices following high-intensity resistance training: a two arm crossover design,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013, 10:31.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post What’s the Best Recovery Drink for Multiple Workouts? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The primary purpose of post-exercise nutrition is to replenish glycogen stores. Glycogen is one of the primary fuels for muscular contraction. Just 3 sets of 12 reps can almost cut your glycogen stores in half. Most strength workouts encompass far more volume, and can deplete glycogen even more severely. Refueling lost glycogen is critical to your next training session, and the two hours after your workout has traditionally been taught as the most critical time to start this process. Countless studies show that consuming a protein and carbohydrate mix post-workout is the optimal solution.

The authors of this study reviewed the literature and found this mantra to be well-proven, but only when exercise was repeated again within eight hours. Those who trained only once per day were getting adequate glycogen recovery, but the recovery was spread over many hours. And starting the process with a post-workout meal seemed to be irrelevant, as long as total caloric needs were met during the next 24 hours.

Another hallowed purpose of the post-exercise meal is to promote anabolic muscle growth and prevent the catabolic tissue destruction that can follow a workout. The authors found this to be true. However, post-workout meals may only be helping when pre-workout nutrition is already inadequate. Previous studies have shown conflicting results on whether post-workout protein consumption jump-starts muscular growth.

The authors don’t quite succeed in destroying the perceived necessity of post-workout nutrition. A post-workout meal certainly won’t hurt you, and is probably going to help. But they do succeed in illuminating the fact that pre-workout nutrition and total caloric intake are equally important factors. If an athlete is training fasted, then a post-workout meal is critical. If an athlete is training multiple times per day, then a post-workout meal is critical. But for athletes who train once per day, get adequate calories throughout the day, and ensure they consume a solid pre-workout meal, that hallowed two-hour window to suck down a protein shake may not be as important as we once thought.

References:

1. Alan Aragon and Brad Schoenfeld. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?: post-exercise nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013, 10:5. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-5

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Science Says Post Workout Meal Not Necessary appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The study consisted of nine male rugby players who participated in two matches. After a match, the players had one of two randomly assigned interventions, which consisted of either a control fluid or an alcohol ingestion session. Four hours after competition, players either consumed a vodka and orange juice drink which consisted of 1g of ethanol alcohol per kilogram of bodyweight, or a control beverage of orange juice alone. Subjects consumed a greater volume of orange juice in the control trial, whereas the alcohol group consumed more water along with their alcohol beverage.¹

Various measures such as countermovement jump, maximal voluntary contraction voluntary activation, damage and stress markers of creatine kinase, C-reactive protein, cortisol, and testosterone were analyzed pre-, post-, 2 hours post-, and 16 hours post matches. Cognitive function was analyzed through a modified Stroop test. Each bout of competition consisted of an official 80-minutes amateur rugby league match, where players wore a GPS device to determine or calculate the various measures.²

The results of the study showed that consumption of alcohol resulted in large decreases in countermovement jump height, but no changes in maximal voluntary contraction were recorded. Alcohol consumption also resulted in a significant slower time in the cognitive test and demonstrated significant detrimental effects in reaction time. Consuming alcohol also displayed large effects for an increase in cortisol during recovery. Alcohol did not excessively affect testosterone or C-reactive protein.³

The negative effects of pre-exercise alcohol consumption on physiological outcomes are well reported, however, prior to this study, less had been known about recovery following post-exercise alcohol consumption. In fact, until this research, there had been no studies to report the effects of alcohol consumption following team-sport competition. The research from this study clearly shows that consumption of alcohol following athletic competition such as rugby can have detrimental effects on peak power and cognitive recovery the morning after competition. Consequently, coaches and players should take note and be aware of the potential negative effects. So, perhaps if you have more matches coming up, the post game celebrations should be toned down just a little bit – even you crazy rugby players out there.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Science Says Alcohol Not the Best Post Workout Drink appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Restoring glycogen stores increases the chance that energy stores are available and is vital for muscle recovery. More recently, it has suggested that ingesting a combination of both carbohydrates and protein may be more beneficial for muscle recovery than just carbohydrates alone. A recent study compared a drink consisting of carbohydrates, protein, and ribose to that of a carbohydrate-only drink, and the effects each had on endurance training.²

The study lasted a period of 8 weeks, and consisted of thirty-two healthy men. Each participant performed tests for aerobic capacity (Vo2peak), time-to-exhaustion (TTE) at 90% Vo2peak, body fat percentage, and fat-free mass. Cycle ergometry training was performed at 70% VO2peak, for 1 hour a day, 5 days a week. These assessments were performed at pre-testing, mid-testing (3 weeks), mid-testing (6 weeks), and post testing.³

Each participant was given either a control drink which consisted of 93 grams of carbohydrates, or a test drink which consisted of 14 grams of protein, 76 grams of carbohydrates, and 2.2 grams of d-ribose. Each drink had the same caloric content, volume, taste, and color, and was to be ingested immediately following training.³

Although the test drink group indicated better results, there was not a substantial difference between the control and test drink groups across the board. Both groups saw a significant increase in VO2peak and total time to exhaustion. Although the test drink did not see a decrease in bodyweight, VO2peak, or time-to-exhaustion much more than the carb-only drink, it did distinctly improve body fat percentage and fat free mass within the first three to six weeks of supplementation. The carb-only repletion drink had little to no effect on body fat percentage or fat free mass.⁴

Based on this study, and with the thought that glycogen repletion is important for increasing performance, there may be little added benefit to adding protein to the carbohydrate drink to improve endurance performance. This is contrary to popular belief that a protein source is also needed for optimal recovery, but it should be emphasized the study did not test different training protocols such as those that rely on strength and speed, which require a different form of muscular involvement.⁵

The post Post Workout Nutrition: Carbs Only? Or Carbs + Protein? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

With numerous preferences, strategies, and practices of post workout recovery, any athlete can relate to the intricacies of post workout nutrition. And the fitness industry is full of options. When it comes to nutrition All Pro Science seeks to capture recovery better than the rest of the field.

All Pro Science is a supplement company with roots in athletics and supporting athletic performance. The APS product I recently tested myself was APS Recovery. The product I tried was a great tasting pineapple-orange flavor powder that mixes well with water. This product is built for those aforementioned precious post workout moments.

APS prides themselves on quality. APS Recovery is compromised of all-natural ingredients and includes no artificial flavors. APS Recovery is made from one hundred percent grass-fed whey and dons a 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, which provides adequate carbohydrate to replenish depleted glycogen stores.

APS Recovery targets endurance, recovery, and rehydration:

• With the aim to extend endurance, APS Recovery provides dietary energy to last through longer training sessions.
• With regards to recovery, the product is designed to reduce recovery time, soreness, and fatigue, as well as aid in the growth of muscle.
• Lastly, any athlete can benefit from the rehydration that APS offers during and after training sessions.

As someone who doesn’t utilize recovery supplements regularly, I experienced APS Recovery as a bit of a novice. I found the pineapple-orange flavor to actually be quite good. In some ways it even felt like a post workout treat. It’s not as filling as a big meal after training, but I understand there are a good number of athletes who find it difficult to stomach real food shortly after training. The product seemed to do the job.

I know if I miss my post workout nutrition window of 30-45 minutes, I start to get tunnel vision and my only purpose on Earth becomes finding food. The ease of consuming APS Recovery offers a simple solution to others who have this same experience as me. The carbohydrate load of APS Recovery offers the glycogen to maintain energy levels and top off glycogen stores depleted from exercise. The protein component, then, is ideal for synthesizing this very recovery.

In a perfect world, one would always benefit most from real food. In the real world, however, we often need to rely on brands like APS with the knowledge and power to create products that support high performance training. Having APS Recovery means we can maximize those valuable post workout minutes to recover.

A common jab at similar products is that they can be largely dominated by simple sugars and sold as just what the body needs to recover. With 8 grams of sugar per serving, APS Recovery has surprising moderate sugar levels, when compared to similar products by Endurox and CytoSport, for example.

One could argue that athletes engaged in training and performances outside of the norm have needs that lie outside of the norm, as well. I think that’s where a credible company like All Pro Science steps in. For athletes looking for a quality protein source after training, APS has the quality products and the experience in the industry to fulfill those needs. Plus, it tastes great.

APS Recovery is available online at www.allproscience.com for $39.99.

The post Product Review: APS Recovery appeared first on Breaking Muscle.