Post workout recovery?

I usually eat dinner. Maybe a beer and peanuts while I sit in the hot tub if dinner is awhile off.

Workouts that are hard (or easy workouts > 60 minutes) I drink Endurox R4.

If over an hour, I'll normally drink an Ensure. I'm addicted to these now and drink way too many of them. I used to do banana and chocolate milk. GREAT combo but I gave up milk last year and my body has been feeling a lot better ever since.

Really? I drink tons of it. I wonder if I'm missing out.

Just out of curiosity, what gave you the idea to stop drinking it?

Always. If it's a lighter workout, I'll drink some Accelerade to hydrate and give myself some carbs and protein. A heavier workout, and I'll usually have a meal, or at least a shaker of protein powder and some carbs...fresh fruit or pasta/rice.

Early on, I noticed a huge difference in soreness with and without ingesting a recovery meal or drink. Not sure how much that changes as I've become more fit, but it never seems to hurt, and always has seemed to help.

For hard & longer workouts I use Recoverite within 30 minutes. I might also use it after my first workout if I'm doing a second workout in the same day. As has been stated, eat as normal and hydrate for most workouts around 1 hr or less.

Post shake with Vitargo from GNC(carbs), whey protein, 1/2 c greek yogurt, and frozen fruit. I am trying to transition over to Vitamin Shoppe to save some money. If early morning workout I do scoop of vitargo before for fast carb loading without trying to get food down

After any workout, the post calories are liquid so they are more quickly absorbed. Water with dextrose, glutamine, bcaa, beta alanine and turmeric and other antoxidants. Stabilize the blood sugar, replenish burnt amino acids for muscle sparing, combat inflammation and free radicals. If it was an extra long workout with lots of sweating and potential dehydration: nuun tab, banana and perhaps more carbs, or a 50/50 water/gatorade blend and added whey protein

Edited by TJHammer 2015-08-14 4:08 PM

I have ulcer colitis (sometimes severely). In general, I felt better when I gave up milk. I still have cheese though and I'll still have some milk when I randomly bring in donuts to work. I used to go through a gallon a week by myself a week, easily last year. I still think it's a good recovery drink but I feel healthier without it than with it.

No special products (anyway most are not available here). I try to eat fairly soon after long/hard workouts. Sometimes it's not right away, though, as a long run or brick in super-high heat and humidity can curb one's appetite temporarily. Usually just my normal breakfast and coffee. On a workday that's usually whole wheat bread with peanut butter and sometimes banana, or muesli, yogurt, and fruit. On the weekends, maybe something fancier with eggs, plus some fresh fruit or juice. For PM workouts, I just make dinner after. If I'm super hungry and can't wait (sometimes after swimming), I might snack on nuts and/or dark chocolate while making dinner. I know chocolate milk is popular but it's never agreed with me--cold milk can give me stomach cramps and when paired with something sweet it makes matters a lot worse. There used to be a smoothie place here that made awesome PB and banana smoothies with yogurt or soy milk, which I can tolerate, and I loved those after long bricks (often the only thing I felt like having right after) but since they closed, I've been too lazy to make my own.

I think the "recovery" products are overrated--really only needed for truly long workouts (as in IM or HIM bricks or marathon training) where you might not feel up to, or have time for, a proper meal or snack within a few hours after finishing. At any rate, I have never found one I could stand--they all taste too sweet to me.

I usually, take a good rest, drink plenty of water, stay in a hot tub with a bit of salt. or sometimes put warm compress on painful areas of my body. In the long run while you continue the workout with much care your body will eventually get use to it and the pain will just go away.

More people should follow Johnny's advice.

Day 1 - Whole milk chocolate milk and a cold shower/soak in the pool.
Day 2 (if a hard workout) - Hot bath/shower/hot tub