The importance of post-exercise nutrition

The importance of recovery nutrition is vital. So many people out there ranging from beginners to athletes still get confused on what to eat after their training. Heck, you might not even know you need to eat after training at all ! And that's completely fine, because I'm going to give you a crash course on post-exercise nutrition.

Many of you have asked about this topic and it's time we get down and dirty with all the details. Recovery nutrition is vital to achieving your goals. It's not all about grabbing something healthy after to fill your hunger. Recovery nutrition depends on the type and duration of exercise just completed. Some exercise can be intense and others not so much it all depends on your goals and personal preferences.

The goals of recovery nutrition is to:

- Appropriately refuel and rehydrate the body - Promote muscle repair and growth - Boost adaptation from the training session - Support immune function

Your post exercise meal/snack should be rich in quality carbohydrate to replenish muscle fuel stores, contain some protein to promote muscle repair and include a source of fluid to rehydrate. Simplified, your meal must be sufficient enough to replenish and rehydrate your body. There’s not a one size fits all when it comes to nutrition. Everyone is different so everyone will need different options to choose from. Some options that you may like include:

- Lean chicken and salad roll - Bowl of muesli with yoghurt and berries - Fresh fruit salad topped with Greek yoghurt - Chicken burrito with salad and cheese - Small tin of tuna on crackers and a banana

You should be refuelling within 60-90 minutes after your exercise. The body is most effective at replacing carbohydrates and promoting muscle repair within this time. For more information on post-workout nutrition click here.

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