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Many athletes are looking for rapid recovery after exercise. There are so many products marketed as the best solution. Most of these products are very expensive. In this article I will discuss the nutrient composition for recovery drinks, that is necessary to achieve rapid and complete recovery. I will also provide you with examples of cheap alternatives and recipes to create your own recovery drinks at low costs!

There are 3 main principles for rapid and complete recovery:

• Ample availability of fast digesting carbohydrates for glycogen replenishment.
• A sufficient amount of fluids and sodium to compensate for sweat losses caused during exercise.
• An adequate supply of protein to compensate for muscle protein breakdown and to make use of the increased muscle protein synthesis after exercise, to restore and-/ or increase skeletal muscle mass.

Recovery drinks are liquid and are easier digested than solid foods. It also important that the drink is low in fat and fiber, to ensure fast absorption.

1) Fast digesting carbohydrates

Optimal glycogen replenishment is observed after ingestion of 1.0 – 1.5 g carbohydrates/kg body weight within 2 hours after exercise at 2 hour intervals up to 6 hours post exercise (1). For you it is important that you try to reach these requirements, which will be based on your body weight. A carbohydrate intake of 1.0 g/kg body weight within 30 minutes after exercise is probably sufficient for strength and power athletes, since less glycogen will be depleted. Fast digesting carbohydrates (dextrose, maltodextrin) will result in a faster replenishment of glycogen stores compared to slower digesting carbohydrates (fructose, lactose) and are therefore the preferred choice (2).

2) Fluids and Sodium

Studies have shown that the amount of water retained in the body increases, when the sodium content of the drink increases (3). Water by itself is not optimal, because it has a lower sodium content. Water consumption after exercise will result in less water retention, which can be improved by increasing the sodium content of the drink to 600-1200 mg per liter (3). High levels of sodium can worsen the taste of a recovery drink and are therefore not advised.

3) Protein

In 2009, a study in resistance trained athletes presented that skeletal muscle protein synthesis is maximal after ingestion of 20 g of a high quality protein (4). The participants of the study had a mean body weight of 87 kg, which means that the optimal intake of protein is around 0.25 g/kg body weight. When the protein intake was increased to 0.5 g/kg body weight, there was still a non-significant increase in muscle protein synthesis, which could have benefits after a longer time period. So, I suggest that endurance athletes go for the lower-end and strength and power athletes, aiming to increase muscle mass, should go for the higher-end of the spectrum. It has also been shown that a fast digesting protein (whey protein) and a slower digesting protein (casein) are equally effective in stimulating skeletal muscle protein synthesis after resistance exercise (5).

Expensive recovery formulas versus cheaper alternatives

A study performed in 2008 has revealed that low fat chocolate milk is equally effective in promoting recovery after exercise compared to a specific recovery drink composed of proteins and carbohydrates, and provided an increase in recovery compared to a drink containing carbohydrates only (6). It was stated that the benefits could possibly be attributed to the carbohydrate to protein ratio (3-4:1) found in low fat chocolate milk. It even contains both whey and casein protein, and an adequate amount of sodium and other electrolytes. Another study showed that cereal with low fat milk is a good whole food substitute to drinks (7). This demonstrates that cheaper alternatives can also provide rapid and complete recovery after exercise. More specialized products are mainly of interest for elite athletes. They train multiple times per day and-/or have several competitions in a short time frame.

Besides using low fat chocolate milk as an alternative to expensive recovery drinks, you can also create your own. By mixing whey protein and maltodextrin/fruit juice/honey/carbohydrate powders according to your needs based on your body weight, and by adding a pinch of salt, you can create a complete personalized recovery drink. You can also add 3-5 g of creatine and-/or 5-10 g of BCAA’s (2.5-5g of leucine) if you want to create an elite recovery drink. Table 1 will give you several ready-to-go options that are available for rapid en complete recovery.

Drink	Protein (g/L)	Carbohydrates (g/L)	Sodium (mg/L)
Isostar Total Performance	10	61	700
Performance Recup Extra	24	96	?
PowerBar Ironman Restore	12.5	83	1041
Low fat chocolate milk	32	112	450
Fruit based, low fat milk drink	26	126	400

Table 1: Comparison between professional recovery drinks and cheaper alternatives.

Excerpt image by healthnews.com

Bibliography:

1. Jentjens, R., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2003). Determinants of post-exercise glycogen synthesis during short-term recovery. Sports Medicine, 33(2), 117-144.
2.  Burke, L. M., Collier, G. R., & Hargreaves, M. (1993). Muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise: Effect of the glycemic index of carbohydrate feedings. Journal of Applied Physiology, 75(2), 1019-1023.
3. Maughan, R. J., & Leiper, J. B. (1995). Sodium intake and post-exercise rehydration in man. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 71(4), 311-319.
4. Moore, D. R., Robinson, M. J., Fry, J. L., Tang, J. E., Glover, E. I., Wilkinson, S. B., et al. (2009). Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(1), 161-168.
5. Reitelseder, S., Agergaard, J., Doessing, S., Helmark, I. C., Lund, P., Kristensen, N. B., et al. (2011). Whey and casein labeled with L-[1-13C]leucine and muscle protein synthesis: Effect of resistance exercise and protein ingestion. American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism, 300(1), E231-E242.
6. Karp, J.R., Johnston, J.D., Tecklenburg, S., Mickleborough, T.D., Fly, A.D., & Stager J.M. (2006). Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 16 (1), 78-91.
7. Kammer, L., Ding, Z., Wang, B., Hara, D., Liao, Y. -., & Ivy, J. L. (2009). Cereal and nonfat milk support muscle recovery following exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 6.

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