The Best Ingredients for Post-Workout Recovery
There’s nothing we love more than that satisfying (albeit sweaty) post-workout feeling, when your endorphin levels are running high and you have the satisfaction of knowing you’ve worked hard. We’re also pretty keen to refuel again as soon as possible, but it’s important to make sure that we are making the right choices to ensure our body is getting the best possible ingredients to restore energy levels as well as aid in recovery.
During a good workout, you can use up all your stored glycogen and break down muscle and red blood cells as well as sweat out up to 2L of water. It is super important for both recovery and overall health to ensure that all of these are restored and the best way to do this is through your meal choices. It’s also important to eat ideally within 30-45 minutes of finishing the workout, as after this point your body will start producing cortisol, which leads to muscle soreness - and let’s face it, nobody likes the post leg-day ache!
Ideally, a post workout meal should include a source of protein, carbs and healthy fat to ensure you have restored the energy used and to keep you fuller for longer, but certain foods also have key characteristics making them an ideal post workout choice!
Below we’ve put together a list of our choice of the best 5 foods to eat after your next workout, how they will help your body and some handy tips on how these could be incorporated into a meal or snack.
1. CHILLI
Best for: Muscle Recovery
Why: It’s so important to help your muscles recover after a workout and the main way recommended to do this is through eating a portion of carbs. Not everybody fancies a large plate of pasta post workout though, but luckily the chili pepper can help too! Chili peppers contain vitamin B6, which helps in transporting oxygen to all the body’s tissues, including the muscles, which aids in their recovery.
How:
- Try your hand at making your own curry paste from red chilli, fresh ginger, lime juice, and garlic whizzed together in a blender
- Add a diced chilli to your guacamole for a spicy kick
2. COCONUT
Best for: Avoiding Cramp
Why: The main reason the body tends to cramp after a workout is down to not having enough electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and calcium. Luckily, potassium can be found in abundance in coconut, which will help in preventing involuntary muscle contraction - meaning no more painful post workout cramps!
How:
- Try coconut butter spread on half a banana for a quick snack
- Fry aubergine with desiccated coconut with chilli, ginger and lime
3. GINGER
Best for: Soothing post-workout soreness
Why: Ginger has been used in natural medicinal practice for many years due to it’s great anti-inflammatory properties - this makes it a great healer for those sore post-workout muscles!
How:
- Add it to a green juice, it gives it a real zing! Our fave is kale, cucumber, pear, lemon and ginger
- Keep it simple with ginger tea. Just grate ginger into a mug, add a spoonful of honey or maple then fill with boiling water
4. HONEY
Best for: Soothing post-workout soreness
Why: As with ginger, honey is a great healer. It possesses anti-inflammatory properties, which helps in soothing your sore muscles. It also contains the carbohydrates needed to help rebuild muscle fibres making it great post-workout choice.
How:
- Swirl a heaped tbsp of honey into a bowl of porridge for a great recovery meal (add banana and peanut butter too and you’re set for the morning)
5. COCOA
Best for: Muscle recovery and relaxation
Why: Were we just looking for a reason to eat chocolate post-workout? Maybe. But hear us out… the caffeine in cocoa helps with widening and relaxing blood vessels so that restorative oxygen-rich blood can more easily flow through your muscles. This helps relax the muscles, which in turn speeds up recovery.
How:
- For a healthier chocolate fix blend 1 banana, 1 cup almond milk, a handful of ice and 2 tbsp cocoa powder