You may have heard of the benefits of refueling shortly after exercise, during the so-called “carbohydrate window.” Contrary to popular belief, however, this refueling window is not the drive-thru at your local Burger King or Taco Bell. In fact, filling up on high-fat foods is almost as ineffective as gulping down some water and waiting a few hours for your appetite to return. No matter your age, activity or ability level, you can speed your recovery and reduce your risk of injury by wisely using the time immediately after you exercise to refuel on carbohydrate-rich foods and beverages.
The recovery process
Recovery is a crucial process that involves restoring nutrient and fuel stores, repairing muscle fiber micro-damage and lessening muscle soreness, as well as alleviating the irritability and depression associated with extreme fatigue: In other words, feeling good enough so you want to get out the door and do it again.
Solid scientific research over the past 35 years clearly demonstrates the important role carbohydrates play in reducing fatigue and improving exercise performance. During exercise, glycogen (our chief storage form of carbohydrate), which is stored in limited amounts in muscles and the liver, is converted into glucose, which fuels working muscles as well as the brain (via blood sugar). When muscle glycogen and blood glucose concentrations are low, don’t expect to maintain the quality of your workout or set any PRs.
While you’ve probably been aware of this happening during races (the dreaded “hitting the wall,” or even worse, “bonking”), many active individuals fail to fully recognize the day-to-day effects of chronically low muscle glycogen stores.
Since it takes the body almost 24 hours to fully replenish its stores of muscle glycogen, people who exercise on consecutive days require a daily diet of carbohydrate-rich foods to reduce the heavy, tired feeling associated with muscle glycogen depletion. In fact, many poor training days are actually the result of poor eating days. Keep in mind, too, that those who exercise with low muscle glycogen stores suffer greater muscle damage and they incur more injuries. They also perceive more workouts and races as “feeling harder than it should.”
Window of opportunity
The key to a speedy recovery, especially from prolonged bouts of exercise, is to promptly provide your body with the fluids and other nutrients it needs. Take advantage of the first 60 minutes (especially the initial 15-30 minutes) immediately following exercise - the so-called “carbohydrate window”- when muscles convert carbohydrate-rich foods and beverages into glycogen up to three times faster than at other times.
This means you need to consume at least one-half gram of carbohydrate per pound of body weight immediately following exercise. For most active people, 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrate does the trick. Numerous options abound, especially in the liquid form when you don’t feel like eating immediately after exercise: sports drinks (14 to 19 grams of carbohydrate per cup), high carbohydrate or meal replacement drinks (check the label, some provide as much as 50 grams of carbohydrate per serving), fruit juice (25 to 40 grams per cup) and lowfat milk (12 grams per cup).
Other good choices include high-carbohydrate foods such as yogurt, fruit, a fruit smoothie, bagels, cereal and energy bars. It won’t hurt to immediately include some protein, too (as found in energy bars, meal replacement drinks, yogurt and milk).
The most practical strategy, however, is to eat a meal that includes a source of quality protein – eggs, meat, poultry, fish, beans, dairy or soy foods – within one to two hours following exercise.
- Suzanne Girard Eberle, MS, RD, is a sports dietitian in Portland, Ore., who practices what she teaches. A former elite runner and the author of “Endurance Sports Nutrition,” she can be contacted about sports nutrition consults and speaking opportunities at: Ebcruz@aol.com.
Eat, Drink, Win!
“If you frequently ponder nutrition questions about triathlon or
any other endurance sport, this book is your nutriment grail.”
--Triathlete magazine
Endurance Sports Nutrition is available at major bookstores,
www.humankinetics.com or directly from the author at $15 plus
$2 s/h per copy.
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