Tip of the Month -- February 2007

Recovery Nutrition 

By Zak Penwell

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end."  Julius Erving

The Problem

  All too often athletes will go to great pains, punishing their bodies in the weight room, only miss out on maximal gains because they neglected to properly feed their body.  There is a great deal of research now showing that, with correct timing and selection of macronutrients, recovery and other anabolic processes can be enhanced.

The Opportunity

  There are two windows of time when the body will reap the greatest benefits of a properly designed feeding.  The first is immediately before exercise.  A small protein/carb drink taken 10-20 minutes before resistance exercise causes a dramatic increase in protein synthesis following training.  This is due to the increased blood flow to skeletal muscle that occurs during exercise.  If there are amino acids and glucose already in the blood pool, these nutrients will be quickly and easily transported into the muscle where they are most needed, and thereby causing the desired increase in protein balance.

  The second window of opportunity is the first 45 minutes immediately following exercise.  It is during this time that the muscles are most sensitive to insulin.  Consuming protein along with simple carbs will cause an insulin spike which will have a very anabolic effect on the body at this time.  The spike in insulin will cause skeletal muscle to draw in the glucose and amino acids in the blood, triggering protein synthesis and glycogen replenishment.  Protein synthesis means you are adding more lean mass to your muscles.  Glycogen replenishment means your muscles will have the energy source they need to lift heavy again the next time. 

  If this post-workout meal is delayed past the 45 minute window there is a quickly diminishing rate of return.  By 2 hours post-exercise the body is quickly becoming insulin resistant and its tendency for protein synthesis and glycogen replenishment is greatly reduced.

The Composition

  In the majority of the studies done a carb/protein ratio between 2:1 and 4:1 was found to be most effective at achieving the desired insulin spike and protein synthesis.  Also of note is the concept that the quicker the nutrients reach the blood stream the better.  To that end quickly digested ingredients such as high-glycemic carbs and whey protein are optimal.  In addition, it is of note that while whole foods should form the basis of any diet, liquid meals can be absorbed up to 4 times faster and are therefore better at targeting those windows of opportunity.

Some easy examples that incorporate these concepts include:

  -Chocolate milk

  -Juice and whey protein

  -Recovery supplement, i.e. Endurox R4 or Biotest Surge 

The Take Away Message

To get the optimal gains out of your workouts consume a single serving of 5-10g protein with 20-30g carbs before your workout and another serving of 15-25g protein with 40-50g carbs within 45min of finishing your workout. 

References

Ivy, J., (2004) Nutrient Timing. North Bergen, NJ: Basic Health Publications