Post-race nutrition for energy recovery
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Recovery after a race involves restoring muscle and liver glycogen stores and electrolyte balance.
Glycogen is replenished most rapidly in the first 60-90 minutes after exercise, so carbohydrate intake during this period is essential. The highest rate of muscle glycogen synthesis is achieved by consuming 70-90 g/h of carbohydrates every 15-30 minutes. This allows muscle glycogen to be restored at the maximum rate within the first 4-6 hours after exercise. Larger amounts of carbohydrates can cause gastrointestinal problems.
Adding certain amino acids and/or protein (e.g. VOLAMIN and PROMEAL) can increase the rate of glycogen synthesis.
Optimal glycogen replenishment depends on eating easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich foods (e.g. bread and jam, rice cakes, isotonic drinks made with, for example, ISODRINK and MALTOVIS).
If your appetite is suppressed immediately after the race, carbohydrate drinks are a good alternative to solid food.
Post-exercise rehydration works best with high-sodium drinks (> 1300 mg/litre), and the volume of fluid consumed should be at least 150% of sweat loss (= loss of body mass). Depending on the glycogen lost, and provided that at least 8 g CHO/kg BM/day is consumed, glycogen stores can be fully restored within 24 h.
Since sleep interrupts the feeding period, it is recommended to eat about 200 g of easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich foods before going to bed, so as to take in a total of 8-10 g/kg BM of carbohydrates within the first 24 h after exercise.
These guidelines will help you improve your performance, but remember: each of us is an individual, different from everyone else. So, just as with training, we need to develop our own personal nutrition strategy to be at our best at all times. Whatever your sport, a good diet will provide the right nutrients to make your training more effective, improve your race results and support optimal recovery.
Glycogen is replenished most rapidly in the first 60-90 minutes after exercise, so carbohydrate intake during this period is essential. The highest rate of muscle glycogen synthesis is achieved by consuming 70-90 g/h of carbohydrates every 15-30 minutes. This allows muscle glycogen to be restored at the maximum rate within the first 4-6 hours after exercise. Larger amounts of carbohydrates can cause gastrointestinal problems.
Adding certain amino acids and/or protein (e.g. VOLAMIN and PROMEAL) can increase the rate of glycogen synthesis.
Optimal glycogen replenishment depends on eating easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich foods (e.g. bread and jam, rice cakes, isotonic drinks made with, for example, ISODRINK and MALTOVIS).
If your appetite is suppressed immediately after the race, carbohydrate drinks are a good alternative to solid food.
Post-exercise rehydration works best with high-sodium drinks (> 1300 mg/litre), and the volume of fluid consumed should be at least 150% of sweat loss (= loss of body mass). Depending on the glycogen lost, and provided that at least 8 g CHO/kg BM/day is consumed, glycogen stores can be fully restored within 24 h.
Since sleep interrupts the feeding period, it is recommended to eat about 200 g of easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich foods before going to bed, so as to take in a total of 8-10 g/kg BM of carbohydrates within the first 24 h after exercise.
These guidelines will help you improve your performance, but remember: each of us is an individual, different from everyone else. So, just as with training, we need to develop our own personal nutrition strategy to be at our best at all times. Whatever your sport, a good diet will provide the right nutrients to make your training more effective, improve your race results and support optimal recovery.
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