If you pay close attention to your recovery nutrition during this holiday season, your body will thank you. Here at Authentic Personal Training, we believe that the best way to keep on track with your fitness when you are eating more over the Christmas period is to exercise and move your body a bit more. We have even devised a 12 day of Christmas home workout routine to keep you moving throughout!
Eating more can be put to use for these workouts if we focus on making some smart choices. Choices which will complement the extra training and allow for additional recovery to allow you to move more again.
Read on to find out how you can make those mince pies useful in the body as we delve into all things Recovery Nutrition.
What is recovery nutrition?
Recovery nutrition simply covers the 3 R’s: Rehydrate, Refuel, and Repair.
Doing this will boost adaption from the training session and work to support immune function. This will allow you to have a pain & flu free Christmas season. Who doesn’t want that?
Rehydration
The easiest way to rehydrate is to drink more water. As we enter the hottest months of the year, this will be more important than ever. When you sweat more due to the heat and exercise you will lose even more water and salts from the body. Moving more = drinking more and no, for this one alcohol does not count!
Replenish glycogen store
Glycogen is the type of carbohydrate which is stored in your muscles and liver and provides an energy source for your body to use during exercise. During physical activity, especially at high intensities or for longer durations, the body calls on these glycogen stores to fuel the muscles. The process of restoring these depleted carbohydrates after a workout is often called replenishing the glycogen stores.
Replenishment of these glycogen stores will allow for energy recovery so that the muscles will have enough stored carbs for future workouts and activities. In turn, it helps to avoid fatigue and enhance performance for future sessions. As well as this, glycogen replenishment will help with muscle recovery and repair. This is done by supporting the rebuilding of muscle tissues which may have experienced micro-tears during exercise.
All in all, getting your carbs in post-workout will contribute to better endurance, stamina and overall performance. Ideally, a balanced meal or snack containing both simple and complex carbohydrates is advised for maximum affects. Now could be the time to have the mince pie Christmas pudding or advent calendar chocolate that you were craving!
Eating carbs 30-60 mins post workout can be beneficial as your body will store carbohydrates more efficiently at this time.
Repair
This predominately refers to protein intake. Consuming protein provides essential amino acids which are essential to rebuild muscle tissues damaged during exercise. To build muscle, new proteins are synthesized which helps to rebuild muscle fibres after exercise. Heavy weighted exercises can cause micro-tears in muscle fibres. Getting adequate amounts of protein in post workout and throughout the day involves the rebuilding and strengthening of these fibres which leads to the growth of muscle and adaption to exercise.
Ideally, we want to split the protein intake throughout the day. We always want to have a good supply of amino acids and no muscle is lost. Get the turkey sandwiches in and avoid missing the hard built muscle this holiday season!
Don’t neglect the fruit and veg!
Even though it is Christmas and we will be enjoying all the foods you love- try not to neglect the good stuff either! The antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables can help reduce inflammation, minimize muscle soreness and aids the recovery process.
Not to mention they contain fibre which will help the bowels to run smoother as you eat more rich foods you may not be always used to.
Holiday recovery nutrition – a summary
In conclusion, by strategically incorporating hydration, carbohydrate replenishment, protein intake, and nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables into your post-workout routine, you can optimize recovery and enhance muscle repair. You will also fortify your body for improved performance, ensuring a healthier and more resilient holiday season. So, indulge wisely and savour those festive treats while supporting your body’s recovery and adaptation to exercise. Enjoy this holiday season, but do so that your nutrition also allows for great recovery.
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