Top 5 Post-Workout Tips to Maximize Muscle Recovery
The benefits of exercise are undeniable. Experts encourage a weekly routine of 150 minutes of moderately intense cardiovascular activity as well as twice-weekly strength training. While juggling the demands of everyday life, it can be challenging to find time for a workout. Even after managing to fit it in, there could be a vital component missing. Many people make it to the gym but overlook one of the most important parts of a successful exercise regimen: recovery. Here are the top five post-workout tips to maximize muscle recovery.
Recovery Begins with a Post-Workout Plan
Recovery is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, the body has a process for repair. Neglecting to fuel that process can result in fatigue, injury, or simply fewer gains. The five basics of recovery are food, hydration, sleep, supplementation, and cross-training. Maximizing recovery begins with a post-workout plan. It’s critical to consider the five basics and take steps to actively assist the repair process.
Post-Workout Tip #1: Eat healthily
Eating a well-balanced diet is a key factor in muscle recovery. It’s particularly important to avoid processed foods and seek out fruits, vegetables, and healthy sources of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Carbs provide the body with energy and leftovers are stored as glycogen in the muscles. Without proper stores of glycogen, the body will go after muscle protein instead. Protein is the building block of the muscle. Muscle fibers are broken down during intense workouts, so eating protein after exercising gives your body the raw materials to repair and strengthen the muscle.
Post-Workout Tip #2: Hydrate
Dehydration can have a severely negative impact on muscle repair. It’s critical to drink enough water before, during, and after your workout. Many people consider the recommendations leading up to and during their exercise. Post-workout intake is also key in replenishing what was lost. Some athletes record their pre- and post-training weight and then consume 16-24 ounces of water per pound lost (Doane 2016).[1] Water is universally recommended as the ideal beverage, but research has shown that drinking 480 mg of tart cherry juice or cherry powder after exercising could reduce inflammation and soreness in the muscles.
Post-Workout Tip #3: Sleep
Sleep is key when it comes to total body recovery. Research has shown that due to its effect on the hormones and cytokines, sleep deprivation after exercise can cause irregular hormone secretion as well as an inflammatory response. According to the Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs about seven to nine hours of sleep per day. Athletes who perform intense levels of training expend more energy per day and may require more sleep to recover.
Post-Workout Tip #4: Cross Train
Alternating among muscle groups or cross-training is the ideal way to assist your body in an active recovery process. Rather than resting completely, it’s beneficial to remain active and engage in light exercise such as yoga, swimming, or walking. Proper cross-training prevents any one muscle group from becoming overworked. When you strategically engage and fatigue different muscles throughout the week, you initiate a cycle of work and repair that ultimately results in greater gains.
Post-Workout Tip #5: Supplement
Pre-workout products are very popular, but post-workout recovery is often overlooked. However, what you consume after your exercise can be just as important as what you consume beforehand. There are a variety of products aimed at muscle recovery, but beta-alanine is proven to delay the onset of muscle fatigue, speed recovery, and build muscle strength. Over 55 clinical studies support the athletic performance benefits of CarnoSyn® beta-alanine. A minimum of 3.2-6.4 grams of beta-alanine per day is the scientifically proven dosage to aid in muscle recovery. Post-workout products from verified brands like Beyond Raw® Precision BCAA, XTEND® Elite BCAA Powder, and Re-Kaged® protein are specifically formulated to aid muscle recovery.
When selecting supplements, it’s important to know that not all beta-alanine is created equal. After years of significant investment in scientific research and stringent quality control, CarnoSyn® has become the only beta-alanine to successfully obtain New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) status with the FDA and self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). It’s safe, effective, and contains ZERO banned substances. Learn more about the CarnoSyn® Verified brands that provide this proven and trusted beta-alanine ingredient at the optimal dosage in their post-workout products.
[1] Doane, J. M., (2016). Hydration guidelines. Advantage Nutrition & Wellness, LLC. https://www.nata.org/sites/default/files/hydration-guidelines_handout.pdf
TWO WAYS TO GET RESULTS
CarnoSyn® beta-alanine is available in two different forms—instant release and sustained release—offering two ways to dose. SR CarnoSyn® offers the same benefits as instant release CarnoSyn®, but in an advanced delivery system that allows for increased dosing for better results. When used in tandem, the combination of instant release and sustained release gives athletes the ability to stack their dosing for higher quantities of beta-alanine and even more performance gains.
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