Feature
Supplement
Your Recovery for Optimal Performance
There’s a popular saying among endurance athletes, which states that “today’s performance is only as good
as yesterday’s recovery.” And a key component of any recovery plan is optimal nutrition. While a balanced
diet that consists predominantly of whole foods should form the cornerstone of every recovery plan, the right
combination of well-formulated supplements taken at the appropriate time can boost your efforts.
(Courtesy Living Fit Magazine)
While this is definitely important, post-exercise
supplementation is just one aspect of a holistic
recovery approach. Today, we know that athletes
who consider their nutritional needs before, during
and after training and racing, with a focus on pre-,
intra- and post-workout supplementation, generally
experience better recovery and, therefore, optimise
their performance.
All Topped Up
While pre-workout nutrition is vital to race-day
performance, it’s often neglected in the context of
optimal recovery. Making sure that your body is
properly fuelled before a hard training session or
race can also limit muscle damage and reduce your
recovery requirements. Topped up glycogen stores,
for instance, ensure that you don’t dig yourself into an
energy deficit by completely depleting already drained
glycogen stores. sessions require higher amounts of carbohydrates,
both during and after workouts,” explains Mark Wolff,
co-founder of the 32Gi endurance supplement brand.
“Carb consumption following exercise should also be
proportional to the glycogen stores depleted. A long,
hard session warrants a higher carbohydrate intake
post-exercise than a short, lower intensity session.”
In this regard, high-molecular weight (HMW)
carbohydrates are extremely effective at boosting
muscle and liver glycogen levels, while also providing
circulating glucose for the pending session. A recent
study affirmed that the ingestion of a unique HMW
carbohydrate was “found to increase glycogen
re-synthesis rate and enhance work output during
subsequent endurance exercise, relative to low
molecular weight (LMW) carbohydrates.” Limit the Damage
Vitargo is one option. This patented ingredient has an
extremely high molecular weight – it’s 3000 times greater
than that of dextrose – and, therefore, passes through the
digestive system quickly, reducing the risk of stomach
cramps or other tummy troubles. This makes Vitargo-
based supplements an effective means to restore energy
levels when compared to common simple carbs. Vitargo’s
attributes also make it an ideal compound for use
during exercise to keep the body fuelled. Another
option is Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin
(HBCD), which many in the supplement
industry are calling a “super carbohydrate”
for its superior gastric emptying rate
(how quickly it clears your digestive
system) and its rapid absorption rate.
Depending on how much
carbohydrate-derived energy
you ingest, using these
products during exercise
spares glycogen levels or tops
them up during your session,
which reduces the refuelling
requirements somewhat after
training. “The rate at which you
deplete glycogen stores depends
on the training session’s duration
and intensity. Longer, more intense
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Dis-chem Half Marathon | 12 January 2020
Protein consumed before and during exercise can
also help to limit muscle damage and, therefore,
reduce recovery requirements after training. This is
achieved by providing a circulating source of readily-
available amino acids. Essential amino acids (EAAs),
for example, play important roles in protein synthesis
and energy production. “The recommended ratio of
carbohydrate to protein for optimal benefits is 4:1, as
protein intake should never compromise or displace
carbohydrate intake,” states Mark.
Consuming EAAs before and during a workout have been
shown to spare and preserve both muscle and glycogen
stores. Adding protein to your pre- and intra-workout
carbohydrate drink also aids glucose absorption,
further increasing the glycogen restoration rate.
Ideal protein sources that require the least digestion
include hydrolysed proteins, such as peptides,
or amino acids. These protein forms require no
or minimal digestion and, therefore, enter muscle
cells much faster. They also reduce or eliminate
the gastrointestinal discomfort that commonly
accompanies whole proteins.
Fluid and electrolytes
The other recovery factor to consider during and after
exercise is your fluid intake and electrolyte balance,
to replace the fluid and electrolytes lost through
sweat (and breathing) during exercise to prevent
dehydration. Mark explains that the human body is
comprised mainly of water. “It is, therefore, imperative
to effectively replenish those stores, but plain water is
insufficient to do so.”
Your body requires electrolytes because these ‘salts’
maintain fluid balance, which is an important part
A
s far as recovery is concerned, athletes
generally focus on post-exercise
supplementation, with the aim of boosting
muscle repair during the so-called “window of
opportunity,” those 30 to 90 minutes after exercise,
when our insulin sensitivity peaks. During this window,
our body shuttles ingested carbs (glucose) and protein
(amino acids) into highly receptive muscle cells to
boost recovery.