YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health (Summer 2015) | Page 17

exercise you are doing, when your next training
session is, and what you had during that session.
Eat something within 30 minutes of training. Taking
in carbohydrate post-exercise is essential for
muscle glycogen synthesis, but you also need
protein. Studies show that consuming 20g to
30g of dietary protein after intense exercise is
needed for maximal muscle synthesis,
recovery and adaptation. As a guideline, a ratio
of around 2:1 carbohydrate to protein is a good
starting point for your first snack or light meal
post-exercise. Low-fat chocolate milk is an ideal
recovery drink. Other good recovery snacks
include high protein muesli or snack bars, yoghurt,
or crackers with peanut butter or cottage cheese.
Make sure you rehydrate by drinking water and
replacing electrolytes – a supplement such as
‘Hydrolyte’ will replace these without giving you
the additional calories of a sports drink. And
remember, if you are embarking on a new regime or
training for an event, a Sports Dietitian can create a
personalised plan to maximise your results.

SUMMER 2015 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE

17