Sports Nutrition Recovery! A Dietitian's Top 6 Supplements
- Oct 18, 2017
- Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Exercise increases your body’s antioxidant and nutrient requirements. To promote muscle and cell recovery, consuming an abundance of antioxidant-rich foods will make a difference, but to bridge the gap resulting from an inadequate food supply, a good quality supplement regimen is truly needed.
What is your recovery plan?
Supplementation, food, and rest will help you perform your very best week in and week out.
My “Top 6” supplements for a quick and effective recovery from your workout.
#1: Branched-Chain Amino Acids
Three specific essential amino acids – Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine – are collectively referred to as branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), and they make up about 75% of the amino acids that get metabolized during exercise, with Leucine being dominate. The 4th most dominate amino acid is Glutamine.
By taking BCAAs for recovery, muscle breakdown can be prevented quickly, especially with high-volume cardio exercise. BCAAs also significantly reduce muscle soreness and accelerate the muscle growth and recovery process.
These are my favorite products for BCAAs:
Uckele's Physio Recover Strawberry Watermelon
Pure Encapsulation's BCAA Powder
#2: Tart Cherries
Tart cherries are rapidly gaining popularity among elite athletes and weekend warriors to help speed the recovery process. They’re extremely high in anthocyanins and flavonoids, two antioxidants effective at reducing inflammation and other cell damage naturally caused from exercise.
One ounce (2 tablespoons) of cherry juice concentrate contains all the goodness of about 100 tart cherries!
Drink tart cherry juice concentrate within 30 minutes after a workout or strength training session to assist in muscle recovery.
Two high quality cherry concentrates:
Underwood Orchards CherryFlex Red Tart Cherry Concentrate
Pure Planet Tart Cherry Concentrate
#3: Whey Protein
Protein is one of the most important post-exercise supplements you can take. It helps repair damaged muscle tissue, speeds recovery, and reduces muscle soreness. Pair the protein with carbohydrates to maximize the full recovery potential. Whey protein is the most effective form to promote post-exercise recovery.
Pick a flavor you enjoy.
#4: Glutamine
The body metabolizes glutamine (and BCAAs) during exercise so supplementing it after a workout hastens the recovery process. Glutamine functions as a conductor, conducting where the BCAAs go, such as into the muscles for post-exercise regrowth, repair, and recovery.
Glutamine also controls sugar metabolism and is a fuel for the brain and the brush border of the gut, all related to exercise recovery. If you’re one who gets GI issues post-exercise, consider glutamine.
There are many glutamine options:
Seeking Health L-Glutamine Powder
Vital Nutrients Glutamine Powder
#5: Antioxidants
Exercise stimulates free radical production—there’s no way to avoid it. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals capable of damaging muscles and causing muscular fatigue. The amount of free radical production increases as exercise intensity and duration increases. To help combat damage from free radicals, muscle fibers and cells need antioxidants to scavenge the free radicals and protect the muscles and cells against their damage.
This is a great antioxidant blend for recovery:
Individual Antioxidants with strong free radical scavenging abilities include vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid, and flavonoids.
Baobab Powder for Vitamin C
Healthforce Antioxidant Extreme (flavonoids)
#6: Adrenal Recovery
Every person who exercises must support the adrenal glands or your body will have a hard time recovering. Normal levels of cortisol are necessary to build and repair the muscles, and since the adrenal glands make cortisol, supporting them is crucial.
Pantothenic Acid, a B-vitamin, is the #1 nutrient for the adrenal glands and its ability to support a healthy adrenal response to stress. Specifically, pantethine, which is the most bioavailable form of Panthothenic Acid.
I love this blend for adrenal support related to exercise recovery:
Feel your best from workout to workout with proper recovery!
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods