POST WORKOUT RECOVERY
Post workout recovery is extremely important for all athletes.
Whether an athlete’s forte is endurance sports or body building, optimising post workout nutrition is a powerful mechanism to support accelerated muscle growth, recovery or performance. After working out, your body naturally increases its output of testosterone and growth hormone producing the perfect environment for protein synthesis and glycogen storage.
Working out the correct formula to maximise glycogen storage and protein synthesis, while decreasing protein breakdown, requires an understanding of the underlying science.
This article is an attempt to decipher some of the ample amount of literature about post workout recovery and supporting the various products that claim to do the job better than others.
Post workout protein and glycogen synthesis
There are three key factors that will rapidly increase recovery and growth after training or competition.
1. Supply of carbohydrates.
2. Supply of amino acids.
3. High insulin levels to stimulate glycogen storage and uptake aminos into muscles.
The following information is sourced from Rasmussen et al., published in the Journal of Applied Physiology¹, which discusses rates of protein synthesis under several different conditions. It shows how spending a little time and money on the small things can benefit you tremendously in the long run.
1. At rest, with increased insulin levels, protein synthesis is increased by about 50% when compared with normal insulin levels.
2. At rest, with high amino in the blood, protein synthesis increased by 150% when compared with normal levels of amino acids in the blood.
3. After weight training, protein synthesis increased by 100% versus pre-training values.
4. After weight training with high levels of amino acids in the blood, protein synthesis increased by 200% versus after weight training with normal blood amino levels.
5. After weight training with high aminos in the blood and high insulin in the blood, protein synthesis increased by 400% versus normal post workout amino acid and insulin levels.2 3
These results show the importance of getting post training nutrition right.
The ultimate anti-catabolic
It has been known for some time that insulin is one of the most anabolic substances in our bodies. Insulin is responsible for pushing or accelerating the absorption and utilisation of amino acids and carbohydrates. It has recently been discovered that it also plays a role in the regulation of post workout protein breakdown. In other words, it not only helps build muscle, it also reduces muscle tissue breakdown.4
One of the best things about insulin is that it’s free! It is secreted naturally when there are fluctuations in our blood sugar levels. By providing your body with carbohydrates in high amounts directly after training, insulin is naturally released to help push glucose and amino acids into muscle and begin the recovery process, including protein synthesis and glycogen accumulation.
Which carbohydrates?
The carbohydrates used in the studies are glucose polymers, glucose, dextrose or a combination of all three. These are simple carbohydrates, all in powdered form, allowing maximum absorption in a minimal time frame. What has been shown is that by ingesting carbohydrates in liquid form you not only replenish glycogen stores quickly, you also trigger the release of insulin and decrease the rate of muscle tissue breakdown.5
Which protein?
When we talk about protein for post training, we must look at its rate of digestion. There is no point in providing crude proteins, such as meats, after training as they can take between two and four hours for the amino acid to be released from the protein and absorbed into the bloodstream. Like our choice of carbohydrate, our choice of protein must have an extremely fast rate of absorption. The only protein sources with very fast rates of absorption are either free form amino acid powders, which increase blood serum levels in 10-15 minutes after consumption, or extremely high quality protein powders such as Ionised Whey or Whey Protein Concentrate.
At this state it is worth pointing out that non essential amino acids are not needed for this process and if only essential amino acids are supplies, the rate of protein synthesis is the same. Numerous studies have also shown high concentrations of BCAAs, this plays a big role in post training muscle recovery.1 3 6
This means that drinking a shake with 30 grams of protein has no more benefit than taking the equivalent in essential amino acids (around 5 grams). In fact, it may even be detrimental as the absorption rate and supply to the muscles from even the highest quality protein powder is slow when compared to free form amino acids.
It makes sense. We provide our body with simple carbohydrates as they are absorbed and utilised most efficiently. Why wouldn’t we use the most efficiently absorbed protein – free form amino acids?
The post nutrition plan
The above data demonstrates the validity of the following plan of attack for maximising and optimising post workout nutrition to increase recovery and muscle gains. The plan is divided into two groups, the first being for Power-based sports such as weight lifting, bodybuilding, sprinting or any event considered anaerobic. The second group is Endurance based sports such as triathlon, long distance running, rugby, soccer or any event considered aerobic.
Power-based sports
Power based athletes have less carbohydrate burn and muscle trauma than endurance athletes, therefore a post nutrition plan needs to consist of a moderate intake of carbohydrate with essential amino acids, including branch chain amino acids and glutamine.
Immediately following training:
• 5g of Essential Amino Acids (Kuan: The Creative)
• 5g Branch Chain Amino Acids (Ni: The Nourishment)
• 0.75g per kg of body weight of Glucose Polymer or Dextrose (e.g. 75g for a 100kg athlete) (Creatine Recovery Stack)
20 minutes after training:
• High quality milk protein powder (30-50g in water) (HYBRID 92, ISO8, EVD)
This regime will allow the simple carbohydrates and Amino Acids to elevate blood levels within 10-15 minutes to immediately begin the recovery process. The shake will then allow the slow release of amino acids over the next hour.
Endurance-based sports
Endurance athletes have a high carbohydrate burn which depletes the body of stored glycogen, a high loss of electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, and studies have shown plasma levels of Vitamin C and E low in many endurance athletes, as well as the real need for BCAAS supplementation.
We therefore look at providing a high intake of carbohydrate over a few hours to limit stomach discomfort, and moderate amounts of vitamins and BCAAs.
Immediately following training/competition:
• 5g of essential amino acids (Kuan: The Creative)
• 5g branch chain amino acids (Ni: The Nourishment)
• 0.75g per kg of body weight of glucose polymer or dextrose (e.g. 75g for a 100kg athlete) (Electrolyte Replacement Formula)
1 ¼ hours after training/competition
• 0.5 to 0.75g per kg of body weight of glucose polymer or dextrose (e.g. 75g for a 100kg athlete) (Electrolyte Replacement Formula)
Daily:
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Glutamine
All contained in Electrolyte Replacement Formula
This will allow the simple carbohydrates and amino acids to elevate blood levels within 10-15 minutes to immediately begin the recovery process. The second amount should allow the body’s carbohydrate levels to return to adequate levels, restoring muscle stores of glycogen.
References
1 Rasmussen BB, Tipton KD, Miller SL, Wolf SE and Wolfe RR, An oral essential amino acid-carbohydrate supplement enhances muscle protein anabolism after resistance exercise Journal of Applied Physiology 88: 386-392, 2000
2 Berardi J 2 February 2001 Solving the Post Workout Puzzle – Part 2: The Recovery Plan [Online] Available http://t-mag.com/html/body_142post.html [14 April 2004]
3 Tipton KD, Gurkin BE, Martin S and Wolfe RR Nonessential amino acids are not necessary to stimulate net muscle protein synthesis in healthy volunteers Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 10: 85-89, 1999
4 Roy BD, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDougall JD, Fowles J and Yarasheski KE Journal of Applied Physiology 82: 1882-1888, 1997
5 Børsheim E, Cree MG, Tipton KD, Elliot TA, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR Effect of carbohydrate intake on net muscle protein synthesis during recovery from resistance exercise, Applied Physiology 96: 674-679, 2004
6 Sugita M, Ohtani M, Ishii N, Maruyama K and Koybayashi, K. Effect of a selected amino acid mixture on the recovery from muscle fatigue during and after eccentric contraction exercise training. Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 67: 372-375, 2003
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