Recovvery soup Recovery meals for endurance athletes with endurancee grain rolls and green salad. Typically, Recovery meals for endurance athletes Recovety pounds need 3 servings of protein endugance servings of carbohydrates after strenuous exercise. Whole grains are also a healthy food after running. This mango lime quinoa salad is a great source of complex carbohydrates and a fun way to add in Vitamin C. To promote emotional well-being and healthy brain function, sleep or another form of rest is needed.

Recovery meals for endurance athletes -

Drinking tart cherry juice may benefit both trained athletes and novice gym-goers alike. Studies show that tart cherry juice and tart cherry juice extract might facilitate muscle recovery and mitigate delayed-onset muscle soreness DOMS. DOMS is a type of muscle injury that results from unfamiliar or intense exercise.

It causes symptoms like the painful restriction of movement, swelling, and stiffness 1. In addition to DOMS, exercise increases oxidative stress, cellular damage, and inflammation.

Fortunately, antioxidant-rich foods and beverages may reduce these side effects and facilitate recovery 2. Tart cherry juice is high in plant compounds called anthocyanins.

They have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and as such, they may reduce perceived soreness and exercise-induced muscle damage EIMD 3. One review of 25 studies, 15 of which focused on tart cherry juice, found that drinking tart cherry juice accelerated muscle recovery, reduced DOMS, and lowered markers of inflammation after exercise 2.

Results from many other studies similarly suggest that drinking tart cherry juice or taking tart cherry supplements or extracts aids muscle recovery and improves DOMS 4 , 5 , 6. Still, note that tart cherry juice is likely most effective when you start supplementing several days before you exercise and continue for days after, using it for a total of 8—10 days 2.

Watermelon is sweet, hydrating, and loaded with nutrients. Watermelon is rich in the amino acid L-citrulline.

Besides being a building block for proteins, this amino acid may have antioxidant effects and increase the production of nitric oxide NO. NO enhances blood circulation to muscles and improves cellular energy 7 , 8 , 9. This could be why some studies show that watermelon juice might reduce muscle soreness and muscle damage post-exercise 7 , For example, a small study including 7 athletes found that drinking Nonetheless, watermelon contains important nutrients that promote exercise performance and recovery, including carbs, amino acids, and antioxidants.

As a result, it remains a healthy choice for exercise enthusiasts, regardless of its potential benefits for muscle soreness. Fatty fish like sardines, salmon, and trout are excellent sources of nutrients that your body needs for muscle recovery. Mainly, fish is a highly bioavailable source of protein, a macronutrient that facilitates muscle repair — the process of regenerating muscle cells after exercise-induced damage Some experts suggest that consuming around 1.

For reference, 4 ounces grams of cooked salmon provides 1 ounce 29 grams of protein 13 , Fatty fish also contains omega-3 fats , which may help reduce DOMS, fight inflammation, and boost muscle growth 14 , Experts recommend that you get 0. You can easily achieve this by having a serving of fatty fish like salmon or taking an omega-3 supplement after hitting the gym 12 , Pomegranate juice is a rich source of polyphenols, which are plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

As such, drinking pomegranate juice may benefit muscle recovery. In a small study, 9 elite weightlifters drank 8. They had an additional Compared with the placebo treatment, pomegranate juice reduced the release of a marker of oxidative stress called malondialdehyde MDA and increased antioxidant defenses.

This indicates that the drink could promote muscle recovery Other studies have similarly shown that pomegranate juice and pomegranate supplements may decrease DOMS, reduce inflammatory markers, and accelerate muscle recovery 3 , Beets are loaded with dietary nitrates and pigments called betalains 2 , Dietary nitrates may help send oxygen to your muscles and improve the efficiency of mitochondria — organelles, or parts of cells, that produce the energy that fuels your cells.

Meanwhile, betalains may reduce inflammation and oxidative damage 2 , A study including 30 active men found that drinking beetroot juice immediately, 24 hours after, and 48 hours after completing strenuous exercise reduced muscle soreness and sped muscle recovery to a greater extent than a placebo Additionally, a study including 13 soccer players observed that drinking beetroot juice for 3—7 days before, on the day of, and 3 days after exercise reduced DOMS.

It also improved exercise performance during the recovery period Some research suggests that whey protein may promote muscle recovery after exercise in both athletes and nonathletes. In a 5-day study, 92 men with obesity took 0. Whey protein may also improve muscle function after resistance training However, not all research agrees.

In some studies, whey protein did not benefit post-exercise muscle recovery 24 , As such, more research is needed to determine whether supplementing with whey protein after exercise could promote muscle recovery.

Regardless, protein shakes can help you reach your daily protein targets and optimize muscle growth, so they might still be worth your while. Eggs are known as a nutrient-dense food and favored by athletes for their high content of bioavailable protein.

Eating them after a workout helps stimulate muscle recovery. Although many people opt to eat only egg whites, studies show that whole eggs may be a better choice after workouts. In a small study including 10 men, participants ate a meal with either whole eggs or egg whites immediately after resistance training.

Even though all meals had the same amount of protein, the whole-egg meals led to greater muscle growth Researchers suggest that this could be because the nutrient-dense yolk provides vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, such as vitamin A, selenium, zinc, and the fatty acid palmitate, which may increase the speed of muscle protein synthesis Milk and milk products like yogurt and cottage cheese are frequently used as post-exercise fuel — and for good reason.

Because milk is high in protein , it provides your body the nutrients necessary for muscle repair. Thus, it might reduce EIMD.

Milk and dairy products also contain carbs. Eating carbs and protein together supports muscle growth and helps your muscles refill their stores of glycogen — the stored form of glucose, or sugar. Milk also contains sodium, which is important for rehydration 14 , 27 , A review of 12 studies found that chocolate milk may improve exercise performance and post-exercise recovery.

However, the researchers acknowledged that high quality evidence is limited, so future research is needed When you work out intensely, you deplete your muscle stores of glycogen, the stored form of glucose. This is especially true for athletes participating in exhaustive exercise Eating carb-rich foods promotes muscle glycogen replenishment.

Starchy vegetables like sweet potato, butternut squash, and potatoes make a healthy carbohydrate choice post-workout. Combining starchy vegetables with a protein source like eggs or chicken is an effective and tasty way to replenish glycogen stores while also providing your body with the protein it needs for muscle recovery This is because the caffeine found in coffee blocks receptors for adenosine.

It activates pain receptors in your body 15 , A study in 9 men who typically consumed low amounts of caffeine showed that consuming caffeine 1 hour before an intense upper-body workout significantly lowered levels of muscle soreness on days 2 and 3 after exercise, compared with a placebo Additionally, a study found that caffeine consumption 24 and 48 hours after intense exercise improved recovery of muscle power and reduced DOMS in both men and women compared with a placebo Interestingly, the men experienced greater reductions in DOMS after using caffeine than the women Recovery is just as important as exercise, and that goes for recovery meals too.

Certain types of foods have been shown to be more beneficial during the recovery process than others. Each type of exercise requires a different type of meal after recovery. While a protein rich meal may be necessary after a strength training workout, a carb rich meal may work better for endurance athletes.

Your recovery meal will probably look different depending on when you exercise too. Regardless though, the important part is making sure you get all of those macronutrients.

The Samsung food app download it here for free! allows you to create your own meal plan using any recipes from across the web. If you are looking for a specific macronutrient-rich meal you can search for high protein or high carb.

Or you could just let us do the work for you and save our suggestions for perfect recovery meals to your app.

More time to focus on your workout, right?! Protein rich meals are ideal after strength training. This is because protein is essential in helping repair the muscles that were broken down during exercise.

You can read more about how different types of protein contribute to muscle protein synthesis — but the important thing is that you get all nine of those essential amino acids, especially the branched chain amino acids.

Choose a high-quality, complete source of protein for muscle building. This Korean dish can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is packed with The ground beef and eggs make it a leucine rich meal that is beneficial for muscle protein synthesis. This recipe is very versatile and forgiving.

The jasmine rice can be swapped out for quinoa, brown rice, farro, or any favorite grain. Quinoa is a particularly good choice, as it is a complete protein in itself too. The egg can be cooked to your preference but sunny side up is the most traditional for this dish. Ground beef is usually the star but you could use sliced steak as well.

Adding an extra egg to the bowl will boost up leucine content and protein. The addition of vegetables add fiber and nutrients.

Carbs are key for endurance athletes such as cyclists, swimmers, and marathon runners. Carbs are beneficial due to their ability to quickly replace glycogen stores after exercise. Increasing protein intake in endurance athletes has been shown to be beneficial during recovery. It is believed that females require more carbohydrates than males due to different metabolism processes.

It is always recommended to hydrate yourself with water along with these meals. A nice warm bowl of soup is always comforting after a long run or swim. The beans and quinoa make this protein rich and filled with fiber. Beans are also rich in carbs which help replenish glycogen stores. The time and intensity spent exercising needs to be taken into consideration when planning to refuel after your cardio session.

It is also important to keep in mind what was consumed prior to exercising. While strength training helps to build muscle, cardio helps with weight loss and has cardiovascular benefits.

Replacing glycogen stores are important to refuel after exercising, glycogen can become depleted depending on length and intensity of a workout. Carbohydrates are a great way to increase glycogen stores.

However, it is not a "one Recovery meals for endurance athletes fits fkr concept! Because Recoveyr this, think more Supplementation for strength training, aiming to, over time, make the body better at what it does. Recovery meals for endurance athletes, lighter workouts do not create endhrance major demand on your body. So, our goal is not to replenish everything we think our body has lost as fast as possible. Instead, focus on foods that will help your body adapt and improve. Demanding exercise either intense or long in duration depletes muscle glycogen — a critical muscle fuel that must be restored if the athlete wants to jump back in soon. Even when a carbohydrate supply is available, muscle glycogen restores at about five percent per hour.