Forums >Health and Nutrition>Best post run recovery foods/drinks
Fight The Future
I'm interested in what other people like best as post hard run recovery food or drink. Lots of books say you should try to get glucose in to your muscles within 20 minutes or so to maximize the recovery of glycogen. If I have gatorade, I'll drink that, but I usually don't have it. Lately I was scarfing down orange juice, because it tastes great, and I figured it would have lots of glucose. (I had a friend once with diabetes, and she would drink OJ if she had a bit too much insulin on board.)
Today, while perusing a high/medium/low glycemic index list, I saw that gatorade is high (natch), but OJ is only in the medium GI list. Chocolate chip cookies are low GI (!?, i don't understand that one, but maybe it's the fat in them). I'm considering now one of the top items, with a glycemic index of 110, beer. Maybe top it off with a serving of watermelon and it could be the perfect recovery meal.
Watermelon and beer? YECH.
Chocolate milk. Or strawberry milk. Or a dr pepper and a moon pie. I know I'm supposed to drink RC with the moon pie, but I like dr pepper.
Hostess lemon pies are for during-run refuels. Yesterday during my owl misadventure, I had to stop for gatorade. I ate a kit kat because they didn't have any pie.
Chocolate milk every time.
Chocolate milk and a Pay Day bar.
+1. The only thing I drink on a regular basis besides water is chocolate milk, and generally only after a run. Tastes better after you've been working hard anyways.
I ate a payday bar after a race in 2006. As I was chewing, there was a really big crunch. Thinking "bad peanut", I spit it onto the parking lot. Then I proceeded to get in my car and drive.
About a mile away, I could tell something felt "off" in my mouth. I did that tongue investigation thing. Uh oh. One of my crowns was missing.
At this point, I realized that I hadn't spit a bad peanut; I had patooeyed my crown.
So back to the parking lot I went. Crowns are spendy.
Someone else was occupying that spot by this point. I searched around and under the other vehicle, fingers crossed that it hadn't been smushed. Dude noticed the weird prowler (me) looking around his vehicle. He came over to ask what was what, and I told him. He seemed unconvinced, but he helped me look. I finally found it.
The following Monday, my dentist reattached that crown. Ah well. Could have been worse. I could have swallowed it and then fished it out of something else for reattachment.
I used to make sure I did something like Gatoraid or chocolate milk soon after, but I have become much less worried about it. If I'm thirsty I will drink something I'm thirsty for. That often translates to a cup of water or whatever as I'm getting in the shower and then something or other sometime later. I don't think not bothering to worry about it has hurt my running.
I'm pretty sure the only day I really make a dent in my glycogen stores are the 16 and up mile days, and on those days I have a whole week for my body to recover before I do it again. Even if my body is better at making glycogen soon after a run it doesn't really matter, it has lots of time to make it.
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.
And NO, perfesser, I did not think to sue the race director (who supplied the payday) nor the candy manufacturer.
I ate a payday bar after a race in 2006.
I figured you'd be an Oh Henry candy bar guy.
Oh Henry > Baby Ruth fo sho fo sho.
And I'm not really a payday guy... but it was in the magic basket of post-race goodies, so I snabbed it. Big mistake.
after every race, Ensure, before a cold bud can or two...
I fly.
Today after my run I had a huge chocolate milk and an ice coffee. And then a donut. It was all very good. How it will help my recovery, I have no idea, but it was good at the time.
Bring it on.
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Oh Henry > Baby Ruth fo sho fo sho. And I'm not really a payday guy... but it was in the magic basket of post-race goodies, so I snabbed it. Big mistake.
I will eat any of those, though Paydays make a mess (aside from crown issues). I can always tell when my hubby's been eating Paydays in my car, since I find peanuts scattered under the driver's seat.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
I'm not particularly an expert in anything.
But for races longer than 50K, I always suck down a DQ Blizzard later. For short races I just don't bother: I'd rather try not to get fat.
YMMV,
DJ Gordo
Best absolute Recovery protocol:
Pre workout: Controlled Labs Purple Wraath + Endurolytes
Post workout: Hammer Recoverite + added Whey Protein
Also, AM: Multivitamin + fish oil + Astaxanthin
PM: Fish oil + Astaxanthin