The list of health benefits exercise provides is extensive, it also drains your body of crucial nutritional elements and boosts your energy. Drinking a drink for recovery with the proper types of nutrients at appropriate times after exercise can have a major impact on your exercise results and overall well-being. Always consult a qualified health professional for guidance when making any changes to your eating or exercise routine.

Timing

Recovery drinks help replenish the fluids and energy that you lost during exercise and help make you ready for your next exercise. In the first two hours after exercise, your liver produces glycogen which is the short-term glycogen storage type of glucose at about one-and-a-half times the normal rate. This is when it is best for a carbohydrate-rich recovery drink. Consuming carbohydrates immediately after exercise will also trigger your pancreas and cause it to release insulin, which tells the cells to absorb glucose. For the next four hours, glycogen production remains elevated, however, it slows down gradually.

Fatigue

If you work out twice a day, drinking a sugar-based recovery drink can give you the energy to fuel you through your second workout. This will help you avoid potential injury and progress faster toward your fitness goals. With time and regular training, your glycogen storage capacity can increase by as much as 20 percent. This can lead to more endurance and better performance in your chosen sport. The goal is 1.5 grams of carbohydrate for each kilogram of body weight for the first 30 minutes following exercise, and every two hours for the first 4 hours to six hours, according to nutritionist Sari Edelstein coauthor of “Life Cycle Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach.”

Aerobic Capacity

Your recovery drink can fulfill both your glucose needs and your chocolate cravings. As per the University of Texas at Austin Department of Kinesiology and Health Education chocolate milk that is low in fat is an ideal post-workout recovery drink to help increase lean muscles and less fat. The protein content in chocolate milk makes it a more effective alternative to drinks that contain carbohydrates alone. It can also increase strength, speed, and endurance — which is a measurement of your body’s ability to use oxygen — by as much as two times.

Body Composition

A study published in the June 2012 issue of “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” discovered that a recovery drink containing carbohydrate, protein, and ribose — which is one of the essential building blocks of ATP which is an important energy-carrying molecule that can improve body composition in endurance athletes. Participants, all males with a mid-life stage, consumed the test drink within minutes of exercising 5 days a week for eight weeks. Results showed decreased body fat percentages within the initial one to two weeks. The body weight aerobic capacity, endurance, and weight did not change in response to the drink for recovery in this study.