Recovery Drinks...

After a weekend like this one, the usage of a recovery drink would be of interest to most. Research has shown that nutrition ingested right after working out, and up to two hours later can drastically improve one’s recovery time (that was pulled directly from "Why Bother With Recovery Drinks?").

So I mean Gatorade, or other sports drinks, right? No, not exactly. The current line of research shows that a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio is the optimum balance for muscle recovery. Gatorade and other sports drinks have no protein, but a fair amount of carbohydrates. So the addition of protein is important.

Your first choice would be a place like GNC. They have several options, such as Isopure, Endurox R4, and others... I've used a product called Accelerade...it has the optimum 4:1 ratio and is a bit cheaper than the others.

They cost between $.80 to $2 a serving. Not cheap. Want something cheaper? Look at Orange Juice (~27 grams of carbohydrates per 8 oz serving) mixed with a vanilla protien powder of your choice (Costco, Trader Joes both have good deals on quality products). For example, the Vanilla Whey Protein Isolate at costco (about $20 for 3 lbs) has 20g protein per serving (one scoop). So do a little math:

12 oz Orange Juice - 40.5g carbohydrates
1/2 scoop (14 grams) protien powder - 10 grams protein

Hits that 4:1 ratio on the head doesn't it? You get a host of vitamins and amino acids with the protein powder too.

Too much trouble? Well, try chocolate milk (our drink of choice at BigFoot). In this example of chocolate syrup mixed with milk you get (8 oz)

36g carbohydrates
8.7g protein

Pretty close huh? ( I would personally stay away from corn-syrup sweetened drinks, however) Read some labels and do some investigating to see what you can come up with!

So, I would suggest everyone look at the options and try it out...it certainly can't hurt, and with the long season we have, I think everyone could benefit...ESPECIALLY those who are playing multiple sports.

And about that 4:1 ratio? How did they come up with that? Well, it was patented, and since they had the patent, they kept their research based on that ratio... it is unclear if 5:1, 3:1 were thouroughly researched. So keep that in mind... don't be afraid to boost the carbs or protein and see what happens. It's a good time to learn to listen to your body. Find out what best suits you!