What Do You Do After Your Workout?

Many people will say they plop on the couch and wait for the sweat to stop pouring down, maybe drink some water or have a snack. Others run home, hop in the shower and head off to work. Did you know there is more you should be doing after your workout to maximize the benefits?

What you do after your workout is just as important as what you are doing during your workout. In order to optimize recovery, maximize muscle building and decrease soreness there are 4 main recovery techniques: Nutrition, Foam Rolling, Water Therapy and SLEEP.


Nutrition
When?:
30 minutes - 2 hours post workout

What?
Carbohydrate:
0.8 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight (approx 0.4 to 0.8 grams per pound)

AND

Protein:
0.4 grams per kilogram of body weight (approx 0.2 grams per pound)

Example: Body Weight: 145 pounds/2.2 = 66 kgs
Carbohydrates: 66 kgs * 0.8 = 52.8 or 53 grams of Carbohydrates
Protein: 66 kgs * 0.4 = 26.4 or 26 grams of Protein
If you are watching your calorie intake multiply both the carbohydrate and protein by 4 to get the number of calories. 53 * 4 = 212 + (26 * 4) = 104 = TOTAL 316 calories)

Sample Supplements:
Greek Yogurt, Milk, Protein Powder (EAS, Muscle Milk, etc)
Most of your protein powders can be found at a local vitamin store or even at Target! Look for WHEY protein and no high fructose corn syrup.

Why?:
It is important to get the right nutrition after each workout in order for your body to repair the muscle and refuel your body both maximizing recovery. Your muscles store carbohydrates which is your quickest and basic form of energy. The building block of your muscles is protein. So get your protein and carbohydrates in after workout to help support your body and get the most out of your workout!


Muscle Massage
When?:
Right after you are finished exercising, hop on the foam roller or visit a massage therapist. If you're lucky, maybe you can persuade your significant-other to help your workout recovery!

What?:

If you don't have access to a massage therapist, there are tools out there to accomplish a full body massage without a therapist. The most common is a foam roller. At the Perform Better website there is a list of exercises which you can access by clicking HERE. If you find a spot that is uncomfortable to roll, focus more on that spot in order for the muscle to relax. You can perform movements as long as you want or your muscles can tolerate!

Why?:
Foam rolling (massage) is another form of stretching the muscles enabling them to lengthen. Massage also helps to increase blood flow to the muscle. The more blood that flows to your muscle, the more nutrients can be carried to the muscle to help it repair and recover from your workout.

Water Therapy
When?:
Immediately after your workout while your having your nutritional shake!

What?:
If you have access to a cold pool, take a few laps around after your workout. If you don't have access to a cold pool, make one using your tub. Fill your tub with cold water and hop in! I know I can't stand cold water, so the other alternative is the shower. Cycle hot and cold water, trying to stay in the cold water longer.

Why?:
Why endure the madness of cold showers and baths? The cold water causes the blood to surge to your internal organs as a protective mechanism. This pushes blood into the muscles. Hot water bring the blood to the surface of your skin, bring the blood out of your muscles. In essences you are causing a flushing technique which will help flush out muscle waste from your workout and bring nutrients to your muscles. So hop in and be ready to freeze your bum off!

SLEEP

EVERY NIGHT for at least 6-8 hours. Many studies show that with a decrease in sleep it increase the potential for many diseases and obesity. Your body can't function properly without the right amount of sleep. I know many of us are busy and it's hard to get the proper amount of sleep. Do you have a lunch break at work? Supplement your lack of sleep the night before with a 20 minute power nap. If you can get 3 of them in, then you've made up for 1 lost hour of sleep the night before. Napping for 20 minutes will be difficult at first, but the more your practice the better you get! Another added bonus is that it will decrease your stress levels and increase your focus. So grab a pillow and blankie and get a nap in.

Resources: (1) Workout Nutrition CorePerformance.com (2) Q & A: Is a hot or a cold shower better after a workout? (2) Jeffreys, I. A Multidimensional Approach to Enhancing Recovery. National Strength and Conditioning Journal. Volume 27,Number 5,pages 78–85. (3)Bishop, J. Recovery from Training: A Brief Review. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. VOLUME 22, NUMBER 3, MAY 2008 (4)Chiu, L. Post-Training Massage: A Review for Strength and Power Athletes. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Volume 23, Number 4, pages 65–69