You can easily be tempted to relax on your bed with a pack of donuts after a run. However, getting your recovery nutrition right is as important as the run itself. One of the benefits of eating the right food during recovery is choosing something with the nutritional value to maximize the benefits of your training session. In other words, eating the right recovery snack can significantly enhance your running speed.
The most important things you should focus on immediately after a run are replenishing the glycogen that has been consumed during the exercise and instigating the repair of your muscles. Hence, post-run snacks play a crucial role in aiding recovery.
The best time for your body to take advantage of the nutrients available to aid self-repair is immediately after a workout. We recommend that your post-run snacks contain protein and carbohydrates. Also, you should consume your recovery snack 30 minutes after your workout at most. You can eat a solid meal two hours later.
Here are the five recovery snacks we recommend you eat after a run:
- DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS: A renowned double Olympic gold medalist revealed that dried fruit and nuts were her go-to snacks whenever she needed to enhance her recovery. Nuts are rich in Vitamin E and protein. These nutrients help guard the muscles against significant damage. They also contain a good level of Omega 3 which can help reduce inflammation. They also help in reducing fatigue because they are rich in unsaturated fat. Dried fruit, on the other hand, is rich in carbohydrates. Hence, making it a great option to restock depleted glycogen in the body. Check over here to find an alternative way you can improve your body muscles.
- NUT BUTTER WITH TOAST: One of the reasons toast is a great post-run recovery snack is that it is rich in carbohydrates. Hence, making it efficient in restoring depleted glycogen in the body. When you eat you toast it with almond, cashew, or peanut butter, to add protein and other vital nutrients like Vitamin E, iron, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium to the equation.
- FRUIT AND GREEK YOGURT: Greek yogurt is rich in protein. It typically contains double the concentration of protein in other yogurts. The best part is that you can get fat-free Greek yogurt at most local stores. To spice up your snack, you can eat the yogurt with fruit with honey drizzle and cereal toppings. Greek yogurt is also rich in carbohydrates.
- RICE CAKES AND HUMMUS: Recently, hummus has become one of the most common recovery snacks out there. The reason is that it is highly nutritious. Hummus is rich in protein, phosphorus, vitamin B6 and A, folate, iron, riboflavin, etc. Rice cakes are quite rich in carbohydrates.
- CHOCOLATE MILK: One of the attributes of a good run is a suppressed appetite. However, you will still need to do your best to ensure depleted vitamins are replaced. This is why you will need a recovery drink. Chocolate milk is a great choice because it is rich in protein.
To enjoy the optimal benefits of a run, you need to pay attention to the recovery snacks you consume.