3 Keys to Recovery

Recovery can be one of the toughest things to do.

“As athletes, we often strive to do more and work harder than everyone else in order to get better. Yet, it’s during rest that our tissues adapt and grow stronger. It takes courage to recover and rest. It’s contrary to our culture of productivity, yet it is so important for us in so many ways. Dare to rest and take time to enjoy your surroundings.” Heike McNeil, Tailwind Trailblazer.

Are You Tough Enough to Recover?

We all know the feeling after a long workout. You are exhausted and the thought of even taking off your shoes sounds exhausting. Shower?! Yeah right. But before you sit down for that hard earned relaxation, just remember the one thing that your body needs after a tough adventure: recovery. Your body needs to be replenished, and quickly, of the critical nutrients it just lost. And not just for the workout you just did, but to prepare you for the next!

Refueling after a workout doesn’t have to be complicated. While having access to a kitchen is ideal to replenish your body with whole foods after exercise, sometimes that just isn’t possible. Your workout might end at at a trailhead or campsite, or maybe you have a long drive home; regardless, it is important to get the nutrients you need quickly in order for your body to recover faster. Keep in mind that after a workout, your muscle fibers are broken down, your energy stores are depleted and your body is fatigued.

Getting your body the protein, carbs, fats, and hydration that it needs can be the difference between crushing your next workout, or taking the day off.

3 Keys to Recovery

1. Rehydrate - When thinking through recovery, there are a few important items to consider to give your body what it needs. One of the most important aspects is hydration. After a workout, your body is dehydrated. All of the sweat you just lost needs to be replenished through water and electrolytes. It is important to drink something that includes the key electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) to restore balance. Dehydration can slow the recovery process down, so it is vital to rehydrate quickly following a tough workout.
2. Rebuild - Remember that during a workout, you are constantly tearing and breaking down muscle fibers. In order to recover, you need to refuel your body to allow the broken down tissue to repair, recover, and continue to build. The best way to rebuild and repair the damaged muscle you have just broken down is to fuel your body with complete protein. Fueling with complete protein allows your body to absorb the needed amino acids and immediately use that protein to get to work in preparing your body for the next workout.
3. Replenish - In addition to rehydrating and rebuilding, you also need to replenish your glycogen stores and restore your energy after a hard workout. Carbohydrates serve as your muscles’ major source of energy which makes it important to include carbohydrates in any post workout nutrition. Between 30 to 60 minutes after a workout, your body consumes glycogen at an accelerated rate to replenish your glycogen stores. This is known as the “golden hour” and is the most important time to consume a post workout fuel! While you may not feel particularly hungry after a tough workout, your body can’t wait for your appetite to come back. Replenishing your body within the hour allows your body the best chance for recovery, and you the best opportunity to PR that next workout!

Post Workout Matters!

Recovery plays a important role in setting you up so that your next workout can return even better results. Why is it that it is often overlooked? As mentioned earlier, the thought of kicking off your shoes and grabbing a cold beverage sometimes gets in the way of thinking about the nutrition your body needs to recover. But your body just got you through that hard workout, don’t you want to reward it by giving it what it needs? We are all for enjoying a nice cold drink post workout (we do it ourselves!), but not until you rehydrate, rebuild, and replenish to make sure you kick butt on your next workout too!

Try Rebuild

We know your adventures often end far away from a kitchen. That’s why we created the first sport recovery drink based on a patent-pending perfectly complete protein. We start with organic rice protein, and supplement it with amino acids to make the protein complete. Then we add carbohydrates, some healthy fats from coconut milk and just the right amount of electrolytes. Nothing repairs your muscles more efficiently, restores your energy faster and makes you feel better sooner.

Try Tailwind Rebuild, our vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free recovery drink to get back on the trails, in the saddle or out doing whatever you like to do faster! Adventure is waiting, are you ready?

Looking for a tasty Rebuild treat? Check out the following recipes:
Rebuild Popsicles
Salted Caramel Rebuild Brownies

For even more information, check out our Tailwind Rebuild video: