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Fast recovery from exercise
Post-workout
nutrition can reduce soreness and build lean muscle tissue
The post-workout recovery
process is as important as the workout itself!
Clinical research has proven
that consuming the right nutrients immediately following a workout
is essentially to accelerate the recovery process, reduce soreness,
and maximize muscle gains.
Muscle building phases
To better understand the
importance of recovery in muscle development, you first must
understand the muscle building process.
There are three phases
the body must go through to build muscle:
Catabolic, work the
muscle and break down its fibers.
Recovery, glucose and
amino acids must pump into the muscle.
Anabolic, using
glucose and amino acids, the muscle rebuilds stronger and larger.
During the recovery phase,
the right nutrients must be consumed to maximize gains from
the anabolic “building” phase.
Nutrition during recovery
Nutrition is essential to the
recovery phase. Cells cannot repair if they do not have the right
nutrients.
Once good nutrition is
consumed, sequential steps deliver nutrients to begin the recovery
process.
The muscle cell is worked out and is tired.
It needs glucose and amino acids to recover and build.
Insulin is the main
muscle building hormone in the body. It opens the “cells door” to
let nutrients in.
Every door (insulin receptor) needs a doorknob—in
this case, chromium.
Once the door is opened, a quality mix of
glucose, branched chain amino acids, and the rest of the
essential amino acids flood the cell for recovery..
The role of insulin
To produce insulin the pancreas
needs to be stimulated. The three main stimulators are:
Carbohydrates.
The 3 BCAAs: valine, leucine, and isoleucine.
The ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Clinical
research has proven 2.7 to 1 is the optimum carb to protein ratio
for stimulating insulin.
The role of chromium
No matter how much insulin
(door opener) you have, there must be a door knob (chromium) for
amino acids to enter the cell.
According to the USDA, 90% of
American diets are low in chromium. Athletes use up chromium at such
a high rate, that they are at risk for chromium deficiency.
Therefore chromium supplementation is absolutely essential for
athletes.
There are a number of chromium
supplements on the market, all but two give poor utilization.
Chromium picolinate is fair: I recommend chromium nicotinate.
Insulin and amino acids work
together to increase the uptake of amino acids, both in speed and in
number. They also increase the assembly of amino acids into muscle
protein.
Essential amino acids
In building muscle protein
quality is more important than protein quantity. Most important is
the amount of branch chain amino acids (BCAAs– valine, leucine, and
isoleucine) in addition to the other 6 essential amino acids.
During the first three hours
after a workout, the BCAAs account for 50% of the total amino acid
uptake. Therefore, it’s critical to consume a post workout drink
immediately following a workout. Consume again 1.5 hrs. later for
more gains.
Conclusion
Adopt the habit of consuming a
post-workout shake immediately following every workout.
Call Carlos Sanchez at 888.375.7909 or e‑mail
Carlos@MyHolisticWellness.com
for help customizing a nutrition and
supplement program to your specific needs.
Feel free to forward this article.
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