The Gym Rat's Guide To Quick Recovery
It has been said that when a broken bone heals, it's stronger than before it broke in the first place. As a gym rat, you know that your muscles work the same way: you break them down at the gym,and they build back up even stronger. Aside from working hard, the key to this cycle is recovery. Simply put, the faster your muscles recover, the stronger they'll grow.
Here's quick guide to quicker muscle recovery:
Timely Protein
Whenever you workout your muscles you cause micro-muscle damage in the process. Immediately after the workout, your body will attempt to repair these micro-muscles tears and degradation. Your body gives you about a two-hour window to efficiently accomplish this task. It needs one key ingredient to make it happen: protein.
Having a protein-packed supplement or protein-rich food source on hand ensures that your body has what it needs to recover from your workouts.
Here are some common, portable, protein-rich foods favored by gym rats:
- Cooked chicken breasts
- Smoked Fish
- Hard-boiled Eggs
- Beef Jerky
- Avocados
Regardless of what protein source you favor, you will need to consume 20 to 40 grams of protein immediately after completing your workout.
Amino Acids
When you're a gym rat, you know that you're committing to a lifestyle, not just an exercise routine. When you're focusing on streamlining your body's recovery process, you need to make sure that your nutrition supports your lifestyle. Fueling your body with amino acids (often referred to as BCAA's, Branch Chain Amino Acids) can boost your recovery time dramatically.
- Supplements: when you're looking for a nutritional supplement to for your amino acids its important to make sure that you use a supplement that contains the 8 essential amino acids: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Some lesser supplements will contain two or three from this list. Each amino acid should be clearly listed on the ingredients contained in the supplement. Also, consider supplements from companies like SDI Labs.
- Foods: another way to ensure that you have the amino acids you need to recover from your workouts is through diet. These foods are rich in the amino acids you'll need to boost your recovery times:
- Lean Meat
- Legumes (beans, lentils, etc.)
- Whole Grains (quinoa, whole outs, etc.)
- Nuts
- Seeds
Eating a diet that's rich in amino acids will help you live the lifestyle you need to fuel your ambitions at the gym.
Recovering from your workouts is the key to getting stronger. Why not make the process quicker too?
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