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Nutrition and Exercise: What Do We Really Need?

May 31, 2012 by braveskimom

If you're going to ride 150 miles in two days, you'll need some good nutrition.

What do you do in the spring, summer and fall, when the snow has melted and the skis are hanging up? Bike? Run? Hike? Skiers are active people in the winter, so of course, we’re active in the summer.

In addition to all of the above, I’ve been doing  P90X in my home for the past several months. After each workout, my TV trainer Tony Horton, exhorts me to imbibe of the P90X recovery drink. I ignored him for two months, thinking to myself, “He’s just trying to sell me something I don’t need.” Then, one day, the message got through and I decided to do some research on nutrition and recovery. Here’s what I found out.

For a fun 5k, you won't need much at all, not even the cookies and donuts at the end.

You Don’t Need That Much Food

Gina Kolata writes for the Well Blog at the New York Times. She is also a competitive runner and cyclist. According to her research, most of us eat too much when we exercise. We’ve been conditioned to carry energy bars and to take breaks to refuel, before we’ve even used our fuel. Simply put, we’re eating more than we need before, during and after each workout.

What About Blood Sugar?

That being said, if you’re going to exercise for more than two hours, you will need fuel. Glucose, in the form of carbohydrates, is necessary to replenish your blood sugar and prevent the body from breaking down muscle. After a strenuous workout, you also need protein. According to another post by Kolata, muscle glycogen (the body’s primary fuel during strenuous workouts) can be replenished within 24 hours by taking in carbohydrates and protein after exercise.

My husband, Mr. Cyclocross.

Or, as my friend Bill Plock (a triathlete who trains with Carmichael Training Systems and blogs at Coloradobikeaholics.com) puts it, “I think recovery is a big deal, especially when it comes to nutrition. I think its important that people find a good protein/carb mix to help the muscles repair and a day off is a good thing. The adage of it’s better to miss a day of training than a day of recovery is vital.”

Carbs and Protein

So it turns out that my P90X buddy, Tony Horton, isn’t just trying to sell me something I don’t need. But what do I need? According to Lisa Smith of NutritionFix (an online retailer for sports nutrition and health supplements), “It’s important to eat or drink some extra nutrients within an hour of working out because your muscles will need the fuel right away. If you consume something that is easier to digest, the more likely your muscles will be able to absorb those nutrients in time, which is why we prefer post workout drinks.” Smith emphasizes that the ratio of carbohydrates to protein is also important. She suggests drinks that have a 2:1:1 ratio of carbs to amino acids to protein.

Keep Drinking

Finally, while you may want to rethink eating during your workout, ongoing hydration is important, especially in arid climates, winter and summer. And so are electrolytes. Or, as Amy Parulis puts it on the Eastern Mountain Sports blog, “Sweating is not just pain leaving your body, it is also water, sodium, potassium, chloride, and a bunch of other ions. These ions, especially the ones that combine to make salts (think NaCl), are known as electrolytes. An easy way to replace these sneaky little electrolytes sweating out of your body is to drink them.”

Last year, I wrote a post on hydration that included an easy recipe from Carmichael Training Systems for making your own electrolyte drink. You can find it here.

My Recovery Drink

So after all of this, what did I do? Did I buy the expensive P90X recovery drink? No, I didn’t. Instead I went online and looked for recommendations. In the end, I decided to make my own drink using ½ scoop of powdered energy drink and ½ scoop of whey protein with amino acids mixed in water. I’m probably getting more sugar than I want, but the price is right.

Do you think its important to eat or drink something after strenuous exercise? What about during a long race or ride? What do you recommend for recovery?

Thanks!

This post contains a compensated link back to NutritionFix.com. As always all opinions expressed are my own and are exactly what I would tell me family and friends. 

© 2012 – 2017, braveskimom. All rights reserved. Any use or publication of content, including photos, requires express permission.

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Filed Under: Biking, Health, Hiking Tagged With: Biking, health, Hiking

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Comments

  1. Carol Northrup says

    May 31, 2012 at 11:20 am

    Great run down–thanks! Chocolate skim milk is a great recovery drink with the right ratio of carbs/protein … I also frequently scarf half of a PBJ on whole wheat bread after a long/hard workout (I’m not sure it’s the perfect ratio, but it goes down easy & tastes great).

    • braveskimom says

      May 31, 2012 at 2:45 pm

      I like your diet! Chocolate milk and PBJ! I have to admit those are favorites of mine. Only I have a bad habit of eating PBJ for a late night snack. After a workout sounds like a better time and I bet it is a good ratio — protein from peanut butter and whole wheat bread, carbs from jam and bread, too. Thanks for the tips!

  2. Amelia says

    May 31, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    Fabulous post and great info! Want to come over and do P90x with me too?!?! 😉 I have a heck of a time getting my kids to stay busy long enough for me to do it! 🙂

    • braveskimom says

      May 31, 2012 at 2:43 pm

      I would love to do P90X with you!

      I was just thinking today how much I love the flexibility (time-wise) of P90X. I don’t have to go to the gym, or out into terrible weather. Still, some of those workouts are long (yoga…) and I’m sure it is hard to get your kids to stay busy while you’re doing endless downward dogs! I try to get my kids involved — when they were younger, they liked doing yoga and the novelty of “working out.” At least they liked it much better than going to babysitter at the gym!

      Good luck!

  3. Alyssa Erickson says

    May 31, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    I like the MuscleMilk – 100 calorie drinks for after I work out. Mostly protein, but I can tell the difference between when I drink one and when I forget after a work out!

    • braveskimom says

      May 31, 2012 at 2:43 pm

      I’ve not tried MuscleMilk. Good to hear. 100 calories is not too much and I’m with you, that protein boost does make a difference.

      Thanks!

  4. Sofia - WinterStays says

    May 31, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    Interesting topic, the health and nutrition industry is really a jungle, there seem to be so many different pre and post workout bars and drinks that one doesn’t know where to start.

    I used to love those protein bars until I found out how 95% of them are as bad or even worse than a normal chocolate bar, and not very healthy at all 🙁

    The drinks seem much better, and cheaper! 😉

    • braveskimom says

      June 1, 2012 at 8:09 am

      It is so confusing. Thanks for the info on bars. I had a feeling that was true, but didn’t know. Sometimes I think an apple and cheese might be the best bet!

  5. Linda Williams says

    June 1, 2012 at 12:08 am

    I take a Gu or shot block on any run over an hour. After a long run (one hour plus) I’ll have a glass of chocolate milk, or banana with peanut butter. And I love Nuun as a recovery drink – it’s a sugar free electrolyte tab that dissolves in water.

    • braveskimom says

      June 1, 2012 at 8:10 am

      Lots of people recommend Nuun. I’ll have to check it out! Bananas and PB are yummy, too! Thanks.

  6. Kim says

    June 1, 2012 at 8:11 am

    Ate so much goo when we climbed Kilimanjaro I can’t even look at a packet of it anymore. Use Nuun in water on rides and post-ride we drink Honey Milk (low cal) is great, and beer. 🙂

    • braveskimom says

      June 1, 2012 at 8:12 am

      That is a problem I’d like to have! Thanks for the tips!

  7. Elizabeth Peaslee says

    June 1, 2012 at 8:51 am

    I second the chocolate milk suggestion. I’ve been hearing about it from a lot of people, and it’s so great after a run or long ride. One of my happiest days recently was when I found half gallons of lactose free chocolate skim milk at the grocery store!

    • braveskimom says

      June 1, 2012 at 8:59 am

      Chocolate milk is very popular! So glad you found what you needed…great to be happy! Thanks.

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I'm Kristen, a western Colorado mom, wife and trail boss in a busy outdoor family. Our family has a passion for skiing and my goal is to provide information to help other families enjoy their skiing adventures. Whether you have tiny toddlers just learning to slide or grown children with whom you're planning a reunion, you're in the right place. Cheers!

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