Tough training session? These three post-workout beverages can aid your muscle recovery process.
Coffee
Menshealth.com recently revealed Eight Perfect Fitness Foods. Included on the list: coffee. Reason being, it offers a pain-relieving effect post-workout. A University of Georgia study published in The Journal of Pain reports that consuming a caffeine supplement equal to two cups of coffee can alleviate muscle pain more than common pain relievers. As noted on sciencedaily.com, “caffeine blocks the body’s receptors for adenosine, a chemical released in response to inflammation.”
Chocolate Milk
Sports nutritionist Dawn Weatherwax-Fall suggests consuming 12 ounces of low-fat chocolate milk within 15 to 30 minutes post-training. The drink contains a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, two nutrients your body uses to refuel, repair and rebuild muscles. [Read more about this well-balanced recovery drink.]
Recovery Shake With Ginger
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, ginger can alleviate joint and muscle pain. Chris Black, professor of kinesiology at Georgia College and State University, says on rodale.com, “You could use ginger any place or time you’d normally take a pain-relieving med.” A study conducted at the University of Georgia found that people who consumed two teaspoons of powdered ginger daily experienced a 25 percent reduction in muscle pain post-training, compared to a placebo group. Research suggests that ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, which ultimately results in less muscle swelling and tenderness after exercise.
That’s why Orlando Magic forward Brandon Bass incorporates the root into his diet through a post-workout recovery drink, which also includes a mix of beets, celery and apples.
Try blending your own recovery shake with ginger.
Sources: menshealth.com, sciencedaily.com, rodale.com
Photos: esquire.com, weblogs.baltimoresun.com
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Tough training session? These three post-workout beverages can aid your muscle recovery process.
Coffee
Menshealth.com recently revealed Eight Perfect Fitness Foods. Included on the list: coffee. Reason being, it offers a pain-relieving effect post-workout. A University of Georgia study published in The Journal of Pain reports that consuming a caffeine supplement equal to two cups of coffee can alleviate muscle pain more than common pain relievers. As noted on sciencedaily.com, “caffeine blocks the body’s receptors for adenosine, a chemical released in response to inflammation.”
Chocolate Milk
Sports nutritionist Dawn Weatherwax-Fall suggests consuming 12 ounces of low-fat chocolate milk within 15 to 30 minutes post-training. The drink contains a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, two nutrients your body uses to refuel, repair and rebuild muscles. [Read more about this well-balanced recovery drink.]
Recovery Shake With Ginger
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, ginger can alleviate joint and muscle pain. Chris Black, professor of kinesiology at Georgia College and State University, says on rodale.com, “You could use ginger any place or time you’d normally take a pain-relieving med.” A study conducted at the University of Georgia found that people who consumed two teaspoons of powdered ginger daily experienced a 25 percent reduction in muscle pain post-training, compared to a placebo group. Research suggests that ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, which ultimately results in less muscle swelling and tenderness after exercise.
That’s why Orlando Magic forward Brandon Bass incorporates the root into his diet through a post-workout recovery drink, which also includes a mix of beets, celery and apples.
Try blending your own recovery shake with ginger.
Sources: menshealth.com, sciencedaily.com, rodale.com
Photos: esquire.com, weblogs.baltimoresun.com