As noted in our initial installment of the role of nutrition and supplements in hastening and enhancing recovery from exercise series, it is generally understood that whether you are seeking to improve your performance in a particular sport or athletic endeavor or simply interested in improving your physical fitness level, you must engage in regular and progressively intense bouts of exercise, or training. What is sometimes overlooked, however, is that the degree to which an individual can adequately recover from exercise is a crucial factor in determining ultimate success. Simply put, the quicker you recover, the harder – and more frequently – you can train. And the harder you train, the better you can ultimately perform.

During exercise or any strenuous physical activity, there are a number of physiological, metabolic and neurological changes that occur. Among these are:

*Damage to muscle tissue

*Depletion of glycogen and glucose stores in the body

*Stress and damage to connective tissue and joints (ankles, knees, hips, low back, shoulders, wrists, elbows)

*Alteration in hormone levels

*Dehydration, with possible resultant electrolyte imbalance

*A shift to a catabolic ‘environment’ in the body

*Decreased immune system response

Failure to establish such proper recovery can not only block you from attaining your personal fitness/athletic goals but can lead to overtraining, burnout, injury and even illness.

Knowledge is power, and so our intent with this series is to give you a more in-depth look at how nutrition and sports supplements can enhance your sports/athletic performance, improve your level of physical fitness, and hasten the recovery.

In this installment, we’re going to exploring the role carbohydrates play in recovery from exercise.

Post workout carbohydrate intake is an absolute priority to maximize recovery.

Carbohydrates (carbs) are the primary source of fuel for the body. Carbs are stored in the form of glucose in the blood and glycogen in muscle tissue and in the liver.

Intense exercise or other physical activity depletes glucose and glycogen stores, which leads to fatigue, decreased performance, and a lowered insulin levels, which in turn causes an increase in cortisol, a catabolic hormone. Cortisol is involved in the process of gluconeogenesis, the mechanism by which protein (amino acids) is converted into carbohydrate (glucose) for energy.

A post workout infusion of carbohydrates is vital to replenish glycogen and glucose stores, increase protein utilization and enhance delivery of amino acids to the muscle cells, lower cortisol levels, and help create an anabolic environment.

Fast acting carbs such as maltodextrin and dextrose are ideal for post workout nutrition purposes as they are absorbed directly through the gut and raise glucose and insulin levels quickly.

Maltodextrin is actually considered a complex carbohydrate as it’s a chain of loosely bonded glucose molecules. However, maltodextrin is effective for post workout recovery purposes because while, as mentioned above, it is absorbed directly through the gut and causes a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin levels, maltodextrin has to pass through the liver for the bonds between the glucose molecules to be broken before it can be fully utilized, which means it does not cause as rapid a concomitant drop-off of glucose and insulin levels after the ‘spike’ of these substances.

Two final notes:

*A combination of protein and carbohydrates is recommended for post workout recovery.

*Liquid nutrition has a quicker absorption factor than solid food, so a post workout shake or other liquid containing high quality protein and quick acting carbs is optimal for enhancing recovery and recuperation.

In our opinion, the best single post workout recovery product on the market today is Naturally Juic’d, which was formulated specifically for the drug free trainee and athlete and contains literally everything needed for optimum sports supplementation, including the correct amount of maltodextrin to enhance recovery.

For more information on Naturally Juic’d, visit our online store.

Next month we’ll continue exploring the role of nutrition and supplements in the process of hastening and enhancing recovery from exercise.

Until then, train hard, eat right – and do it all the Natural Way!

Arley Vest