The Vitamins, Minerals, and Sports Supplements market alone is worth $32 Billion (2012 figures). And that is not including food such as “healthy snacks” and real food items.
You can be as simple as choosing plain water and eating real wholesome (organic) food. Yes, this works!
Nutrition for athletes and active people comes down to four factors:
- the Event you do: Strength/power based, Endurance based or Circuit training
- the Pre-workout: what to drink and when to eat
- fluids During the event (and eat if you do ultra-marathons, right Mike Kreaden?)
- the Post workout out: when to eat, and what
That basically sums up the checklist. Every person is a case-by-case scenario.
Important Factors in Sports Nutrition
FIRST, there is a long series I wrote titled Sports and Energy Drinks: The Complete Guide (Part 4). Start there and work backwards. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.
SECOND, for more information on post workout recovery drinks, read
- More on Post Workout Recovery Nutrition with Trent Stellingwerff
- Recovery Drinks with 4:1 Carbs Protein ratio
- What is the Best Protein Recovery Drink for Sprinters? (great Q&A with Lyle McDonald)
- Nutrition for Recovery – Post Workout Drink Controversy which discusses the differences in carb:protein ratios.
I even wrote about the quest for the perfect shake and snack as well as (chocolate) milk being the ultimate post-recovery drink. My McGill teammates will remember me buying a 500ml (16oz) of chocolate milk after indoor track practice, which had a 45 min commute each way by public transit!
If you are trying to lose weight or fat, you’ll be in for a few challenges. You are probably wondering if consuming a post recovery drink with 100g of “sugar” with 25g of protein will help your weight loss! There is a “sweet” spot, no pun intended.
THIRD, check out this infographic below from Greatist.com:
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