Make the most out of your time at the gym with these foods that will promote muscle tone and recovery.
1. Smoothies, Drinks and Shakes
Your first goal when recovering is restoring proper fluid balance within your body. Even being modestly dehydrated can reduce peak performance and your metabolic rate. Since muscles are comprised of about 75 percent water by weight, getting fluids back into your body should be your first goal. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 16 to 24 ounces of fluids for every pound lost during exercise.
2. Chicken or Bean Burrito with Salsa
There’s nothing like Mexican food to help rebuild your broken muscles. Whether you choose a black bean or chicken burrito, the combination of tortilla with protein and the carbs from rice are great fuel for achy muscles. Skip the sour cream and opt for guacamole for the antioxidants and healthy fats in avocado, and pile on the tomato or corn salsa for even more antioxidants. Add black beans because they’re high in protein.
3. Whole-Wheat Toast with Banana and Nut Butter
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits of athletes. Their readily digestible carbohydrate helps replenish your muscles’ glycogen stores while elevating insulin which helps shuttle amino acids into muscle tissue. Try two slices of whole-wheat bread toasted and top each slice with one and one-half teaspoons of nut butter and half of a banana.
4. Greek Yogurt with Fruit and Oats
Greek yogurt is strained so it has about twice as much protein and half the sugar of traditional yogurts. For overall health, plain Greek yogurt is generally recommended to keep added sugars in check, but when you’re trying to rebuild post-exercise, it’s the time to enjoy a sweetened Greek yogurt to get the simple carbohydrates your muscles need.
5. Crackers with Turkey and Cheese
Sometimes having a plate of salty finger foods beats a sandwich. The combination of 10-12 whole-grain crackers (i.e. Crunchmaster gluten-free), three ounces of sliced turkey breast and one ounce of low-fat cheese is a perfect combo to meet your carbohydrate and protein requirements. Plus, the high sodium counts in these choices will help your body rehydrate and replace electrolytes.
Your first goal when recovering is restoring proper fluid balance within your body. Even being modestly dehydrated can reduce peak performance and your metabolic rate. Since muscles are comprised of about 75 percent water by weight, getting fluids back into your body should be your first goal. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 16 to 24 ounces of fluids for every pound lost during exercise.
2. Chicken or Bean Burrito with Salsa
There’s nothing like Mexican food to help rebuild your broken muscles. Whether you choose a black bean or chicken burrito, the combination of tortilla with protein and the carbs from rice are great fuel for achy muscles. Skip the sour cream and opt for guacamole for the antioxidants and healthy fats in avocado, and pile on the tomato or corn salsa for even more antioxidants. Add black beans because they’re high in protein.
3. Whole-Wheat Toast with Banana and Nut Butter
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits of athletes. Their readily digestible carbohydrate helps replenish your muscles’ glycogen stores while elevating insulin which helps shuttle amino acids into muscle tissue. Try two slices of whole-wheat bread toasted and top each slice with one and one-half teaspoons of nut butter and half of a banana.
4. Greek Yogurt with Fruit and Oats
Greek yogurt is strained so it has about twice as much protein and half the sugar of traditional yogurts. For overall health, plain Greek yogurt is generally recommended to keep added sugars in check, but when you’re trying to rebuild post-exercise, it’s the time to enjoy a sweetened Greek yogurt to get the simple carbohydrates your muscles need.
5. Crackers with Turkey and Cheese
Sometimes having a plate of salty finger foods beats a sandwich. The combination of 10-12 whole-grain crackers (i.e. Crunchmaster gluten-free), three ounces of sliced turkey breast and one ounce of low-fat cheese is a perfect combo to meet your carbohydrate and protein requirements. Plus, the high sodium counts in these choices will help your body rehydrate and replace electrolytes.