The Protein Pop: 6 Tips for Better Post-Workout Recovery

By Melanie McMullen // Swimnetwork.com Correspondent

Swimmers looking for the perfect post-workout recovery fuel may need to look no further than the refrigerator and the kitchen pantry. According to new research conducted by exercise physiologist Lynne Kammer at the University of Texas at Austin, ordinary foods - even whole grain cereal with milk - can yield extraordinary results.

The UT researchers from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education investigated the post-exercise physiological effect of foods on athletes and compared the benefits of common foods to those afforded by more expensive sports drinks. Kammer’s team studied the athletes by giving them different recovery foods after a typical exercise session that included a warm-up and two-hour workout.

Their results yielded a few interesting surprises:

1. Grab the cereal and milk. Readily available and inexpensive breakfast food is as effective as popular carbohydrate-based sports drinks for recovery after moderate exercise. "We wanted to understand the relative effects on glycogen repletion and muscle protein synthesis," explains Kammer. "We found that glycogen repletion, or the replenishment of immediate muscle fuel, was just as good after whole grain cereal consumption and some aspects of protein synthesis were actually better."

2. Combine carbohydrates with protein. Her studies revealed that athletes benefit from consuming protein and carbohydrates rather than just carbohydrates or only protein after a workout.

3. Body mass matters. Kammer’s team identified a slight relationship in body size to the amount consumed. She noted that larger individuals benefited from a proportionately larger serving of recovery food and drinks.

4. Eat and drink sooner rather than later. The key to optimal recovery is consuming carbohydrate and protein within 30-60 minutes after you complete exercise. "Ideally, eat as soon as you get home from practice," Kammer suggests.

5. Age is a critical factor. A swimmer’s age matters mostly because of differences in total caloric intake needed rather than type of food. For example, a young age group swimmer who grows 4 inches in a year while attending a boatload of swim practices needs a lot more calories post-workout than a 55-year-old Masters swimmer. Young growing swimmers also need more protein right after practice for optimal recovery.

6. Don’t rely on the bottle. While Gatorade or Powerade are handy and portable post-workout options, neither contains protein. Swimmers need to eat something with protein after every workout, as the protein speeds up absorption of the glucose in a sports drink. Drinks are great for convenience, but whole foods yield better results.

"Don’t think you can get the best nutrition out of a bottle. A lot of swimmers have terrible diets, especially females, and wonder why they can’t drop time at meets. Many times it’s due to insufficient calories, and insufficient protein is a close second," Kammer adds.

Melanie McMullen, BaySide Media (www.baysidemedia.com), is a freelance contributor for Swimnetwork and a member of the Downtown Oakland YMCA Master’s swim team.