Optimization of post-exercise recovery based on macronutrients example part 1 (WW)
In today's article, we will focus on post-exercise regeneration that occurs after sports competitions at the Olympic or championship level when we talk about athletes. We will also discuss this condition based on amateur athletes participating in local competitions or among friends. We will also delve into each person who spends their time actively. The supply of macronutrients in this situation, namely carbohydrates (WW), protein (B), fat (T), is of great importance for our optimal regeneration. When we talk about the first 2, the combination of WW + B can significantly accelerate the return to a state where we can undertake the next training session again. However, adding fats to a post-training meal where all macronutrients are combined: WW + B + T can lead to longer digestion, and consequently, a decrease in regeneration, which is what we intend to avoid. Let's start with the basics In our regeneration workshop, we will focus on carbohydrates, which will dominate our diets, especially before and after training. It is worth keeping in mind when we talk about the supply of WW, our carrier of this macronutrient will be water, as it is our main substance that our body is composed of. Therefore, it is worth accepting that we should drink 1 liter of water / 30kg.b.w. This is a general recommendation that will strongly depend on atmospheric conditions, training intensity, body structure, gender, and many other factors that need to be considered. We have already written about hydration on our website and refer you to those articles. The supply, when we talk about WW, is very general, and it is worth delving deeper into whether the quality of delivering this macronutrient, the amount of delivery, and the timing of delivery matter. Carbohydrates will be absorbed differently into our bodies, and more specifically, into our muscles and liver, where they are stored in the form of glycogen. It is estimated that about 400g, with almost 100g found in the liver and the remaining 300g in the muscles[1]. This amount provides us with 1200 - 1300 kcal, enough for 45 - 60 min of high-intensity exercise or 2-3 hours of low-intensity exercise (for example, running). Our entire strategy should be based on maximizing the storage of WW as glycogen. This will translate into a more intense and longer training session, or competition depending on whether we are talking about a person training for themselves or a high-level athlete. Our substrate, which we will be supplying, can be divided into:
- Monosaccharides, i.e., simple sugars containing 3 to 7 carbon atoms. These include glucose, fructose, galactose, and others. It is important to remember that this group is quickly absorbed into the muscles after training, resulting in faster glycogen replenishment.
- Complex sugars include disaccharides, e.g., sucrose, lactose, and maltose. Oligosaccharides: raffinose, stachyose, maltodextrins. Polysaccharides consisting of more than 10 monosaccharide molecules such as glycogen, starch (potatoes), cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, and others. It is worth noting that this group should be included in our strategy before training, as its longer digestion will slowly and systematically release energy into our bodies. This will help conserve glycogen in our muscles and liver, preventing fatigue during training later on[2].
At this point, it is worth remembering what intensity requires a high carbohydrate-SW consumption:
Low - exercises of low intensity and technical exercises (supply 3-5 g/kg.b.w./day).
Moderate - moderate physical activity (approx. 1 hour/day) (supply 5-7 g/kg.b.w./day).
High - endurance training (exercises of moderate intensity 1-3 hours/day) (supply 6-10 g/kg b.w./day).
Very high - extremely endurance training (exercises of moderate or high intensity > 4-5 hours/day) (supply 8-12 g/kg b.w./day)[3].
Once we have an approximate amount of WW to deliver to the body, it is worth considering when to deliver how much to accelerate our glycogen replenishment. As we know and has been proven in studies, complete glycogen replenishment can take up to 24 hours. When it comes to individuals who exercise recreationally, this will not be a problem. However, for athletes with a second training session, it is clear that the next 6-8 hours need to be carefully planned in terms of WW supply. It is worth noting a study where the authors observed that immediate carbohydrate intake resulted in a higher rate of glycogen replenishment in the first 2 hours after exercise compared to the same meal consumed 2 hours after exercise. The authors also note that glycogen synthesis was low until carbohydrates were supplied. Therefore, providing carbohydrates in the first 4 hours after training will be crucial. It is worth considering liquid carbohydrates that will be quickly absorbed into our muscles, especially if we have another training session later in the day or have little time for glycogen replenishment. Fruit intake at this time is justified as it contains water and small amounts of vitamins and minerals we need, e.g., oranges, watermelon, bananas, or any other preferred fruit available. At this point, the intake of sweet processed foods will have little benefit to our bodies, as stimulated muscles act like sponges for water and will absorb sugars from our food more quickly, thanks to glucose carriers like Glut-4 found in our muscles.
Therefore, consuming 1g - 1.2g of WW / kg.b.w. in a post-training meal is sufficient when talking about a meal consumed after exercise.
Once we have a plan of action for this macronutrient and know its types, it is worth noting where to apply them to reap the maximum benefits[4].
Let's assume that we are dealing with an athlete, and the first training session is in the morning, and the second is in the afternoon:
8:00 Wake-up, drink a glass of warm water to stimulate our body internally. 8:30 Breakfast consisting of oatmeal, spelt flakes (80g) with natural yogurt 2% fat (180g), strawberries (100g), almonds or cashews (30g), optionally add cinnamon or cocoa.
11:00 Immediately after training, take Carbo when you lack time to prepare a meal. However, I encourage you to make a shake based on kefir with a banana, oatmeal, and a teaspoon of honey. Then, have lunch or lunches when you get home and a meal before training to make an intense workout as strong as possible to achieve your goal.
If we are dealing with a person who exercises recreationally, their training is in the morning.
7:00 Wake up, drink a glass of warm water to stimulate our body internally. 7:30 Breakfast; as above, or 2 slices of rye bread (60g), low-fat cottage cheese (100g), sugar-free or low-sugar jam (30g).
9:30 Snack in the form of fruit e.g., an orange, followed by a regular meal consisting of WW, B, T e.g., Basmati white rice (100g), turkey breast stewed with paprika in olive oil (100g), vegetables boiled in water (150g), olive oil (5g).
We have examples of two scenarios, where the first priority is to deliver WW after training, followed by a normal meal. In the second scenario, supplying WW is not necessary if there is only 1 training session, and a regular meal is available at home.
As we can see, the higher the physical activity, the more we should focus on WW as a high supply will enable faster glycogen replenishment. This is related to regeneration for the next training session, which we will undertake in the next few hours when talking about athletes or the next day when talking about individuals who exercise recreationally.
In this part, we only discussed the supply of one macronutrient, which was carbohydrates. However, we should not forget about proteins and fats as their total supply throughout the day will help us optimize and elevate our regeneration to a higher level. This is our goal, to improve our physical abilities through food and products that we can get in stores or other discounts.
Bibliography
1. J. Mizera, Sports nutrition, Galaktyka, Łódź, 2017 .
2. B. Frączek, J. Krzywański, Hubert K., Sports nutrition, PZWL, Warsaw, 2019.
3. Sports nutrition in theory and practice, Sports Dietetics Academy, Ebook, 2019.
[1] Mizera J., Mizera K., Sports nutrition, what to eat to train effectively, Łódź, 2017, p. 30-36.
[2] Frączek B., Krzywański J., Krysztofiak H., Sports nutrition, Warsaw 2019, p. 196-200.
[3] Ibidem, p. 200.
[4] Pomorski, B., Carbohydrates in the athlete's diet, 47-78 (ebook).
In today's article, we will focus on post-exercise regeneration that occurs after sports competitions at the Olympic or championship level when we talk about athletes. We will also discuss this condition based on amateur athletes participating in local competitions or among friends. We will also delve into each person who spends their time actively. The supply of macronutrients in this situation, namely carbohydrates (WW), protein (B), fat (T), is of great importance for our optimal regeneration. When we talk about the first 2, the combination of WW + B can significantly accelerate the return to a state where we can undertake the next training session again. However, adding fats to a post-training meal where all macronutrients are combined: WW + B + T can lead to longer digestion, and consequently, a decrease in regeneration, which is what we intend to avoid. Let's start with the basics In our regeneration workshop, we will focus on carbohydrates, which will dominate our diets, especially before and after training. It is worth keeping in mind when we talk about the supply of WW, our carrier of this macronutrient will be water, as it is our main substance that our body is composed of. Therefore, it is worth accepting that we should drink 1 liter of water / 30kg.b.w. This is a general recommendation that will strongly depend on atmospheric conditions, training intensity, body structure, gender, and many other factors that need to be considered. We have already written about hydration on our website and refer you to those articles. The supply, when we talk about WW, is very general, and it is worth delving deeper into whether the quality of delivering this macronutrient, the amount of delivery, and the timing of delivery matter. Carbohydrates will be absorbed differently into our bodies, and more specifically, into our muscles and liver, where they are stored in the form of glycogen. It is estimated that about 400g, with almost 100g found in the liver and the remaining 300g in the muscles[1]. This amount provides us with 1200 - 1300 kcal, enough for 45 - 60 min of high-intensity exercise or 2-3 hours of low-intensity exercise (for example, running). Our entire strategy should be based on maximizing the storage of WW as glycogen. This will translate into a more intense and longer training session, or competition depending on whether we are talking about a person training for themselves or a high-level athlete. Our substrate, which we will be supplying, can be divided into:
- Monosaccharides, i.e., simple sugars containing 3 to 7 carbon atoms. These include glucose, fructose, galactose, and others. It is important to remember that this group is quickly absorbed into the muscles after training, resulting in faster glycogen replenishment.
- Complex sugars include disaccharides, e.g., sucrose, lactose, and maltose. Oligosaccharides: raffinose, stachyose, maltodextrins. Polysaccharides consisting of more than 10 monosaccharide molecules such as glycogen, starch (potatoes), cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, and others. It is worth noting that this group should be included in our strategy before training, as its longer digestion will slowly and systematically release energy into our bodies. This will help conserve glycogen in our muscles and liver, preventing fatigue during training later on[2].
At this point, it is worth remembering what intensity requires a high carbohydrate-SW consumption:
Low - exercises of low intensity and technical exercises (supply 3-5 g/kg.b.w./day).
Moderate - moderate physical activity (approx. 1 hour/day) (supply 5-7 g/kg.b.w./day).
High - endurance training (exercises of moderate intensity 1-3 hours/day) (supply 6-10 g/kg b.w./day).
Very high - extremely endurance training (exercises of moderate or high intensity > 4-5 hours/day) (supply 8-12 g/kg b.w./day)[3].
Once we have an approximate amount of WW to deliver to the body, it is worth considering when to deliver how much to accelerate our glycogen replenishment. As we know and has been proven in studies, complete glycogen replenishment can take up to 24 hours. When it comes to individuals who exercise recreationally, this will not be a problem. However, for athletes with a second training session, it is clear that the next 6-8 hours need to be carefully planned in terms of WW supply. It is worth noting a study where the authors observed that immediate carbohydrate intake resulted in a higher rate of glycogen replenishment in the first 2 hours after exercise compared to the same meal consumed 2 hours after exercise. The authors also note that glycogen synthesis was low until carbohydrates were supplied. Therefore, providing carbohydrates in the first 4 hours after training will be crucial. It is worth considering liquid carbohydrates that will be quickly absorbed into our muscles, especially if we have another training session later in the day or have little time for glycogen replenishment. Fruit intake at this time is justified as it contains water and small amounts of vitamins and minerals we need, e.g., oranges, watermelon, bananas, or any other preferred fruit available. At this point, the intake of sweet processed foods will have little benefit to our bodies, as stimulated muscles act like sponges for water and will absorb sugars from our food more quickly, thanks to glucose carriers like Glut-4 found in our muscles.
Therefore, consuming 1g - 1.2g of WW / kg.b.w. in a post-training meal is sufficient when talking about a meal consumed after exercise.
Once we have a plan of action for this macronutrient and know its types, it is worth noting where to apply them to reap the maximum benefits[4].
Let's assume that we are dealing with an athlete, and the first training session is in the morning, and the second is in the afternoon:
8:00 Wake-up, drink a glass of warm water to stimulate our body internally. 8:30 Breakfast consisting of oatmeal, spelt flakes (80g) with natural yogurt 2% fat (180g), strawberries (100g), almonds or cashews (30g), optionally add cinnamon or cocoa.
11:00 Immediately after training, take Carbo when you lack time to prepare a meal. However, I encourage you to make a shake based on kefir with a banana, oatmeal, and a teaspoon of honey. Then, have lunch or lunches when you get home and a meal before training to make an intense workout as strong as possible to achieve your goal.
If we are dealing with a person who exercises recreationally, their training is in the morning.
7:00 Wake up, drink a glass of warm water to stimulate our body internally. 7:30 Breakfast; as above, or 2 slices of rye bread (60g), low-fat cottage cheese (100g), sugar-free or low-sugar jam (30g).
9:30 Snack in the form of fruit e.g., an orange, followed by a regular meal consisting of WW, B, T e.g., Basmati white rice (100g), turkey breast stewed with paprika in olive oil (100g), vegetables boiled in water (150g), olive oil (5g).
We have examples of two scenarios, where the first priority is to deliver WW after training, followed by a normal meal. In the second scenario, supplying WW is not necessary if there is only 1 training session, and a regular meal is available at home.
As we can see, the higher the physical activity, the more we should focus on WW as a high supply will enable faster glycogen replenishment. This is related to regeneration for the next training session, which we will undertake in the next few hours when talking about athletes or the next day when talking about individuals who exercise recreationally.
In this part, we only discussed the supply of one macronutrient, which was carbohydrates. However, we should not forget about proteins and fats as their total supply throughout the day will help us optimize and elevate our regeneration to a higher level. This is our goal, to improve our physical abilities through food and products that we can get in stores or other discounts.
Bibliography
1. J. Mizera, Sports nutrition, Galaktyka, Łódź, 2017 .
2. B. Frączek, J. Krzywański, Hubert K., Sports nutrition, PZWL, Warsaw, 2019.
3. Sports nutrition in theory and practice, Sports Dietetics Academy, Ebook, 2019.
[1] Mizera J., Mizera K., Sports nutrition, what to eat to train effectively, Łódź, 2017, p. 30-36.
[2] Frączek B., Krzywański J., Krysztofiak H., Sports nutrition, Warsaw 2019, p. 196-200.
[3] Ibidem, p. 200.
[4] Pomorski, B., Carbohydrates in the athlete's diet, 47-78 (ebook).
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