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NUTRITIONFOCUS By Alissa Carpio

Recovery is Everything

If you’re serious about ftness, you know that maximizing recovery is the key to reaching your goals. This holds true whether you’re a bodybuilder, team sport athlete, runner or weekend warrior. Recovery is the key to building muscle, strength, power, endurance and improving body composition. You’re only as good as your next workout, and your next workout can only be 100 percent if you are rested, fueled and ready to give it your all. Quality nutrients from food and supplements can help maximize recovery, and therefore, your results. We will look at four ways of improving recovery: a sound nutrition plan, post-workout nutrition, sleep quality and natural hormone boosters.

How to reclaim your performance through optimized nutrition.

A Sound Diet and Post-Workout NutritionFirst and foremost, a solid,

whole-food based nutrition

plan must be put into place

to maximize performance

and recovery. Your body

assimilates nutrients from

foods much more effciently than

it does from synthetic vitamins.

Plus, taking in garbage only hinders

your body from reaching its maximum

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potential, even if you are getting all the

essential nutrients through a few good

meals and quality supplements.

Choose quality proteins that are

complete (contain all essential amino

acids), and have a high bioavailability.

Studies support pre- and post-workout

protein of a high biological value as

benefcial to recovery and muscle

protein synthesis. Poultry, meat, eggs

and fsh should be the primary sources.

Supplementary protein sources can

include protein powders and bars, and

incomplete sources from nuts, beans

and vegetables. If tolerated, dairy can

be a good addition. Protein should be

included with every meal. Daily total

intake for athletes as recommended by

the NSCA is 1.2g to 2g per kg of body

weight daily, depending on training

intensity, sport type, overall health and

total daily caloric intake.

Fats are a dietary necessity in order

to support hormone and adrenal

function, cellular repair and brain

and nervous system health. Include

high-quality saturated and unsaturated

sources, such as avocado, nuts and

nut butters, coconut oil, whole eggs,

all-natural hormone-free meats and

wild-caught fsh.

Carbohydrates are an essential

macronutrient. However, the amount

and type may differ depending on

individual tolerance, fat and protein

intake, diet history and sport type.

Many athletes are now employing

grain-free and starch-free diets and

choosing to get carbohydrates and

fber from vegetables, nuts, and

fruits. Calories from carbohydrate may

be displaced with protein and fat

calories to spare glycogen and

maintain energy. The NSCA

Sports Nutrition Program

recommends the majority

of carbohydrates come

from nutrient-dense,

low glycemic choices.

NSCA suggests

high glycemic

carbohydrates

immediately

post-workout to

quickly restore lost

glycogen. Endurance

athletes will require

more calories from

carbohydrates –

perhaps 60-65 percent

of daily caloric intake –

than strength and power

athletes, who can take in 45-55 percent

carbohydrates without negligible effects

on performance and recovery. Some

athletes thrive on a lower carb intake,

so individual tolerance and diet history

must be included in determining ideal

amounts of carbohydrates.

If you’re an endurance athlete or an

elite athlete training multiple times a

day, glycogen restoration post workout

will be a concern. Strength athletes,

bodybuilders and weekend warriors,

however, will get adequate glycogen

restoration when implementing a

complete nutrition plan 24/7. Carbo-

hydrates consumed post-workout have

shown to enhance muscle protein

synthesis, which is a goal of physique

and strength athletes. However, taking

in enough carbohydrates over the

course of the day will help replenish

glycogen as well.

There are some solid supplements

that have been shown through multiple

studies over time to assist with

recovery. L-glutamine is a top

choice. This vital amino acid

has been shown to be necessary in

times of injury and illness. Supplemental

glutamine has been shown to delay

fatigue as well as improve time to

recovery. Doses are extremely varied,

with anywhere from 1g to 30g daily

being administered. According to a

2008 risk assessment in the Regulatory

Toxicology and Pharmacology

publication, Observed Safe Levels

(OSL) of l-glutamine supplementation

was noted at 14g daily. Most athletes

supplementing with glutamine take

a divided dose 2 to 3 times daily,

including post-workout.

Branched chain amino acids, or

BCAAs, are a popular bodybuilding

supplement. The amino acids with a

branched chain structure are leucine,

isoleucine and valine. These three

aminos comprise 35 percent of the

essential aminos found in muscle

protein. According to a 2008 study in

the Journal of Sports Medicine and

Physical Fitness, BCAA supplementation

before and after exercise was shown

to decrease exercise-induced muscle

damage, enhance muscle protein

synthesis and boost the immune

system.

Max ARM (Anabolic Recovery Matrix)

is a great post-training supplement

that delivers all of these essential

recovery nutrients – and more – in an

easy-to-mix drink for quick assimilation

after your workout. Max Muscle

franchisee and NPC National ftness

competitor Erica Baker-Cruikshank

said ARM is “absolutely the best

muscle growth product. With the

combination of creatine and protein,

along with glutamine and fast-acting

carbohydrates,

it promotes

instant muscle

recovery.” In

particular,

ARM touts highly recommended

ingredients that include l-glutamine

and glutamine peptides, BCAAs,

citrulline malate, 19g of waxy maize

carbohydrates and 28g of high-quality

whey protein isolate and concentrate.

Quality Sleep and Natural Hormone EnhancementIn today’s busy world, eight hours

of quality sleep every night is a rare

occurrence. Work, family time, life and

training make it so that most people

fall somewhere between 5 and 7 hours.

If you can, try to make up for it with

7-9 hours at least two nights a week,

perhaps on the weekend. In addition to

quantity, there are measures you can

take to make sure your 40 winks are

restful and of the highest quality.

Wind down at night by turning

off the TV and media at least 30

minutes before you hit the pillow, as

According to a 2008 study in the Journal of Sports Medicine

and Physical Fitness, BCAA supplementation before and after exercise was shown to decrease exercise-induced muscle damage, enhance

muscle protein synthesis and boost the immune system.

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recommended by the National Sleep

Foundation. Keeping the mind revved

up with stimulating thoughts regarding

work, errands and your Facebook status

can keep you from falling asleep and

sleeping as deeply. If you have trouble

staying away from your cell phone every

time it beeps or buzzes, set it to silent

and put it out of reach.

There are many supplements available

that can enhance your ability to fall

asleep as well as the quality of sleep

you’ll get. Many of these supplements

also help with natural hormone

production, since sleep is a major time

when hormone replenishment takes

place.

ZMA is a combination of zinc

aspartate, magnesium

aspartate and vitamin

B6. ZMA has been taken as a natural

testosterone booster and a way to

enhance relaxation and quality of sleep.

USDA studies have shown that 70

percent of Americans aren’t getting the

minimum requirements of zinc, while

less than 40 percent are getting enough

magnesium. Additionally, increased

exercise may lead to a higher loss of

these nutrients, possibly making them

benefcial to any athlete wishing to

recover quickly and more fully.

Why can’t you just take zinc,

magnesium and B6? The form of these

nutrients must be aspartate, and the

ratio is essential to getting the desired

results of hormone production found in

studies. This makes a ZMA supplement

different from

simply taking all

three nutrients. In

regards to sleep

improvement,

magnesium

alone can help.

WebMD states

that according

to studies, even

a marginal

magnesium

defciency can

prevent the brain from winding down at

night. ZMA should be taken on an empty

stomach 30 to 60 minutes prior to

sleep. Calcium can affect the absorption

of magnesium, so do not take ZMA or

magnesium supplements with foods

containing calcium.

Melatonin is a hormone that helps

regulate the sleep and wake cycle.

It does this by slowing metabolic

functions, lowering body temperature

and causing drowsiness. Melatonin is

natural and non-habit forming. This

supplement has shown mixed results

in studies, but many individuals have

beneftted from supplementation. Purity

varies by brand, but common doses

are 3-5mg 15 to 30 minutes before you

wish to be asleep.

Baker-Cruikshank also recommends

Max Muscle’s CNS Black. “It increases

your body’s natural level of GABA

(Gamma Aminobutyric Acid), which

allows you to drift off to sleep naturally.”

CNS Black also has ingredients that

act as precursors to growth hormone,

improving hormone production and

recovery. L-arginine, L-theanine and

melatonin are also part of CNS Black,

which combine to promote healthy

sleep and recovery. MS&F

CNS Black increases your body’s natural level of GABA

(Gamma Aminobutyric Acid), which allows you to

drift off to sleep naturally. It also has ingredients that

act as precursors to growth hormone, improving hormone

production and recovery.