3 Recovery Foods to Consider After Your Workouts

If your body is your vehicle, then food is its primary fuel. However, not all fuel is created equal. Certain foods can set you soaring for hours while others will “faceplant” you in 15 minutes. So, what should we be eating to truly charge the body through its days of running, cycling, swimming, skiing, dancing, or any type of sustained workout?

It's true that different things work for different people and eating a variety of foods is key. However, there are still scientific tidbits that focus on the properties of certain foods, and their reactions inside the body when it's working for long periods of time.

These three nutrient-dense food groupings should be “go to” foods after a workout or sporting event.

Coconut Products

Around 25 percent of an athlete's diet should come from fat, but just like any therapeutic diet, nailing the amount is only half the battle. Athletes must also pay attention to the types of fats they are consuming, and coconut oil stands out among the others.

Coconut oil contains MCT's—medium chain triglycerides (fats) that are absorbed in the bloodstream more like a carbohydrate than a fat—making it excellent for endurance, recovery, and stamina especially when consumed in small amounts throughout the day. It can be added to smoothies or used for cooking. It can even be thrown into baked goods instead of butter. It can be purchased at almost any grocery store, and stored at room temperature.

Another coconut product great for recovery is coconut water. Coconut water is perfect for electrolyte and carbohydrate replacement and can be consumed before, during, and after any activity. If you're going to sweat for more than an hour, take a swig! Or mix it with one part water and drink throughout the day.

Omega-3 Fats

Redness, pain, heat and swelling are the four symptoms of chronic inflammation, the root cause of disease. Over-exercising can take its toll on not just the muscles and joints, but the organs of the immune system, and when combined with stress, chronic illness and poor eating habits, you're left with a large recipe for inflammation.

Because the typical American diet contains pro-inflammatory foods high in omega-6 fats, the body needs the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats to maintain an appropriate balance. Because the body doesn't make them on its own, these fats are considered essential, which means we must get them on our plate.

Fish like wild-caught salmon, sardines, black cod and herring are great sources for omega-3 fats. Algae and fish-oil supplements are also encouraged, since they contain the longer chain EPA/DHA fats. Also try ALA chain fats such as walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds.

Whey Protein

Yes, runners; it's for you, too! Just because you're not weight lifting doesn't mean the muscles don't need to be fed. Sometimes runners can focus way too much on the carbohydrates, and forget what's responsible for not only maintenance and repair, but nearly every chemical reaction that takes place in the body.

Whey protein is one of our favorite forms of complete bio-available protein— meaning it contains all of the essential and non-essential amino acids. These amino acids are in charge of preventing muscle tissue breakdown. They keep blood glucose (blood sugar levels ) steady when combined with a slow-releasing carbohydrate creating the perfect balance of stamina and energy.

For an extra bonus, whey protein contains cysteine, which aids in the formation of glutathione, protecting the cells from free-radical damage, thereby supporting the entire immune system.

An easy way to consume whey is in the form of a shake. One scoop should contain approximately 20 to 30 grams of protein. Feel free to add a small amount of fruit— 1/2 to 1 cups—or one tablespoon of a healthy fat—ground flaxseed, raw nut butter or coconut oil.

As training methods continue to improve, one secret to training hard is to make sure you recover completely after each workout or game. These three food groupings will certainly help. Best of Luck!

**Remember to

1. Always plan ahead for what you are going to eat

2. Obtain adequate amounts of protein

3. Work on Flexibility

4. Supplement your diet with a fish oil and multi-vitamin

Let me know if I can help. Email me at architechsports@gmail.com

God Bless,

Alan Tyson, Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

Sleep and Recovery Go Hand in Hand

Good sleep one of the cornerstones of health. Six to eight hours per night seems to be the optimal amount of sleep for adults. Many recommend more for developing athletes (seven to nine hours). Too much or too little sleep can have adverse effects on your health. Sleep deprivation is such a chronic condition these days that you might not even realize you suffer from it. Interrupted or impaired sleep can:

Dramatically weaken your immune system

Accelerate tumor growth – tumors grow up to 2-3 times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions.

Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you have already eaten, which can wreak havoc on the waist line

Seriously impair your memory – even a single night of poor sleep – meaning sleeping only 4-6 hours – can impact your ability to think clearly the next day

Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks and decrease your problem solving ability

Lost sleep is forever lost and persistent lack of sleep has a cumulative effect when it comes disrupting your health. The good news is there are many natural techniques you can learn to restore your sleep health. Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, waking up too often, feeling inadequately rested when you wake up in the morning, or better yet simply trying to improve the quality of your sleep we hope you find some relief from the following tips.

Tip 1: Sleep in complete darkness or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. Yes the means the night light that many of us have. All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, call circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms.

Tip 2: Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60-68 degrees. When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.

Tip 3: Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep. Avoid these activities in bed.

Tip 4: Don’t change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends. This will help your body get into a sleep rhythm ad make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.

Tip 5: Eat a high protein snack or meal several hours before bed time. This goes along with our “no whites” at night suggestion. This can also provide the L-trytophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production

Tip 6: Put your work away at least one hour (preferably two or more) before bed time. This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up about tomorrow’s deadlines.

Tip 7: No TV right before bed. Even better get the TV out of the bedroom. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV can disrupt your pineal gland function.. remember this is the gland that secretes melatonin and serotonin…chemicals important for a good night’s sleep.

Tip 8: Avoid before-bed snacks especially grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later when your blood sugar level drops to low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep. (this can explain those late night refrigerator raids.

Picking one or two of these tips to start with will get you on the road to an improved night’s sleep and performing your best each day.

**Remember to:

1) Always plan ahead for what you are going to eat

2) Obtain adequate amounts of protein

3) Work on your flexibility and

4) Supplement your diet with a fish oil and multivitamin

Let me know if I can help. Email me at architechsports@gmail.com

God Bless,

Alan Tyson, Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

10 Tips for Better Sports Nutrition and Recovery

When you eat properly, you have more energy, sleep better, enhance your recovery after practices and games, and improve your overall performance. Many athletes think proper nutrition is complicated. This is not the case. Keep these 10 simple principles in mind as you plan your day and what you are going to eat.

1. Come back to earth. Choose the least processed foods, such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, and high fiber carbohydrates.

2. Eat a rainbow of colors. Eat fruits or vegetables with each meal. Choose a wide variety of colors to get a lot of nutrients.

3. The fewer legs, the better. Eat a lean protein source with each meal, but favor chicken, turkey or fish over beef, pork or lamb.

4. Eat healthy fats. Don’t shy away from healthy fat options, like olive oil, nuts, natural nut butters, seeds, avocado, fish, flaxseed and flaxseed oil.

5. Eat breakfast every day. When you eat within 30 minutes of waking up, you jump-start your metabolism and give yourself the energy you need for the day ahead.

6. Three for three. Eat smaller portions more often, spread evenly throughout the day—no excuses. Eat four to six small meals each day and aim for a balance of carbs, protein and fat with each one.

7. Stay hydrated. Dehydration equals decreased performance. Drink at least three liters of non-caloric beverages (water/green tea) every day.

8. Don’t waste your workouts. You need energy for training and the proper nutrients to recover, or you won’t make gains in the weight room. Think of this process in three stages—pre-, during and post-activity. Eat some carbohydrate-rich foods before, water and/or carbohydrate during, and protein with carbohydrate within 30 minutes after.

9. Supplement wisely. Fuel with real foods first and supplement second. We are big believers in adding a multi-vitamin and fish oil supplement to your diet. If you are a female athlete you may benefit from a Vitamin D supplement as well but know your levels first. Create a smart supplementation program that improves your performance without compromising your health or draining your wallet.

10. Sleep. Aim for eight hours of sleep each night. If you can’t consistently get 8, take power naps when you can. The body recovers and repairs best when it is sleeping.

And finish off with: The 80/20 Rule. Each meal and snack is an opportunity to fuel your body. Choose foods that are best for you 80 percent of the time. Eat some foods that may not be the best, but are your favorites, 20 percent of the time!

**Remember to

1. Always plan ahead for what you are going to eat

2. Obtain adequate amounts of protein

3. Work on Flexibility

4. Supplement your diet with a fish oil and multi-vitamin

Let me know if I can help. Email me at architechsports@gmail.com

704-900-8960

God Bless,

Alan Tyson, Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist