Top 12 Post-Workout Supplements to Aid Recovery

 Recovery after workout is very important in order to achieve the goals formulated by fitness lovers as well as avoid possible traumas. Muscles after a rigorous training session are laid bare and are basically destroyed or at least on a cellular level. As you can predict, having the correct energy after exercise aids in repairing the damage done, re-enriching energy reserves, building muscles and putting the body back into balance. 

As much as possible, acquire your nutrients from whole foods, but targeted supplements are also very useful. Nevertheless, there are many choices available within the market with regards to products for athletes. The question that arises therefore is which of these ones are most truly worthy of one’s time or effort?

Here are the top 12 science-backed post-workout supplements:

1. Whey Protein Powder

Whey is the number one muscle building food and here is why it deserves it. It is highly glycogenic, and contains a lot of leucine, a stimulant for protein synthesis of muscle mass. However Whey isolate or hydrolysate which is of high quality contain this muscle building leucine ‘trigger’ in just 20 grams. It is recommended to consume your whey shake within 60 minutes after your work out for best effect.

2. Creatine Monohydrate 

Creatine increases the supply or phosphocreatine directly in the muscles. Over time this improves and prolongs muscle response allowing for lifting heavier load, faster recovery time between the sets and therefore superior muscle power and consequently muscle gain is achieved. The optimal dose is 5 grams of gold standard per day as maintenance dose.

3. Tart Cherry/Montmorency Cherry Juice/

Tart cherries contain antioxidants that works against inflammation. Drinking tart cherry juice before and after training reduces muscle tenderness, power decline, and decreased muscle damage biomarkers, and a moderate dose of the extract is between 8oz two times a day.   

4. Collagen Peptides

During this form of exercise your connective tissues are damaged by stretching out your tendons and ligaments. Actual collagen peptides are amino acids required to fix and fortify these connective tissues Supplementation with 10-15 grams every day helps to strengthen the joints and improve the recovery rate.

5. Omega-3 Fish Oil 

Enhancing muscle recovery in downtimes, omega-3 fatty acids function well as great anti-inflammatories. They also enhance for muscle protein synthesis required on repairing structure damage caused by exercises and hypertrophy. The amount necessary for therapeutic benefits is 2 to 3 grams of EPA/DHA per day. Fish that are high quality, algal or krill oil are ideal sources of Omega -3.

6. Casein Protein Powder 

Casein is a category of dairy protein that feeds amino acids into the bloodstream for up 7 hours, avert muscle loss, especially when you are asleep. Ideally, the proper amount of casein protein powder intake before going to bed is between 20-40grams accompanied with other protein increasing elements such as pea protein. 

7. This is Bench mounted orbital shaker, Dynatec bench orbital shaker, Personal Computer and Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs).

BCAAs comprises of leucine, isoleucine and valine which are absolutely relevant in the building of proteins in the muscles as well as energy during exercises.BCAAs should be taken in 5-10 grams right after workout to improve on recovery by minimizing exercise stress and fatigue. It also minimises the amount of muscle tissue that is catabolisecd During endurance exercise, energy requirements many exceed the amount of carbohydrate stored of the body, which leads to the muscle tissue being used for energy.

8. Beta-Alanine 

This amino acid maintains higher levels of carnosine in muscles and carnosine is a potent anti- buffer acid. Increased levels of carnosine protects from the burn which results from high levels of lactic acid in muscles, hence increases muscular endurance, strength and power output. For adults, the suggested dose of MSM is 4-5 grams prescribed in 2-3 equally divided portions every day.  

9. Betaine Anhydrous

Popularly called trimethylglycine, betaine is known to enhance muscle strength: power output and protein synthetic rate in the following ways – through cell swelling and HGH. Research has found that 1.25-2.5 grams betaine daily brings about significantly greater muscle strength improvement when accompanied by training.

10. Citrulline Malate  

Citrulline helps eradicate fatigue and soreness because the compound is known to eliminate blood lactic acid and ammonia. The bioavailability of citrulline malate is high, The dosage should be spread between 6,000 – 8,000mg before and after training, increases the ATP energy for muscle recovery and nitric oxide production for pumps.  

11. Vitamin C

Vitamin & C plays a role in powering the muscles and creation of collagen. Due to its a water soluble nutrient, it is washed out of the body when one is sweating. Consuming at least 200-500 mg vitamin C after strenuous exercises helps in replenishing loss stores and speeds up tissue repair process. 

12. Curcumin

The active component that exists in turmeric root which reduces the master regulator of inflammation NF-kB is curcumin which helps allow faster muscle injury repair and little or no pain. Increasing the body absorption, with the Bioperine Black Pepper extract is registering similar benefits with 500mg curcumin in comparison to the usual higher dose.

One or two of these science-backed supplements combined with high quality protein and carbohydrate-rich whole foods such as eggs, greens, smoothies, fruits, potatoes or rice, quinoa or oats. This hastens regeneration and gives your muscles a lot of amino acids and glycogen to rebuild the micro tears as well as replenishing ATP.