It’s really useful to be able to recover well from our training and our events and one key way to do that is from what you eat. Your body uses what you eat as the ingredients and building blocks for all the recovery jobs it does!
Firstly and most immediately after and event (or training) think about re-fuelling with some carbohydrates. We need to boost the energy levels back up as being low on quickly available carbs can mean the body starts to scavenge energy sources from other areas and this can include the protein in our muscles; which isn’t helpful!
Secondly (and ideally within 30-90 minutes of finishing exercise you need to think about protein. A good protein source helps our bodies repair any micro damage to our tissues and recover faster. Protein doesn’t have to come from meat, although that is a good source. Pulses, nuts and seeds and good sources too. Protein shakes and bars can also be helpful if you struggle to eat other protein sources quickly enough, and especially after an event as you can have something in your bag or car waiting for you.
For the few days and 2-3 weeks after an event it’s useful to keep up that protein intake; just making sure you have a good quality protein source with each meal. It’s also really useful to eat a range of different nutrient rich foods that contain vitamins and minerals; I love thinking about this as eating lots of different coloured foods as that colour is often, in part, determined by the different vitamins and minerals they contain!
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