If you’re trying to get fit – and by that, we mean seriously fit – you need to train like an athlete. And that means aligning your nutrition with theirs.
But that begs a question: what exactly do elite athletes eat after a training session? Some of the answers will surprise you.
Fruit And Nut Butter
After a hard training session, your body is crying out for multiple nutrients to replenish lost stores. This is why many athletes look for foods that provide them with both protein and the carbs that they need to replace lost muscle glycogen.
That’s where the idea of fruit and nut butter comes in. Fruit is high in good forms of sugar – great for replacing lost energy. Nut butters also offer plenty of healthy plant proteins which is exactly what the body needs to recover from a tough workout.
What’s more, fruit and nuts are packed with healthy phytochemicals. So, unlike many other forms of recovery drinks, they don’t create inflammation in the body.
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Another favorite is herby sweet potatoes. Granted, sweet potatoes aren’t high in protein which may be an issue for some kinds of athletes. However, they do offer some of the healthiest carbs around. Plus, the pigment that makes them orange is great for protecting your body against free radical damage, making them a must-eat for people.
Banana Smoothie
Knocking back a banana smoothie is one of the best ways to replace lost blood sugar after a long and intense training session. Bananas support internal health and you can find them everywhere, such as Smoothie King, making them a staple for many athletes.
Hummus and Pita
Hummus is one of the healthiest foods around. It’s essentially just blended chickpeas with sesame seed butter, lemon, garlic, paprika, and a little salt. You can add olive oil if you want, but, strictly speaking, you don’t have to. You can eat it with whole wheat pitas and/or a mix of fresh veggies for maximum health. If you’re not a fan of bread, you can also serve hummus with jacket potatoes.
Turmeric Smoothies
Athletes are slowly cottoning onto the benefits of certain herbs, specifically turmeric. It turns out that turmeric contains certain compounds that reduce inflammation in the body and actually reduce the damage induced by exercise, without impairing adaptation. Essentially, what it means is that you can train harder for longer, without experiencing any of the negative effects of overtraining.
To make a turmeric smoothie, try to find some fresh roots. It looks a bit like a smaller, more orange version of ginger. Then blend it with whatever fruits, veggies, and nut butter you have on hand. Turmeric tastes a little sour, so you’ll also want to add something sweet – perhaps dates – to balance it out.
Berries and Yogurt
Research shows that berries have a similar effect to turmeric. Eating them before and after exercise helps to reduce inflammatory damage, allowing the body to recover from harsh training quicker. Serve them with yogurt to provide additional carbs and protein to refuel your body after a tough session.
