What are you drinking?
You might hear this question dropped at a bar, party, or restaurant. For me, this is a question athletes (yeah, you!) are asking me in the gym. Post workout, pre workout, you name it –there is a drink for it. These are some essentials to consider when choosing yours.
First and foremost, recover, recover and recover. Just as you might stretch, use a foam roller or book a massage to help your muscles recover so should you refuel your body with the proper nutrients. The pushback I hear most often from our athletes at Alchemy regarding post workout recovery shakes is the old, “Well, I don’t want to bulk up.” Let’s get one thing straight; post workout protein shakes do not magically travel directly to your muscles in the form of an extra two inches of diameter around every muscle in your body. Sorry, fellas.
Put simply, when you engage in high intensity training the muscle proteins break down and their recovery is directly linked to how, and how quickly you replenish them. Research indicates that the optimal time to replenish your muscle proteins is within 30 minutes to an hour of when your body begins to cool down. That means by the time you get out of an A10, you have 15-45 minutes tops to replenish those proteins. The SFH and Skoop products we carry at Alchemy are specifically designed for quick absorption into the muscle, resulting in faster regeneration and a quicker recovery.
I am consistently amazed at the level of commitment and work ethic that our Alchemy athletes put in to becoming stronger, faster, healthier individuals but so many are missing out on a good chunk of the gains that come along with proper recovery habits. Have you noticed that you are sore for 3-4 days after workouts? I am happy to tell you that does not need to be the case. Come in and consult one of our coaches on which protein supplement is best for your workout routine and your lifestyle and we will be happy steer to you in the right direction and give you alternatives if shakes aren’t your thing.
What am I drinking? 1 scoop SFH Chocolate Recovery Protein and 1 scoop Skoop Sweet Greens with 8 to 12 oz of water. Cheers.
J.T. Wyman is a coach at Alchemy North Loop. When he isn’t changing lives, you can find him long boarding, squatting, or making the perfect hard boiled egg.
