5 Super Foods for Workout Recovery

After your workout, you need to re-hydrate, but you also shouldn’t overlook the importance of refueling. A workout puts stress on your body, and any energy you’ve consumed in the form of food may have been stripped away as you burned off calories. Resist the urge to gorge on overly fatty or heavy foods, no matter how hungry you are post-workout. The following five foods are often called “super foods” due to their antioxidant and nutritive properties, and they make for an ideal way to refuel during your workout recovery.


1. Blueberries


This super fruit boasts one of the highest levels of antioxidants in the fruit kingdom and also contains high levels of beneficial phytonutrients. Keep them easily on hand by buying them pre-frozen or storing fresh berries in your freezer; frozen blueberries retain all their antioxidant properties, and they’re equally delicious straight out of the freezer or added to a protein shake or smoothie.


2. Lowfat yogurt


Yogurt is a great grab-and-go protein source after your workout, as well as being full of potassium and healthy bacteria. Plus, the calcium in yogurt makes for optimal bone health. Make sure you choose yogurt that’s made only from milk, fruit and active yogurt cultures – skip the brands with added gelatin.


3. Quinoa

An ancient grain that’s recently gained popularity, quinoa is considered a “complete protein” source. It’s also a nutrient powerhouse, containing large amounts of potassium, fiber, magnesium and iron. Versatile and delicious, a refreshing quinoa salad can be made and chilled prior to your workout, or you can make quinoa a part of your evening meal.


4. Kiwi


These little fruits are low in calories but contain an amazing amount of Vitamin C in their compact size. A single kiwi gives you your entire daily allowance of the rejuvenating vitamin and may reduce your blood pressure when consumed regularly.


5. Avocado


Nutrient-dense avocados are delicious, and they really pack a punch. The versatile fruit is full of folate, Vitamin E and potassium, and it’s high in fiber. Don’t be put off by the buttery avocado’s high fat content: It contains a large amount of “good” monounsaturated fat that may lower your cholesterol and give you a much needed energy boost after an intense workout.
What other foods do you find help you refuel? Let us know in the comments below.

Your Muscular System's Recovery Cycle

The muscles of the human body form a powerful system, but that system still needs to recover after strenuous activities, including high levels of exercise. The body is naturally equipped to automatically begin the process of correcting damage that is caused by intense muscle usage, but the recovery cycle can be time consuming.

After an intense workout, inflammation and microscopic tears in the muscle tissue may lead to soreness. The damage might seem small, but this temporary trauma can lead to an accumulation of waste materials, including lactic acid and creatine.

The lymphatic and circulatory systems work together to clear accumulated waste materials from the muscular system. The circulatory system is fairly efficient, but the lymphatic system's waste removal process is relatively slow.

The muscles in the human body are capable of enduring incredibly intense physical workouts, but that extreme activity does come with a price. The human body's amazing recovery process can repair small tears in the muscle tissue, reduce inflammation, and remove waste. While the natural muscle recovery cycle is perfectly efficient for those living a sedentary lifestyle, the process might seem inefficient to athletes and other highly active individuals.

Rather than seeking an alternative, however, athletes and trainers can help speed the already efficient process through the use of sequential compression therapy. Part of the reason that the circulatory system works more quickly than the lymphatic system is that the former has a powerful pump: the heart. Pneumatic compression devices give the lymphatic system a pump of its own and leverage the body’s existing recovery system and transform it from passive recovery to active recovery.