The best recovery drink depends on the circumstances. After a boiling hot group ride in the summer of 2012, the magic formula was drinking a very cold Coke from the pop machine at my local bike shop while standing under the icy blast of an air conditioner. A cold beer sometimes does the trick. After a recent Half Marathon in cool conditions at Hamilton, a cup of hot soup in the food tent went down a treat.
Coke and beer may be refreshing in the right circumstances but won’t provide much of a foundation for recovery.
All of the major sport drink and fuel makers offer specialty recovery drinks either ready-mixed or as a mixable powder. They usually boast an appropriate mix of carbohydrates and protein. I’ve long appreciated the convenience of having a quickly-available fuel source at the end of a run or bike. If you finish your workout away from home (at the gym, at your car or as I often do at RF Markham), a mixable recovery drink enables you to get some good calories in your system when its most appreciated and most needed. If you find yourself unable to stomach solid food immediately after hard training, a recovery drink may also be easier to ingest.
Gu’s Recovery Brew is an example of a convenient mixable recovery drink. I’m not qualified to offer an opinion about the nutrient composition. What I can say is that it satisfies the need after a hard workout for an immediate calorie injection, until I have an appetite for real food or until I can get to where I can eat something else.
The recommended mix is three small scoops in a 16 ounce bottle (about 500 ml). As long as you have a source of cold water to mix, you can quickly have a tasty and substantial calorie boost at the end of a workout.
Follow the directions when mixing. Shake well after adding half of the recommended amount of water, and then top off your drink with the rest of the water. If you skip this step, you may end up with some unmixed sticky clump at the bottom of your bottle. Adding some ice cubes may help the mix as well.
I’ve sampled the “Chocolate Smoothie” and Strawberry Watermelon” flavours of GU Recovery Brew over the last few months. The Chocolate Smoothie is best when mixed with milk, or a combination of milk and water. Mixing with milk obviously enhances the carbs and protein content as well. The Strawberry Watermelon flavour needs extra attention at the mixing stage to get a good mix, but the flavour is top-notch.
So line up your accumulation of drink bottles. Add three scoops of GU Recovery Brew. Throw them in your workout bag. Train. Recover. Repeat as necessary.
http://www.runningfree.com/products/GU-Recovery-Brew-Bulk-p29816/
