We’re adding two new grab & go recovery drinks at the House that are perfect for popping open on your way out the door. Our in-House Sports Dietitian Ryan Turner gives us an in-depth breakdown of our new arrivals and why they’re a necessary addition to your training routine.
Who are these products best for? Athletes training three or more times a week, athletes delaying a meal more than two hours post workout.
Who won’t benefit from these products? The occasionally active person exercising two or less times per week
When to drink them? Post workout, within about 60 minutes.
When not to drink them? Two hours post workout you should be starting to prioritize whole foods. This should not be used a snack mid day or as a meal replacement.
Organic Valley Organic Fuel was formulated with the help of John Dettman, Strength & Conditioning coach & Director of Performance at the University of Wisconsin, to specifically meet the recovery needs of athletes. Carbohydrates are important for fueling the muscles of endurance athletes and aiding in the rapid protein absorption necessary for replenishment of nutrients after exercise. The 1:1 protein to carbohydrate ratio (26 grams protein to 27 grams carbs) was formulated to support the needs of athletes of all sizes and developed for ideal post-workout recovery.
Organic Fuel is a lactose-free, dairy-based product. Dairy is a whole food containing whey protein, which includes all nine of the essential amino acids the body does not produce and therefore needs to be acquired through food for muscle maintenance and repair. Comparatively, plant-based proteins like pea and rice protein are void of or lower in amino acids. This makes them less effective and usually consumed as blends, which result in a more processed product. (Unlike their whole food counterparts like quinoa, hemp, and soy, which are considered complete plant-based proteins.)
Whey protein contains the highest amount of the amino acid Leucine – arguably the most important of the nine essential amino acids because of its strong role in muscle repair and recovery. As a general rule, animal proteins contain more leucine than plant proteins, which makes them more effective at rebuilding your muscle fibers after class. This is not to say plant proteins aren’t effective, you’ll just need to consume more of it, which = more calories + more $$. Whey is the fastest absorbed protein, which translates to rapid repair and recovery for muscle post workout. In the scientific world, this is known as high biological value.
ADDED SUGAR! Yes, this product contains added sugar – that’s on purpose. The sugar in this product comes from a combination of naturally occurring milk sugar (lactose that has been reduced) and unrefined cane sugar. Recovery begins with restoring the glucose in your blood and the glycogen (the stored energy from carbohydrates) in your muscles that you just burned through on the Turf.
You should have enough stored energy in your muscles to complete 60 minutes of higher heart rate activity. After a Tone House class, your energy levels are depleted (as we all know.) The faster you replenish these levels the quicker you’ll be set up for your next workout and the less muscle soreness you’ll experience.
It’s recommended to consume ~0.6 g of high-glycemic carbohydrate per pound within two hours after exercise (ex: a 150lb person should consume about one cup of rice or two pieces of bread + a piece of fruit, in addition to Organic Fuel.) This recovery drink is considered only part of post-workout recovery. If you prefer to just eat carbohydrates from fruits, starches, vegetables, by all means, do it. However, you’ll need a larger volume of higher fiber, slower digesting foods in that post-workout window when you may not be hungry, but your body needs to be rapidly absorbing nutrients. The most detrimental thing you can do is not consume any carbohydrates post workout. Doing so will leave you feeling fatigued, less aware, and possibly disoriented.
Eating an appropriate amount of leucine-rich protein and carbohydrates after training supports muscle recovery, rebuilding, and reduces muscle soreness. Excess inflammation can be reduced even further by consuming flavonoids and anthocyanins, basically the colors, in tart cherries. You’d need to consume almost 60 tart cherries to reap these benefits, so we’ve turned to Cherry Performer to help. Less muscle damage, soreness, and inflammation has been found for runners and weightlifters along with reductions in joint pain and improved sleep as tart cherries are a source of natural melatonin (2,3).
Sources: Ivy JL. Glycogen Resynthesis after Exercise: effect of carbohydrate intake. Int J Sports Med. 1998;19 Suppl 2: S142-145. Connolly DA1, McHugh MP, Padilla-Zakour OI, Carlson L, Sayers SP. Efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing the symptoms of muscle damage. Br J Sports Med. 2006 Aug;40(8):679-83; discussion 683. Epub 2006 Jun 21. Kerry S Kuehl, Erica T Perrier†, Diane L Elliot†, and James C Chesnutt. Efficacy of tart cherry juice in reducing muscle pain during running: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 20107:17