Training and nutrition go hand in hand, there’s no doubt about that. And once you’ve started racking up the hours and gone beyond a “normal” exercising routine, it’s definitely worth thinking about timing your nutrition intake a bit, as this does indeed have an effect on both development and performance. Going crazy and obsessing over microscopic details is seldom a recipe for success, however, so approach this sensibly.
Relatively soon after a training session has come to an end (preferably within 30-45 min), it’s recommended to provide your body with a mix of carbohydrates (about 1-1.2 g per kilogram bodyweight) and protein (about 0.3 g per kilogram bodyweight). The boost of protein is much more effective at this point than a few hours later, much due to the fact that insulin (which increases in the bloodstream when you eat) has the greatest chance of stimulating muscle growth and preventing any muscular breakdown immediately after activity, as opposed to later on. Carbohydrates are primarily important to replenish right away if you have another session coming up within 24 hrs, otherwise there’s no particular rush. The ability for the muscles to store away glycogen (the form in which carbohydrates are stored in the body) is peaking right after training, meaning you quicken up the recovery time and make yourself ready for the next session by taking in carbohydrates (preferably simple ones) at this point.
But then you think about the whole practical aspect of things. When we come home from a tough run, for example, we like to stretch, have some water, take a shower and get into comfy clothes before we get around to preparing anything to eat – and around here, it’s definitely not uncommon for a blood sugar crash or two to occur, sending us straight into the peanut butter jar. Enter: the already prepared recovery drink. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to develop a drink that 1. we think tastes delicious 2. costs a fraction of store-bought alternatives 3. is entirely plant-based and 4. will give you some of that necessary, quick boost we just discussed. With a jar of this in the fridge, you can kick off your shoes, have a drink, go through your whole routine and then sit down with a plate of food in front of you, knowing your body is already on the road to recovery (and without any of those blood sugar crashes along the way). It’s a win-win, we think. No excessive packaging, no excessive money-spending, no weird ingredients. Instead, all good stuff. Hope you’ll like it!
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1 serving (4 servings)
250 ml oat milk (1 liter)
1 tbsp cocoa powder (4 tbsp)
1 tbsp oat protein powder (4 tbsp)
2 tsp sugar (8 tsp)
Optional pinch of salt
- Add the oat milk, cocoa powder, oat protein, sugar and salt (if using) into a blender. We mostly use a hand blender for this, as it makes for easier clean-up.
- Blend until smooth.
- Drink immediately or store for up to one week in the fridge.
Nutritional value per 250 ml serving: 28 g carbohydrates and 9 g protein.
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