The combination of protein and carbohydrate for recovery in resistance sports

Whether you're a professional or amateur endurance athlete, good recovery is essential to maintaining your training pace.

Intense and prolonged exercise can only be continued when there is an adequate amount of carbohydrate available to fuel the muscles and brain.

Exercise-induced fatigue is directly associated with the depletion of limited carbohydrate stores in the muscle and liver.

Fortunately, through numerous scientific studies, strategies have been developed to ensure that carbohydrate stores are not only well replenished before exercise, but also replenished as quickly as possible after exercise.

To do this, You can (and should) combine the intake of special post-workout supplements, also called recuperators.

Below, we'll give you more details about post-workout supplements and explain the benefits of incorporating them into your routine.

How does a recovery supplement work?

After physical exercise, especially prolonged exercise, your body requires more nutrients to ensure muscle recovery and growth.

During physical exercise, the body requires a lot of energy to “burn”. Much of this energy is what we know as glycogen..

By burning glycogen stores, muscle proteins come into play and generate “fuel” for the body.

That is, ideal levels of carbohydrate intake optimize muscle glycogen resynthesis.

So, in addition to replenishing glycogen levels and hydrating during exercise, you should also replenish it afterward to aid muscle recovery. And that's where post-workout supplementation comes in!

The function of a recovery supplement is to accelerate the recovery of muscles that have been damaged during training, replenishing the nutrients needed for recovery more quickly, so as to avoid losing lean muscle mass.

The main benefits of recovery supplements are:

✅ Prevention of lean mass loss
✅ Acceleration of the body's recovery process
✅ Replenishment of consumed nutrients
✅ Refueling glycogen stores
✅ Muscle growth and strengthening

Scientific evidence on the combination of carbohydrates and proteins as a recovery supplement

For long-duration exercises, such as triathlons, cycling, or marathons, the body ends up using all its reserves. So one of the The most important nutrients for recovery are carbohydrates.

The American College of Sports Nutrition (ACSM) recommends that the primary goals of recovery after training or competition are to provide sufficient fluid, electrolytes, energy, and carbohydrates to replace muscle glycogen stores and facilitate recovery.

In your diet, you can find carbohydrates in foods like sweet potatoes, oats, and bananas. However, each body type and training goal requires its own unique characteristics, so consulting a diet or nutrition expert is highly recommended.

And the proteins?

Proteins also have a direct effect on the muscle recovery process, as they provide the amino acids for muscle maintenance and repair.

Current scientific evidence suggests that individuals who have limited opportunities for nutritional recovery between exercise bouts should prioritize carbohydrate intake (with fluid) during and/or after the exercise session to improve performance in subsequent tasks involving endurance and/or anaerobic activity.

So the ISSN (International Society of Sports Nutrition) recommendation for recovery is Add protein to carbohydrates in a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 3-4:1.

This results in increased glycogen resynthesis and ultimately improved performance.

To combine these nutrients and facilitate recovery after exercise, you can look for protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs, and fish.

However, you can also rely on complete post-workout dietary supplements, preferably clean (Clean Label), natural products without chemical ingredients.

Xtratus After Workout with Vegan Protein, Carbohydrates, Electrolytes and Cocoa (Recovery)

Xtratus After Workout (Recovery) 4:1 with Cocoa.

It is developed to provide rapid replenishment of carbohydrates (glycogen) and proteins in a 4:1 ratio, generating better performance the next day.

In addition to carbohydrates and proteins, it contains essential amino acids for the first hour after training, which is the initial recovery phase, and electrolytes to replace minerals lost through sweat.

Why 4:1?

Apart from the taste and easy digestion, Xtratus 4:1 contains complete proteins. We use rice and pea protein, which have an amino acid profile that complements and balances each other.

Both pea and rice proteins are known for being complete protein sources, meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids, and for being easily digestible and having a low potential for allergic reactions.

Pea protein is low in the amino acids cysteine ​​and methionine, but high in lysine.

It then pairs perfectly with rice protein, which is low in lysine but high in cysteine ​​and methionine.

Together, They provide a complete protein with an optimal amino acid profile that is superior to any plant protein source.

It is 100% natural, vegan, lactose-free, and free of any chemical additives such as sweeteners, flavorings, and colorings.

It has an incredible chocolate flavor with zero plant protein aftertaste.

How to use it?

We recommend that you follow your nutritionist's guidelines. However, it's common to start supplementation shortly after completing physical activity, preferably within a maximum of one hour after training.

If you need more information, you can contact us through our Instagram @xtratus.spain or by email info@xtratus.es

Scientific research link at the U.S. National Library of Medicine: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29098657/