Post-Exercise/Event Refueling

The first two hours are the most effective time for replenishing energy stores exhausted or depleted from a training session or event. 1 gram per kg of body weight of carbohydrate immediately following a session to replenish muscle glycogen stores is recommended to maximise recovery. This means if you weigh 75kg you need a snack containing 75 grams of carbohydrate. Repeat this every hour or until normal meals resume. High GI sources immediately following exercise are best as they are easily accessible to your muscles for storage.

Common examples of a 50 gram carbohydrate source with 10 grams of protein to aid with muscle repair are small tin of baked beans with 2 slices of multigrain toast, 250-350ml of fruit smoothie or milk-shake, 60g breakfast cereal with 1/2 cup low fat milk or 1 cup of fruit with 200mL of low fat yoghurt.

Pure snack sources containing 50 grams of carbohydrate include 800-1000mL of sports drink, 800mL cordial, 3 medium pieces of fruit or 2 bananas, 1 sandwich with jam or honey or 500mL of juice.

Following a strenuous session or event high GI, low fibre sources of carbohydrate are often the easiest to consume and cause the least amount of gastrointestinal discomfort. Sports drinks, cordial and fruit juice offer a great source of high GI carbohydrate and will also contribute to rehydration.

Post-Exercise Hydration

Fluid losses during exercise will be different for each individual and will depend on the type and intensity of the workout. Fluid losses will occur due to sweating and evaporation of mouth water vapour. In the hours following exercise the body's metabolism is elevated and you will continue to lose fluids.

It is essential that you rehydrate following a workout and it is recommended that you replenish these stores with 150% of the fluids you have lost in the subsequent 2-4 hours. This means if you lose 1L of fluids that you should be consuming 1.5L of fluid following your workout.

If you find you can't drink that much water, you can try a sports drink or cordial. Yes - protein shakes count!

Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coke and energy drinks as these will act as diuretics and cause you to lose most of the fluid you have consumed!

If you are not sure how much fluid you lose during a workout an easy was to figure it out is to weigh yourself before and after the workout. The difference between pre and post weights will be how much fluid you have lost during the workout (making sure that you subtract any fluid that you consumed during the workout from the post-workout weight first).

The Effects of Alcohol on Recovery

The culture of having a beer after a footy match may well have been phased out of the elite level you will still see at any local club many players consuming alcohol immediately following a game. There is strong evidence to suggest that heavy intake of alcohol may interfere with post exercise recovery in a variety of ways.

The consumption of alcohol has been shown to significantly increase urinary losses during the post-exercise phase. The higher the alcoholic content the greater the urinary losses. When test subjects consumed alcohol as part of their post-exercise recovery they displayed close to 20% less net retention than those athletes who consumed no alcohol. During post-exercise recovery a 20% less retention of water can be extremely detrimental to an athlete, especially if they are intending on competing/training at a high level within the next 48-72 hours.

Most sporting activities are associated with muscle and soft-tissue damage, either as a result of physical activity or due to tackling and collisions in contact sports. Effectively the soft-tissue has been injured or traumatised and must heal. The standard first-aid for soft-tissue injuries is to apply vasoconstrictive techniques (rest, ice, compression, elevation). Alcohol is known to be a potent vasodilator and therefore has the potential to cause or increase undesirable swelling around damaged sites. This excess swelling and inflammation is then likely to impede the repair process.

Many experts agree however that the most detrimental effect of alcohol on athletes is loss of inhibition and impaired judgement. There are strong correlations between excess alcohol consumption and increased rates of drowning, spinal injuries, problems with recreational water activities and is a known major contributor to road accidents.

There are many issues associated with excessive consumption of alcohol post-exercise. In summary, the major impact of heavy alcohol intake post exercise is the failure of the athlete to follow guidelines for optimal recovery.

Burke L, Deakin V; Clinical Sports Nutrition 2nd Ed; 2000