With health and fitness leading one of the top resolutions each new year, here are some post workout recovery smoothies from Karra Crawford, a local mom and personal trainer, to keep the momentum going after your workout.
Healthy Heart Beet
1/8 beet, raw
1 cup frozen cherries
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 frozen banana
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in blender and mix well.
Beets help lower blood pressure, fight cancer, inflammation, boost stamina, immunity and supports detoxification of toxins in the body. The banana helps make the texture thick and creamy while also serves as a vehicle to help transport the protein from the yogurt to deliver speedy nutrition to the muscle cells to help muscles repair, grow and be replenished.
All Day Sunshine
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup frozen peaches
3 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in blender and mix well. Add more orange juice as needed to adjust thickness.
Perfect pow-wow of energy and immune boosting ingredients will aid in recovery for the endurance athlete. Its 4:1 carb to protein ratio is the perfect replenishment for long hard workout. The nutrients in this smoothie will replenish the depleted glycogen in the muscle cells and aid in muscle recovery. The natural ingredients of vitamin C in this smoothie will accelerate recovery, boost fat burning and maximize your workout session.
Endurance Me Farther
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup frozen peaches
1 leaf kale
3 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in blender and mix well. This is the same recipe as above, only with the addition of kale.
Post workout nutrition is for intense exercise that lasts 45 minutes or longer.
It has 3 important benefits.
1) Replenishes glycogen storage
2) Decreases protein breakdown
3) Increases protein syntheses.
If you want to maximize your workouts, repair muscle and increase fat loss, the first 30 – 45 minutes after the workout is your “power hour” to refuel lost nutrition. During this time, the muscles are primed to be in their best and most readily absorbent state for quality nutrition to help stimulate muscle repair, muscle growth, and muscle strength.
Combining a liquid form of carbohydrate and amino acids (protein) after exercise creates a stimulatory effect of growth hormone and testosterone that doesn’t happen during the rest of the day.
Having the right post workout nutrition can help maximize your workouts and get you closer to your goals with a speedy recovery, less muscle soreness, increased ability to build muscle, improved immunity, increased utilization of body fat and improved bone mass.
If you’re exercising at a low intensity, like yoga or walking, you’re fine with just water and healthy meals and snacks.
