Healthy Drinks to Before and After Your Workout

The foods you eat before and after a good workout, and also the fluids you drink on your workout go a long way towards ensuring your exercise has the best effect on your health as possible. Whether you're

staying hydrated having a bottle of water while you're on a run, or debating things to munch on for a little post-workout energy, some suggestions to help maximize your workout and you satisfied in the process.

Juice

Sugar is exactly what fuels the body to move, so replacing it following a strenuous workout is crucial. Vegetables and fruit naturally contain sugars, so an all natural juice with not too much added sugar turns out to be a good post-workout drink. Juices also contain carbohydrates, electrolytes and proteins, which help the muscles recover following a workout. Another option would be to purchase a juicer. This allows you to control precisely what you are putting into your body without needing to worry about added chemicals or preservatives present in some bottled juices.

Sports Drink

While water is the greatest form of hydration for the body, our recommendation is that workouts lasting 60 minutes or even more be accompanied by a sports drink to prevent exhaustion. Most sports drinks contain both electrolytes and carbs to enhance your energy levels and help muscles recover faster and efficiently. If you're not hungry after your exercise routine, a sports drink will replace lost carbs and blood sugar up to avoid feeling faint.

Smoothie

A great post-workout smoothie is a combination of yogurt and fruit. Natural sugars in fruits can help restore glycogen levels in the muscles and replace lost carbs. Most yogurts contain protein and fat, each of which will help repair muscles and lower inflammation. Fruits high in potassium, for example bananas, are a good choice for smoothies because they help prevent muscle cramping and stiffness. Smoothies have become more readily available at most coffee houses and even fast food restaurants, but could also be made at home in your blender.

Protein Shake

Because muscles comprise protein, drinking a protein shake following a workout helps stimulate muscle growth. Muscle soreness is brought on by protein degradation after tearing the muscles, so ingesting protein following a workout will help muscles recover to some stronger state than before. Ingesting between 15 to 30 grams of protein post workout, with respect to the intensity of your session. Protein powders for example maca, soy and whey can easily be bought at most nutrition stores or even at many gyms.