[Breanna Rohde is an Athletic Development Intern at Athletic Lab] As soon as you finish a workout of any intensity, your body has been depleted of energy. Scientifically speaking, energy is created to allow the body to perform work by the break down of specific chemical compounds in three macronutrients found in the body. Those macronutrients include carbohydrates (CHO), proteins (PRO) and, to a lesser extent, fats. These macronutrients are broken down into smaller chemical compounds in order to be used as energy. This process is called catabolism (1). This system of releasing and building energy is extensive and complicated, so I will keep things simple. Your body has now taken these three macronutrients, broken them down and used them to expend energy. Whether it is 30 minutes to an hour and a half later, your body is now lacking in CHO, PRO and fats. It is at this point that you may feel lethargic or tired. More importantly, your muscles have been broken down and in order to complete another workout the muscles require repair. This is an important part to your post workout routine. The body needs to be replenished with nutrients that it lost in order to aid in overall recovery as well as muscle repair. What do you grab after a completed workout? The most common form of post exercise supplementation is in the form of a beverage. There are so many new products becoming available in order to supplement in your post workout recovery process it can be difficult to decide what you should or shouldn't take. As stated earlier in this article, carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the three macronutrients broken down in order to release energy. So it [...]

[Dominique Stasulli is an Athletic Development Intern at Athletic Lab] Every athlete strives to recover as quickly as possible from a workout; rest and recovery means rebuilding and rebooting for the next go. The greater the intensity of the training, the more resulting damage and inflammation that the body needs to work to repair. The most common solutions mimic the injury recovery formula, using one or a combination of rest, ice, compression, and/or elevation, based on personal preference. Relatively new tools such as foam rollers and massage balls are gaining popularity. Cool-downs and post-workout stretching have both been said to enhance blood flow and increase the clearance of exercise-induced chemicals such as lactic acid. Athletes looking to gain an additional edge in recovery outside of the traditional methods should look no further than their diet and the selective foods that could make the difference between high and low quality workouts in the subsequent days. The key targets of optimal recovery include inflammatory reduction, clearance of oxidative free radicals, replenishment of muscle glycogen, and rebuilding damaged muscles. Lab markers for this type of micro-damage include creatine kinase (CK) released in proportion to the intensity of the exercise, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) attributed to the accumulation of lactic acid byproducts (2). Both of these markers are frequently assessed to measure overtraining in athletes and pathological disease states in the general population. The common quick-fix for most athletes is some form of over-the-counter NSAID to dull the pain and break down the source of inflammation. Many studies have shown that NSAIDs actually delay muscle regeneration and reduce the healing process of ligaments, tendons, and cartilage; not to mention the side effects are significant, especially when chronically used (1). [...]