Nutrition and sports professionals study every nutrient combination to look for just the right competitive edge. Post workout recovery was critical for Michael Phelps in his record setting Olympics performance, too. Well, this year's Olympics may just have shared one of those little secrets that the rest of us can use as well. Recently the Today Show looked at technology in the Olympics. David Zinczenko, editor of Men's Health Magazine reported on many technological advances seen during the Olympics. He said the athletes have never been more nutritionally prepared for competition than they have this year. We learned that during the Olympics, Michael Phelps eats more than 10,000 calories a day and that post-workout muscle recovery was a specific focus as well. Michael uses a sports drink called Pure Sport, which was designed at the University of Texas, has a precise carbohydrate to protein ration and is ingested 15 minutes after working out. The combination of carbs to protein apparently prevents the sugar rush and crash that comes from many sugar-only options. According to the company, the precise ratio of 2.67 grams of carbohydrates to 1 gram of whey protein in Pure Sport allows the body to get into the recovery zone quicker after serious physical activity and accelerates the replacement and storage of muscle fuel while promoting muscle repair. But what if you don't want to invest in a high-tech replacement? (The starter kit of Pure Sport costs $19.99.) Men's Health and Women's Health found that 1% chocolate milk has some of the same effects on the body as Pure Sport because it contains the same ratio of carbohydrate to whey protein. So, after your next workout, pour yourself a glass of 1% chocolate milk. (Find more post-workout snack ideas here. |
More From SparkPeople
|
