POST WOD RECOVERY/NUTRITION

Hey guys, good morning. As coaches we preach the Zone Diet on a daily basis because of its 40/30/30 ratio. In order to achieve the best performance, proper post workout nutrition is a must!

I make sure that all of my endurance athletes stay hydrated during training/races and maintain adequate levels of CHO,Protein and Fat daily. Runners, Triathletes, etc. need to be able to recovery quickly. What about the average CF's that want to improve times and increase strength and speed?

You don't have to be a marathon runner or pro football player to get the best out of crossfit. For everyone, proper recovery is a must! There is a small window immediately after a workout that boost performance to the next level. The body is able to absorb more nutrients and replenish glycogen within 30 to 45 min following an intense workout {CrossFit}. During this time glycogen levels are depleted and CHO, Protein and fat are more readily absorbed. By ingesting a post-workout meal or protein shake, the muscles are able to utilize CHO, Protein and Fat in an anabolic state. Anabolic meaning, "muscle building". The Carbs "CHO" should come from a simple source (see below).

The bottom line guys, if you feed your muscles immediately following the WOD...You are going to see tremendous gains. A protein shake or smoothie is a better choice than a meal. Liquids will be absorbed at a faster rate than whole food. For optimum performance, ingest a mixture of CHO,Protein and Fat within 30 to 45 min following your workout. Post-workout is the only time that I encourage simple sugars! Yes, you read that right...I said simple sugars. If you like gatorade, accelerade etc. this is the time to use it. Only following the WOD, do not use these products during class. The simple sugars in gatorade will mess with your gut and make you sick!

Lastly, use some common sense with using sports drinks. Your post-workout shake should follow your block prescription. If you are a 3 block meal, don't ingest the biggest gatorade on the market loaded with 100 grams of sugar! Your shake or smoothie should be as close to 40/30/30 as possible. Remember the CrossFit pyramid...if you eat crap, your performance will be crap! Give this a try and I guarantee you will take your fitness to the next level.