Two major factors contributing to football success are training and recovery. Have one without the other and you’re gonna fail to succeed in this sport.
Now you all know me, sleep and nutrition form the base of the recovery pyramid, so in today’s video we’re gonna talk about nutrition and more specifically, we’re gonna go over 6 recovery drinks that you can include in your post-game/-training diet.
What To Look For In Recovery-Oriented Drinks
So what should you be looking for inside a recovery drink?
The first and most obvious nutrient you’re after is protein. However, along with protein, there are also some other nutrients like simple carbohydrates and electrolytes whose purpose is to replenish the fluids and nutrients you have lost.
It is really hard to find a drink that serves all these purposes and that is why you might wanna consider a combination of drinks or just opt for a drink and a nutritious meal to cover all of your needs.
So guys, here are 6 recovery-focused drinks you might wanna consider after a game or intense training session.
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Top 6 Recovery Drinks
Water
Before you skip this part of the article, I wanna share with you a quick and easy rehydration method you can use.
After the whistle has been blown your body is really close to a dehydrated state. You wanna combat that by replenishing the fluids you have lost.
A rehydration method that is really popular in the sports industry is to weigh yourself before and after the game.
For every kilogram you lose, you shall replenish that with about 1 liter of water immediately after exercising.
Having said that, I’d now like to talk about ANOTHER way you can rehydrate but also replenish some of the other nutrients you’ve lost; sports drinks.
Hypo-/Iso-/Hypertonic Sports Drinks
Except for being great for performance, sports drinks are also effective recovery drinks.
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After exercise, your body hasn’t only lost fluids, but it also got its glycogen and mineral stores (sodium, magnesium, potassium, etc.) depleted. Sports drinks can be used to replenish all the nutrients you’ve lost and bring your body closer to its baseline levels again.
For recovery purposes, I’d highly suggest an isotonic or hypertonic drink to quickly bring your nutrient levels back to normal again. Either consume it directly after exercising or alongside your post-game meal or snack.
Chocolate Milk
Now the next drink will probably blow your mind away.
Chocolate milk.
Yup, you heard that right!
In fact, chocolate milk has been proven to be a great recovery drink for athletes, and a tasty one for sure!
Its great content in whey and casein protein and simple carbohydrates makes it a recovery drink that ticks off the basic boxes of recovery.
But the benefits don’t stop there.
The minerals it contains make it an even better option amongst other recovery drinks available on the market.
It might not be the ideal one because of its sugar content, but it definitely is a great, convenient, and tasty option many of you are going to love after a hard training session or game.
Protein Shakes
Now another drink you’d greatly enjoy is a protein shake.
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Similar to chocolate milk, protein shakes are high in proteins and can also fulfill your desire for something sweet and convenient.
What I would suggest is taking casein protein before falling asleep as this is a slow-digesting protein that will aid the muscle protein-synthesis process even while you’re asleep. Having said that, choosing a whey protein powder would definitely not destroy your recovery gains!
Recovery Smoothie
Of course, you might also wanna consider a recovery smoothie.
Similar to chocolate milk and protein shakes, recovery smoothies can be really high in proteins. However, based on the things you add to the smoothie you can also replenish your glycogen and mineral stores.
In fact, there are shakes you can do that could even replace a whole meal. This, of course, is a convenient choice for many players that has a really good nutritional value.
By pausing the video, you’ll be able to see one of the many smoothie recipes you can find by clicking the link in the description.
- 250ml Milk (Skim/Chocolate/Soy)
- 30-50gr Whey Protein or 250gr Greek Yoghurt
- 1 Medium Banana
- Mixed Berries
- 50gr Rolled Oats
- Handful of Spinach
- 1tbsp. Chia Seeds
Ginger Shots
And now, moving on to the last drink I would suggest for recovery we have ginger shots.
Ginger is believed to be a great choice when it comes to managing pain, inflammation, and soreness. It is full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for your overall recovery and health. It also seems to be great for your digestive health and immune function.
Although the research is still pretty limited on ginger shots, including them in your weekly diet seems to give your immune system a great boost and help you feel better and recover faster.
I guess it’s a matter of trial and error, so you can definitely try this out if you want and see how your body reacts to it.
Keep This In Mind…
With football recovery being so important in modern football, it is vital for you to know and understand the basics. Sleep, nutrition, and active recovery are the foundation.
As far as nutrition is concerned, keep the fundamentals in mind (rehydration, increased protein intake, simple carbs, and mineral-rich foods) and you probably won’t have a problem.
Prioritize these and then consider other methods/recovery tools.
The same applies to your pre-game nutrition though. So click here if you’d like to discover the best 5 drinks to enhance your football/soccer performance.
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- Hydration For Football Players Made Simple | Everything You Need To Know
- Top 10+1 Drinks For Football Players | Performance & Recovery
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REFERENCES
[1] Wilson PB. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) as an Analgesic and Ergogenic Aid in Sport: A Systemic Review. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Oct;29(10):2980-95. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001098. PMID: 26200194.
[2] Pritchett K, Pritchett R. Chocolate milk: a post-exercise recovery beverage for endurance sports. Med Sport Sci. 2012;59:127-134. doi: 10.1159/000341954. Epub 2012 Oct 15. PMID: 23075563.
[3] Amiri M, Ghiasvand R, Kaviani M, Forbes SC, Salehi-Abargouei A. Chocolate milk for recovery from exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019 Jun;73(6):835-849. doi: 10.1038/s41430-018-0187-x. Epub 2018 Jun 19. PMID: 29921963.
[4] Matsumura MD, Zavorsky GS, Smoliga JM. The Effects of Pre-Exercise Ginger Supplementation on Muscle Damage and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Phytother Res. 2015 Jun;29(6):887-93. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5328. Epub 2015 Mar 18. PMID: 25787877.
[5] Black CD, O’Connor PJ. Acute effects of dietary ginger on muscle pain induced by eccentric exercise. Phytother Res. 2010 Nov;24(11):1620-6. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3148. PMID: 21031618.
