Post-Training Recovery Smoothie
Skiing places a significant demand on the body and its various systems. Everything comes together on snow to challenge not only our muscle’s ability to buffer lactic acid, but also our lungs' ability to repeatedly supply oxygen to those muscles. Similarly, strength and conditioning, and consistent cardiovascular training will place purposeful stress on the body in hopes of improving our performance.
So how instrumental is nutrition on our body’s ability to recover before the next day of physical demands occurs? About as important as sleep. No two performance pillars generate more potential than sleep and nutrition. Master these two areas and you will be able to reach new heights in any discipline, both on-snow, and off.
You see, sleep is when the majority of muscle recovery happens. But in order to properly repair broken tissue, and distressed systems, the body needs nutrients, both micro and macro, to get the job done.
That’s when I turn to the following protein smoothie. But don’t close the window quite yet! I know what you’re thinking, here’s another basic smoothie recipe trying to get me to eat more vegetables. You’re not wrong :) but there’s more to it. This smoothie does contain vegetables, but it also contains fuel necessary to help your body repair from a bout of exercise in the gym or on the hill. Plus, It tastes great!
Enjoy,
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PINEAPPLE PROTEIN RECOVERY SMOOTHIE
Ingredients:
- 1 Frozen Banana
- 1 Cup Chopped Frozen Pineapple
- 1 Cup Water or Cashew Milk
- 2 Scoops Vegan Orgain Protein Powder (I like vanilla)
- 1 Handful of Spinach
- 1 Handful frozen chopped zucchini (store in Tupperware)
- 1 Tablespoon Navita Chia Seeds (good source of fiber)
- 1 Scoop Glutamine (conditionally essential amino acid)
Pack them all in the blender, start slow, then speed it up. Add extra water or milk as needed for your desired consistency.
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There’s quite a bit of conflicting information and research regarding the “window” for optimal nutrient uptake and utilization. That being said, I like to enjoy these smoothies about 20-25 min following my bout of training. One things for sure; your body will readily use the glucose from the fruit so you’re at less risk of those sugars converting and storing as fat. I also cannot seem to ingest food earlier than 20 minutes, it just doesn’t settle well in my stomach. Feel free to exchange the pineapple as I understand that’s not everyones favorite fruit. I’ve done this smoothie with a cup of frozen mixed berries as well as 1 cup of fresh blueberries and both taste equally good.
Cheers,
Abe