Real performance enhancing foods

April 4, 8:43 PMDenver Fitness ExaminerJeremy Green

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green tea courtesy of teatopnews.com

The previous articles in this series focused on the various nutritional objectives to be met after a training session for optimal recovery and a continual progression towards fitness. Ensuring that your body is fully charged and ready to get the most out of your next workout doesn’t mean that you have to spend your hard earned coin on expensive supplements that are often times filled with more hype than substance. After you have a basic understanding of the fundamental nutrients required you can easily customize your post workout food regimen to meet your specific needs and individual taste. Here are some examples of foods and recipes that I have picked up over the years that will have you feeling stronger than ever!

 Green tea uplift mix.
To get the most out of this inexpensive and nutritional powerhouse it is best to brew your own tea as many nutrients are lost during the bottling process. Brew a big cup and let the tea bag soak for at least 5 minutes. At this point add some raw unfiltered honey, the amount will depend on the workout for that day and your specific carbohydrate needs. Then just pour it over a cup of ice or you can get a big plastic cup and fill it halfway with water beforehand and stick it the freezer for a few hours. If you have just completed a longer training session you can add a bit of concentrated electrolyte solution or a dash of salt. Another option is to eat a pickle or a few olives (the minimal amount of fat won’t compromise the absorption rate). The sooner after your workout you can drink it the better.
Here are a few reasons why this brew when consumed with a protein drink beats out a commercial recovery drink hands down.
1) It has a ton of antioxidants in their natural state which are far better than their artificial counterparts.
2) Studies have shown that consistent intake of green tea increases the rate of fat loss, specifically the fat stored around the mid section. Additionally it boosts endurance performance as it helps the body use more fat for fuel thus sparing precious glycogen stores.
3) Green tea improves insulin sensitivity which boosts the amount of glycogen uptake and helps prevent type 2 diabetes.
4) Honey has an ideal glucose to fructose ratio at ~1:1. Studies have shown that the body can store up to an additional 11% of glycogen when compared to other carbohydrate sources such as maltodextrin or glucose by itself. Check out this article on honey for more info on its performance enhancing properties.

Simple Whey protein with water
As stated before, I have found no real benefit to the expensive fancy versions, save your money and invest in a 5 pound bag of 100% Whey protein (they cost about $30 at Sams club or shop online). Just remember that each scoop has ~20 grams of protein so do a little math and keep the range within the all important 4 grams of carbs to 1 gram of protein ratio.

After about a half hour to 45 minutes I start eating more solid food.

Bagged Salmon
The salmon that comes in cans or bags has some big advantages in that it is almost always wild caught, packed with Omega 3 fatty acids to help inflammation, easy to digest and takes about a minute to prepare. Salmon also has almost no mercury compared with canned tuna and packs a good dose of sodium. Just empty a bag into a bowl and add various flavor enhancers like bbq sauce or fresh garlic and onions; it’s actually not that bad. Additionally I will put in some fresh ground pepper (which has a synergistic effect with the green tea by boosting the absorption of ECGC’s) and some cayenne pepper which can boost your metabolism. 

Sprouts
Within an hour after a workout it’s best to hold off on fibrous vegetables as they are harder to digest and can compromise the absorption rate of other nutrients. Sprouts are easy to prepare (just rinse them off) and contain a ton of phytonutrients and antioxidants that help neutralize the large amount of circulating free radicals. (I mix it up with alfalfa, clover and onion and broccoli).

Fruits
Again within the time frame immediately after training hold off on fibrous fruits like berries and apples and stick to varieties like fresh mangos, Asian leeche (you can get them canned at whole foods), honeydew melon etc. The rules for nutrition after a workout are a bit different than normal so a good alternative is fruit juice drinks. V8 fusion is a great choice as it has juice from sweet potatoes and a variety of fruits. You can also mix it with some frozen fruits in the blender for even more nutrients. Lately I have been into the acai drinks and frozen packs, while there is a lot of hype surrounding this berry I think that it taste good and offers good nutrients.

After about 90 minutes or so (depending on that days training) is when you should start consuming some solid foods that constitute the mainstay of your diet (like lean meats, fresh fruit and vegetables). Protein sources that are rich in BCAA’s, and nutrient dense carbohydrate sources like sweet potatoes and fruit are ideal.

These are just some examples of foods that work best for me; feel free to experiment and discover your own “super food combos.” Just remember that once the training session is completed the time for real progress begins.