Stay in Top Shape with These Refuel Foods

There’s nothing like a good, sweaty workout to end an otherwise busy and stressful day.

Not only is it good for achieving one’s fitness goals, but it’s also beneficial to our overall health.

To make the most of your workouts, it’s best to pair it with the right nutrition so you can effectively refuel the body with the right nutrients that will help repair the muscles and replace the energy lost.

Below are some of the foods that can best achieve the goals mentioned.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, green leafies are ideal post-workout because they’re also low in calories.

Veggies such as kale, spinach, and watercress are also rich in antioxidants that can help reduce the number of free radicals released during workouts.

You can take them either as a smoothie, a salad, or eat them with pasta.

Turmeric

Turmeric is another post-workout food that everyone should take note of.

Studies suggest that turmeric can be beneficial in reducing soreness after an intense workout, making it a go-to food if you want to quickly recover and get back into the game, so to speak.

The curcumin found in turmeric is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties which can become useful in fighting physical stress and protecting overworked muscles.

Eggs

Being a complete protein source, eggs are considered by many as the perfect post-workout food.

Packed with essential amino acids and B vitamins, consuming whole eggs after a workout can help produce and replace the energy you lost.

Eggs are delicious too and can easily be consumed in several ways. You can eat them as a salad ingredient, scrambled, or hard-boiled.

Avocado

Being rich in magnesium makes avocado a great workout food primarily because it’s good for muscle recovery.

This amazing fruit also contains potassium which can help regulate fluid balance and control the electrical activity of the heart as well as the other muscles.

Avocado is also an excellent source of folate, vitamins B-6, C, and K, which can help reduce inflammation due to stress caused by exercise.

You can consume them as a smoothie, mashed on toasts, or combine them with eggs.

Smoked Salmon

Research indicates that high omega-3 fatty acids intake may result in lower levels of delayed onset muscle soreness after a good, sweaty exercise.

Mackerel, salmon, and sardines are just some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids which other studies have also shown to reduce exercise-induced damage that can lead to inflammation.

Blueberries

We can all agree that blueberries are as delicious as they come but what most people aren’t aware of is that they are also packed with antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamins, and protein among others.

Since exercise can cause oxidative stress, it would make sense to include antioxidant-rich food in one’s diet. Something blueberries have a lot to offer.

Apart from the nutrients it carries, eating blueberries are also good post-workout because it has been linked to quicker muscle recovery time.

Final Thoughts

Getting a good workout in every day is good for the body but this doesn’t necessarily mean that we should be ignoring the recovery part.

The foods mentioned above should help not only in increasing your performance but also with muscle recovery and protein synthesis, all of which the body needs after a good workout session.