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Muscle Recovery 101: The Best Supplement for Muscle Recovery After Workout

Introduction

Post-workout meal for muscle recovery is a vital time that demands suitable nutrition and supplementation to repair and rebuild damaged muscle fibres. Muscle recovery is the most important thing after workout, when we talk about best supplement for muscle recovery after workout, as a fitness freaks the first thing that comes to our mind is whey protein, and then other like creatine, glutamine and so on. This blog post is mainly going to talk about all these supplements that help us in muscle recovery after workout. Or even, here I will talk about some of the natural muscle recovery foods which will also help us for muscle recovery after workout.

Best Supplement for Muscle Recovery After Workout

Whey Protein (Concentrate, Isolate, Hydrolyzed)

Whey Protein
When it comes to the fastest muscle recovery after workout, Whey protein comes on the first number in the list. When we talk about whey protein, we need to understand how it is prepared or how much protein and amino acids it provides in single serving. Whey protein is purely a veg source which is made from pasteurised milk which is fermented as a curd with added enzyme and then the water is taken out from stored curd and that water is collected in the form of whey. After that, whey protein is made by processing the collected water. There are mainly Three Types of Whey Protein.
  • Whey Concentrate
  • Whey Isolate
  • Whey Hydrolyzed
All three types have different national value, as we know all protein have all 9 essential amino acids and have different protein bioavailability. Remained the concentrate form produce 70-80% protein, whey isolate produce 90-95% protein, and hydrolyzed protein claim to be 90-100% protein bioavailability.  Consuming whey protein isolate immediately after a workout provides your muscles with the necessary building blocks to kickstart recovery, promote muscle growth, and prevent muscle breakdown, so we can consider whey protein as the best supplement for muscle recovery after workout. Here your can read our blog about top 10 best whey protein brands in USA market.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine supplement is placed at the second number in this list. Creatine is a compound that primarily stored in skeleton muscles, creatine is mainly derived from three amino acids which are methionine, glycine, and arginine and also two enzymes, l-arginine and glycine amidino transferase, all these amino acids also found in fish, red meat and eggs also. Athletes who do high-intensity workouts, their body utilizes adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for energy, which can become exhausted quickly from body. Creatine supplement refills ATP stores, allowing for nonstop energy production during workouts and faster recovery later. Creatine is a one of the best choice supplements for those all who go to the gym, even for those too who don’t workout. Creatine supplement is the best supplement for muscle recovery after workout, it’s not only gives you muscle recovery but also helps you gain strength or muscle mass. There are many Types of Creatine such as top are.
  • Creatine Monohydrate
  • Creatine Ethyl Ester
  • Creatine Hydrochloride
  • Creatine Micronized
Many scientific researches have proved that creatine monohydrate form in all other creatine form is best supplement for muscle recovery after workout which is along with recovery it’s also help us in muscle building and strength gains. Here a details research and scientific studies on creatine has been published on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

L Glutamine

L Glutamine

L-Glutamine is another supplement which is underrated yet very beneficial for muscle recovery.  So, when we talk about l glutamine which is naturally found in many food items. For example, if we talk about nonveg products, then eggs, beef. Glutamine is found in milk and tofu, cheese. So different quantities of l glutamine are found in all of them. For example, 4.4% in an egg. Around 4.8% in beef. About 8.1% in skim milk. And 9.1% glutamine is found in tofu.  

When we talk about the Benefits of L Glutamine, below are the benefits.

  • It Helps Us in Muscle Recovery.
  • It Helps Us in Reducing Muscle Soreness.
  • It Helps Us in It Is Important in Our Brain Functioning.
  • It Helps Us in Immune System Support.
  • It Helps Us in Improving in Gut Health.

So, L glutamine supplement in itself is a complete one of the best supplement for muscle recovery after workout.

Carbs Supplements or Mass Gainers

Carbs Supplement or Mas Gainer

Some of the companies now a days focusing on manufacturing carbs base supplements such as mass gainers or muscle gainers. So, when we talk about carbohydrate supplements or carbohydrate nutrition, then we must know one thing as if we go to the gym, that apart from protein, carbohydrates also have an equally important role for muscle recovery. So, protein repairs your muscle fibres but carbohydrates restore your glycogen store which your body use for energy during a workout. It is very important to refill your glycogen store after workout. Because if we do not refill our depleted glucose store, then over the time our body will get to the catabolic stage where we are possibly in under the tread of muscle loss. So, we will give equal importance to carbohydrates as protein and other best supplement for muscle recovery after workout.

There are two Types of Carbohydrate.

  • Simple Carbohydrate
  • Complex Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate is a Macronutrients which is basically made up of one or two sugar molecules. For example, simple carbohydrate includes glucose, fructose, and galactose etc. If I use simple language. So, like White Sugar, Chocolate Cake, Pastry, Candy, Cold Drinks etc. contain simple sugar.

Complex carbohydrates are mainly made up of three molecules, stars, fibers and glucose. Complex carbohydrates include potatoes, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables, etc.

For the quick post workout muscle recovery, we should eat some good types of simple carbohydrates like glucose or carbs supplements, and some natural sources like white bread, white potatoes, glucose and bananas while before workout we should eat complex carbohydrates.

So just as protein, creatine and glutamine supplements have made their place in the best supplement for muscle recovery after workout list, similarly carbohydrates are also given a proper place in this category.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Fish oils caps

Omega-3 Fatty Acids or Fish Oil Supplements. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Mainly found in, If I talk about natural sources, then it’s found in Flaxseed, Chia seeds, Walnut, and many fatty fish like salmon and mackerel fish etc.  And in the form of supplement, It’s available in the market under the names of cod liver oil and fish oil. Omega-3 fatty acids have many benefits.

And these benefits, are.

  • Muscle Recovery After Workout.
  • It Help Us to Improve Our Cardiovascular Health.
  • Helps Us in Reducing the Inflammation.
  • Recover From Muscle Soreness and Muscle Fatigue.
  • Help Us in Our Joint Health.
  • Help Us in Reducing Oxidative Stress.
  • It Increases Our Workout Capacity by Promoting More Recovery.

For quick muscle recovery after workout, we need to consume.4 to 5 grams of omega three fatty acids just after our workout.

Some Natural Foods for Post Workout Muscle Recovery

If you are one of the less supplements user or don’t often like recovery shakes and powders! Mother Nature offers a plenty of delicious and powerful foods to help in post workout muscle recovery. Think of them as your natural toolkit for unlocking peak performance and shaped muscles.

Here are top 10 natural sources to replace best supplement for muscle recovery after workout.

Salmon fish

Salmon

Salmon is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have high anti-inflammatory properties which helps us to reduce muscle soreness and inflammations after workout. Salmon fish is a very good source of high quality of protein which is responsible for muscle repair and growth. Its fatty acids help in our cardiovascular health.

Greek Yogurt

Greek Yogurt

Greek Yogurt produce us good number of amino acids packed dairy protein and balance carbs for muscle recovery and restore muscle glycogen. These muscle friendly proteins and amino acids along with carbs make Greek yogurt is the nature best supplement for muscle recovery after workout.

Eggs

Eggs

An egg is considered as a super food, lot of nutrients are found in one egg. One whole egg contains all the nutrients that a common person needs in his daily life. One whole egg contains Vitamin A, Folate, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B 12, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Phosphorus, Selenium, Calcium, and Zinc, Heart friendly cholesterol. Above all a whole egg is a good source of protein, carbohydrates and good fat. The bioavailability of an egg is up to 95%. This means when you eat an egg its nutrition completely absorbed by your body.

Chicken Breast

Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is a very good source of lean protein. The bioavailability of protein nutrition in chicken breast is 70-80%. Chicken breast has almost 0-gram fat and the amount of carbohydrate is also near to 0. So, we can add chicken breast to our post workout for a good muscle recovery. About 26 to 27 grams of protein is found in every 100 grams of chicken breast. You can add 100 to 150 grams of boiled chicken breast in your post workout meal.

Potatoes

Potatoes

So, in the list of natural foods, I have placed potatoes at number five. We keep potatoes in the complex carbohydrate but high GI (glycaemic index) category, which is very important for post workout muscle glycogen refill. Potatoes are very low in fat and protein, potatoes also have multi vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall recovery and immune function.

Bananas

Bananas

Bananas are high in simple carbohydrate, but potassium is also found in a good amount. Along with this, it also contains essential minerals and vitamins. Its simple carbohydrates properties are very essential for post-workout muscle recovery. Due to the high potassium content, bananas reduce risk of stroke, can prevent from kidney stone, help your muscles work well, keep your bone health great as you grow older, and bananas a great for your gut health too.

You can read a details article on health benefits of bananas here.

Conclusion

In the pursuit of the best supplement for muscle recovery after workout, incorporating the right supplements into your diet routine can make a significant difference in your muscle building and fitness goals. Whey protein, creatine monohydrate, l-glutamine, and omega-3 fatty acids stand out as top contenders for supporting muscle repair, reducing soreness, and enhancing recovery. However, it’s essential to remember that supplements should complement a well-balanced diet and proper training program. Moreover, you can replace your supplements with natural food source for optimal muscle recovery. Consultation with a nutritionist or your diet coach can help tailor supplementation and diet to your individual needs and goals, ensuring you unlock your full potential and achieve peak fitness performance.