High-intensity and prolonged exercise induces considerable stress on the body including depletion of energy stores (i.e muscle glycogen depletion), muscle damage, dehydration, damage to your gut and even impaired immune function. For those individuals who are required to perform multiple training sessions or competitive events within or on consecutive days, nutrition in the immediate recovery period can play a fundamental role in promoting recovery of performance and training adaptions. This is true for both the endurance athlete and the team sport athlete who may have high training and competition loads e.g. exercising 2-3 times per day or on consecutive days. It is well documented that our muscles are most receptive to recovery in the initial 30 minutes after exercise but yet, many athletes often have reduced appetites in this time and recovery becomes more of a challenge. As such, we wanted to provide a one stop recovery formula that can take care of your “initial” recovery needs and really help kick start the recovery process.
1. Why Maltodextrin?
Commencing the recovery of your muscle glycogen stores in the initial hour after exercise should be the fundamental recovery goal for those athletes who have to train or compete later that day or the next day. Our muscles are primed to store glycogen at a much greater rate in the immediate recovery period and so we should consume carbohydrate to take advantage of this recovery window(1,2). Optimal glycogen re-synthesis rates can occur with approximately 1-1.2g/kg body mass per hour (i.e. a 70kg athlete would require 70-85grams per hour). REGO Rapid Recovery Plus therefore contains 40g of easily digestible carbohydrate in the form of maltodextrin (a high glycemic carbohydrate) meaning that carbohydrate can be delivered to your muscles quickly. Consuming REGO Rapid Recovery Plus immediately post-exercise will therefore ensure that you have kick-started your glycogen recovery process which can then be followed up with a high carbohydrate snack 30 minutes later.
2. Why Whey Protein and Leucine?
To promote muscle recovery and aid training adaptation, we should also deliver high quality amino acids to our muscles as these provide the building blocks to make new muscle proteins. Many of these newly formed proteins provide muscle structure and operate as enzymes involved in helping to metabolise carbohydrate and fat for fuel. Whereas carbohydrate provides the fuel to help you go again, protein therefore provides the building blocks to help recondition your muscles to that you better withstand the demands of every exercise session as you progressively get stronger and fitter. As such, REGO Rapid Recovery Plus contains high quality whey protein (a fast digesting protein source) including 4g of leucine per serve. The inclusion of leucine is especially important as your muscles will have actually used some leucine for energy during exercise but also that leucine is the main amino acid that activates the process of muscle protein synthesis in the recovery period. This blend and dose of protein is therefore in accordance with that previous demonstrated to promote maximal rates of muscle protein synthesis in the hours after endurance based exercise(3).
3. Why Glutamine?
Glutamine is the most abundant non-essential amino acid found in muscle tissue. During periods of prolonged and intense exercise, both blood and muscle stores of glutamine can become depleted and remain reduced in the post-exercise recovery period. Glutamine is also an important energy source for immune and gut cells, the latter important given that our gut can become damaged during high intensity exercise(4). REGO Rapid Recovery Plus contains 5g of L-Glutamine to help contribute to replenishing the diminished glutamine stores post-exercise. Glutamine supplementation after exercise may therefore improve muscle (promote muscle recovery), immune and gut function.
4. What about Rehydration?
In addition to a vitamin and mineral blend, REGO Rapid Recovery Plus also contains key electrolytes to help promote rehydration. Whilst sweat rate changes with fitness levels, exercise intensity/duration and ambient temperature, we should consume 1.5L of fluid for every 1kg of body mass lost during exercise. By mixing REGO Rapid Recovery Plus in approximately 500ml of water, it is likely that the initial component of your rehydration strategy will also be taken care of.
In summary, REGO Rapid Recovery Plus is designed for those athletes who want to take care of their initial recovery goals by consuming an all in one product. By providing a blend of carbohydrate, protein, leucine, glutamine, vitamins, minerals and key electrolytes, REGO Rapid Recovery Plus can help you promote muscle glycogen resynthesis, muscle protein synthesis, immune and gut function and rehydration.
References
Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K.A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 48(3), 543-568. Ivy, J. L., Katz, A. L., Cutler, C. L., Sherman, W. M., & Coyle, E. F. (1988). Muscle glycogen synthesis after exercise: effect of time of carbohydrate ingestion. Journal of Applied Physiology, 64(4), 1480-1485. Rowlands, D. S., Nelson, A. R., Phillips, S. M., Faulkner, J. A., Clarke, J., Burd, N. A., Moore, D. & Stellingwerff, T. (2015). Protein-leucine fed dose effects on muscle protein synthesis after endurance exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 47, 547-555. Pugh, J. N., Impey, S. G., Doran, D. A., Fleming, S. C., Morton, J. P. & Close, G. L. (2017). Acute high-intensity interval running increases markers of gastrointestinal damage and permeability but not gastrointestinal symptoms. Applied Physiology & Nutrition Metabolism, 16, 1-7.
