Unlock the Four R’s of Recovery Nutrition
The new year is a perfect time for setting goals and adopting healthy habits. Prioritizing balanced eating and nutrition supports overall health and recovery, especially in athletes looking to improve their skills.
We spoke to Kelly Drager who is the Lead Performance Dietitian at the Canadian Sport Institute Alberta, about the important role nutrition plays in athletic recovery. Continue reading to learn the ‘four Rs’ of recovery nutrition and to discover recipes you can use to prioritize your athletic performance.
What is recovery?
“Recovery is essentially time spent outside of training. It’s important because it allows athletes to adapt and reset between training sessions and to prepare to do all the things that they need to do to ensure that they’re progressing in their sport. The core components that have a large contribution to athlete recovery and performance are sleep, nutrition, and training periodization.”
What is recovery nutrition?
“When we look at recovery nutrition, we can use the Rs to help remember what we are trying to achieve and the specific nutrients that accomplish this: Refuel, Rebuild, Rehydrate, and Restore.”
“For refueling we want to replace the energy used during a training session which is mostly stored energy in the muscles. Consuming carbohydrate rich foods during this time assist with filling this tank.”
“With rebuilding we look to protein food items that will assist in repairing and when required, muscle growth. To reach your protein goals, try incorporating more lean meats, like chicken, eggs, tofu and other plant-based protein options into everyday meals.”
Recipes to Try:
“Rehydrating focuses on replacing fluid loss during training sessions. For immediately after training or competition we are looking at foods and/or liquids that attend to the hydration, protein and carbohydrates. This might be something that is an all-in-one beverage like a homemade smoothie.”
“Restore gut and immune function by focusing on nutrient dense food options at recovery meals such as the addition of colourful fruits and vegetables, and different types of fibres.”
After a big training session, or after completing an event, what would you recommend athletes prioritize to help their recovery?
“Athletes should always be recovering with a purpose, and when it comes to nutrition, it’s important to consider timing (when to eat), nutrients (what to eat), and amounts (how much to eat). ”
“And then for meals, we’re looking at whole food options of protein, such as chicken, whole grains which could be types of pasta, rice, or tuber vegetables, and then combining that with a bunch of colourful vegetables and flavours that the athlete likes. ”
Recipes to try:
Kelly has a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry, a Bachelor of Physical Education degree, and a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition. She has been working in sport for over 20 years and has been involved with over 10 different national sport organizations – including Skate Canada.
For more tips about nutrition composition and meal ideas that support athletic performance, check out this resource from the CSIA.