These are the best recovery supplements to keep you feeling great and seeing big after a workout.
When it comes to making progress in the gym, you’ve probably heard the cliché ‘no pain, no gain’.
More often than not, taking such an approach to training is a great way to push yourself to reach your fitness goals (provided you don’t take the pain part way too seriously!).
Whatever the case, if you’re planning on going all out during your workouts, it’s vital to make recovery a priority after your sessions with a solid recovery supplement to aid in nutrition and provide for solid energy.
If you fail to do so, then you might just negatively affect your performance, or even worse, wind up getting injured which is why post workout recovery is so important for growth and sustained energy as well as nutrition.
Either way, we’re sure you’ll want to avoid such things.
Luckily, you can kick-start your recovery with ease by giving your muscles enough time to repair alongside taking in the right nutrients from a recovery supplement to boost nutrition and energy.
To go a step further, you might be considering using supplements. If so, then it’s possible to speed up your post workout recovery considerably, so long as you opt for the right ones.
One thing to remember is that not all supplements for recovery are created equal. And if you don’t do your due diligence, you might end up using supplements that will do little to help you, if at all.
To help make your decision easier, the following article will delve deeper into the top workout recovery supplements available nowadays and will discuss exactly what they do to help you and your nutrition needs.
Along the way, we’ll look at:
- Why you should pay close attention to post-workout recovery
- The science behind recovery
- Which ingredients are best for recovery
- Our recommendations for the top workout recovery supplements
*Are you in a hurry? Then check out the #1 post-workout supplement for recovery: Performance Lab® Post
Important Information For Your Post-Workout Recovery Routine
Achieving peak performance is something many people set their sights on, particularly for elite athletes who continually strive to push themselves forward in their fitness journey.
But if you don’t take into account your recovery post workout, you’ll potentially miss out on a prime opportunity to nourish your muscles and keep your body in an anabolic (tissue building) state.
For anyone who likes to go all out during their sessions, a robust recovery plan is even more crucial, as this ensures that your body will effectively repair the muscle breakdown that occurs during exercise making workout recovery supplements highly effective for your nutrition and energy levels.
Perfecting your workout recovery routine takes time, dedication, and consistency, but a great way to take things to new levels is to make use of supplements.
However, one thing to remember is that not all ingredients will be as helpful as they may seem, which is why you must read up on the best ingredients for workout recovery supplements.
As it happens, that’s what we’re about to cover in the next section.
Top Ingredients For A Faster Recovery
For anyone looking to boost their exercise performance, pre-workout supplements are usually the first port of call.
However, it’s important to choose wisely, as many products on the market are loaded with stimulants that can increase energy, but will cause unwanted side effects such as jitters.
Luckily, a good caffeine-free pre-workout containing proven ingredients such as L-citrulline, beta-alanine, and creatine enables you to avoid such side effects and upgrade your strength and intensity during tough training workouts with great recovery supplements.
To take things a step further, it’s well worth consuming the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) – leucine, isoleucine, and valine, immediately after your workout.
This is because BCAAs are great for reloading your muscles for healthier and faster recovery, while also helping to reduce muscle soreness.
A solid fish oil supplement will also go a long way, with omega-3 fish oils known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Read on as we take a closer look at recovery ingredients that experts most commonly recommend for after training.
Creatine
Creatine monohydrate is an ingredient that plays an essential role in the muscle growth and recovery process – allowing athletes to train harder for longer and reduce muscle damage. [1]
And given that exercise depletes creatine from the muscles, it would be beneficial to supplement with this ingredient, even more so if you’ve gone hard during your session to maximize effects of a workout recovery supplement like creatine.
In fact, a 12-week study looking at the benefits of creatine supplementation discovered that those who consumed creatine post-workout recovered from strength training significantly faster than those who didn’t supplement with creatine. [2]
Not only that, research also suggests that creatine monohydrate is effective at improving body composition and strength while it works to reduce muscle damage. [3]
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is an ingredient commonly found in pre-workout supplements, which isn’t surprising as it can extend an athlete’s time to exhaustion and muscle failure to boost training.
But even when consumed post-workout or on rest days, beta-alanine is a useful compound to look out for thanks to its ability to reduce a build-up of lactic acid.
This science-backed ingredient is proven for enhancing energy and endurance exercise performance and lean muscle mass. [4]
And when taken consistently during periods of intense training, beta-alanine can make an enormous difference in achieving peak performance and optimal nutrition.
A 2011 study [5] also found that beta-alanine can have a positive effect on your performance when taking on high-intensity exercises which last between one and four minutes.
When taken post-workout, beta-alanine also reloads muscle carnosine, ensuring that you’ll feel stronger and more energized for your next exercise session.
L-Glutamine
As one of the building blocks of protein, L-glutamine has the potential to help significantly with muscle repair after you’ve taken part in a tough workout, while also supporting the healthy functioning of your immune system.
The most abundant out of amino acids in the body, L-glutamine plays an essential role in protein metabolism, which protects your hard-earned muscle gains.
One study from 2011 even discovered that those who supplemented with L-glutamine after strength training experienced a reduction in delayed-onset muscle soreness, otherwise known as DOMS. [6]
Research also suggests that having an insufficient amount of glutamine in your body is linked with muscle catabolism and post-workout soreness. [7]
So, it’s clear that supplementing with L-glutamine is a great way to step up your recovery after going hard during a workout and keeping nutrition in mind.
Protein
ProteinYou’ll likely already be aware of the benefits of a high-protein diet for muscle building and recovery.
But if you’re looking to take full advantage of the anabolic window which can remain open for up to 36 hours post exercise, you must keep your protein intake high and consider supplements with branched chain amino acids.
Experts recommend consuming around 1.4 g – 2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight every day for best results. You can split this into separate doses throughout the day.
And for those looking to optimize muscle protein synthesis (MPS) overnight, it’s recommended that you consume around 30-40 g of protein immediately before going to bed.
There are many whey protein powders to choose from on the market. But, if you’re in search of a clean, vegan-friendly option, Oryzatein® is an excellent choice, with research suggesting it can help you build muscle as effectively as whey protein. [8]
The Top 5 Best Supplements for Recovery
Given that you’ve stumbled upon this article, there’s a good chance you’re searching for supplements to enhance your recovery after tough workouts, right?
There is a whole host to choose from, but it’s essential to do your research, so you don’t end up with a recovery supplement that isn’t good enough for your nutrition goals.
Thankfully, there’s no need to sift through the wealth of poor quality, synthetic products you’ll find scattered across the web, as we’ve done the hard work for you.
Continue reading for our top 5 recommended supplements that will help you max out your recovery and return to peak performance for your next session.
1. Performance Lab® SPORT Post
After a tough session in the gym, your priority should be to restore and recharge your depleted muscle by consuming the right nutrients and giving yourself ample recovery time using workout recovery supplements for advanced supplementation.
Unfortunately, not everyone takes this seriously, which might mean that you’re not able to perform at your best by the time your next training day comes along.
That’s where Performance Lab® SPORT Post comes in.
Counteracting the adverse effects caused by fluid depletion, muscle damage, and inflamed connective tissues, SPORT Post optimizes growth and repair so you’ll be ready and raring to go for your next workout without muscle breakdown.
Safe and practical, the innovative sports-drink-in-a-capsule design of SPORT Post offers a convenient means of rehydrating your body, with all ingredients contained within vegan-friendly, prebiotic infused NutriCaps® constructed from pullulan (fermented tapioca).
2. Performance Lab® SPORT Maintain
Optimal strength, power, and endurance are all vital components for making the most out of your workouts.
But after you’ve taken part in a tough session, your muscle can become depleted, which means you must do everything in your power to restore and recharge them effectively.
Thankfully, Performance Lab® Maintain makes the process simple, with its unique formula allowing you to:
- Prime your muscles to achieve peak performance in your next session
- Rejuvenate depleted muscle groups with essential sports nutrients
- Extend muscle nourishment by as much as 12 hours and help build muscle
- Maximize anabolic potential on rest days
The ultraclean design of SPORT Maintain is entirely free of additives, synthetics, and artificial colors. And just like SPORT Post, this supplement also uses 100% plant-based, prebiotic-infused NutriCaps®.
3. Performance Lab® Sleep
We all know how important sleep is for optimal rest and recovery. But for one reason or another, it’s not always possible to get a decent amount of undisturbed sleep each night.
Step in Performance Lab® Sleep—an ultramodern sleep aid that comes with many benefits, including:
- Sleep support, muscle comfort, and muscle recovery
- Natural melatonin from Tart Cherry (CherryPURE®)
- Maximization of your anabolic potential on rest days
With no groggy side effects, Performance Lab® Sleep speeds up sleep onset by relaxing muscles and nerves, while extending the deepest anabolic sleep phases so you can enjoy a restful night’s sleep.
You can take Performance Lab® Sleep on both training and rest days. It contains science-backed, high quality ingredients including CherryPURE® Montmorency tart cherry (500 mg), TryptoPure™ L-Tryptophan (250 mg), and a Magnesium Complex (100 mg), all working in combination so you can wake up feeling revitalized and ready to take on the day.
4. Performance Lab® SPORT Protein
Clean, vegan-friendly, and delicious, Performance Lab® SPORT Protein – our #1 recommended protein powder, is the ideal solution for those looking for more effective muscle growth and repair after tough workouts.
Containing Oryzatein® Certified Organic Brown Rice (Oryza Sativa) Protein Concentrate, SPORT Protein not only supports peak overall athletic performance, it also promotes healthy muscle recovery, too.
What makes this product even better is that Oryzatein® leucine boasts a 30% faster absorption rate than whey protein, meaning SPORT Protein is the ideal solution to enhance your muscle growth, strength, and performance.
Performance Lab® went with 100% natural flavorings for SPORT Protein, with organic cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon yacon monk fruit and stevia used to create a uniquely delicious taste.
You can consume SPORT Protein at any time of the day, including in the evenings, as it contains no ingredients that will disturb your sleep.
And if you take it on a rest day, you can expect it to support peak overall athletic performance, promote healthy muscle recovery, and so much more.
5. Performance Lab® SPORT Carb
Most people are aware of the importance of consuming carbohydrates post-workout, with both simple and complex carbs known to:
- Replenish your body’s glycogen stores.
- Boost your energy to achieve enhanced endurance and muscle growth
However, the problem with traditional carbs is that unwanted side effects such as energy crashes and bloating often occur, which is why it’s crucial to choose your carb sources wisely.
But thanks to the amplified stim-free formula in SPORT Carb, it’s possible to avoid drawbacks such as the above while enjoying the benefits associated with post-workout carb consumption.
Instead of using your typical KarboLyn® formula, SPORT Carb goes a step further by including ingredients such as Himalayan Pink Salt and Organic Coconut sugar, ingredients which allow for enhanced carbohydrate transport and muscle hydration.
And when taken with SPORT Protein immediately after your session, you can help to speed up muscle glycogen replenishment and muscle protein synthesis. [9]
Final Thoughts
Recovery is something that many people fail to get right, especially to begin with. But if you’re struggling to always perform at your best during workouts, using a good recovery supplement either on its own or as part of a stack can make an enormous difference and the having the right products can really boost training.
The first step is to give your muscles enough time to repair and grow while keeping your intake of water high on both training and rest days. Once you’ve taken this into account, it’s then time to focus on the diet and supplementation side of things by finding good products.
Over time, you’ll soon find that returning to peak performance in time for your next session becomes far more natural, especially if you opt for any of the supplements we’ve recommended above.
But if you’re looking to upgrade your anabolic potential, maximize your muscle gains, and kick your recovery process into gear, it’s well worth taking our #1 post-workout supplement—Performance Lab® SPORT Post, immediately after your session.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5469049/
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-6-13
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3750511/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2649036/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374095/pdf/726_2011_Article_1200.pdf
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1728869X12600070
- https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/131/9/2569S/4687610
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5302255/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5596471/
