Eating for recovery

Enough energy comes first

If you do not eat enough overall, your body has to choose where to spend limited energy. Repair and adaptation often lose out. The signs are familiar: constant soreness, heavy legs, poor sleep, low mood, frequent colds and training that stalls or goes backwards.

This is common in people who start training hard while also dieting aggressively, and in busy people who skip meals without noticing. It is also a particular risk for women who train a lot, where low energy availability can affect periods, bones and hormones. Missing or irregular periods are a reason to see your GP.

If recovery is poor, check your intake before looking for supplements. Track a normal week. If you are in a large deficit while training five or six times a week, easing the deficit or adding a planned diet break may do more for recovery than anything else.

Protein every day, not just after training

Muscle repair continues on rest days, so protein needs stay roughly the same seven days a week. Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight a day, split into three or four servings of 25 to 40 g.

Many people eat well on training days and let protein slide on rest days, particularly weekends. A simple fix is to keep your breakfast and one other meal fixed every day, so your baseline holds regardless of what else happens.

A protein-rich snack before bed, such as Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese or a glass of milk, may support overnight repair a little, although the evidence suggests daily total matters most.

Refuelling carbohydrate

Hard conditioning, long runs and high-volume lifting drain muscle glycogen. If you have a day or two before your next hard session, normal meals will refill it. If you train hard on consecutive days, or twice in a day, carbohydrate needs a deliberate place in the meals after training.

• After a big session with another one within 24 hours: a generous portion of rice, pasta, potatoes, bread or oats at the next two meals
• After a moderate session with a rest day to follow: your normal portions
• On rest days: slightly smaller carbohydrate portions and more vegetables, while keeping protein the same

People who cut carbohydrate hard often notice that their second and third sessions of the week feel much worse than the first. That is often a refuelling problem rather than a fitness one.

Here is how a day after a big Saturday session might look for someone training again on Sunday: porridge with milk, yoghurt and berries for breakfast; a chicken and rice bowl at lunch; a banana and a glass of milk mid-afternoon; salmon, potatoes and vegetables at dinner; and cottage cheese before bed. Nothing special, just enough of the right things at regular intervals.

Foods that may help with soreness

No food prevents muscle soreness, which is a normal response to new or hard training. Our guide to DOMS explains why it happens. Some foods have modest evidence for helping, and they are healthy choices anyway.

• Oily fish: omega-3 fats may slightly reduce soreness and support joint comfort. Aim for one or two portions a week.
• Tart cherry juice: some studies show small reductions in soreness after hard exercise, though it is not a must-have.
• Colourful fruit and vegetables: berries, leafy greens, peppers and beetroot provide a wide range of plant compounds linked with recovery and general health.
• Milk: combines protein, carbohydrate, fluid and electrolytes, making it a surprisingly good recovery drink.

Be cautious with high-dose antioxidant supplements, such as large doses of vitamin C or E. Some research suggests they may blunt some of the adaptations training is meant to produce. Getting antioxidants from food does not seem to have that downside.

Eating when you are injured

When people get injured, they often cut their food sharply because they are training less. But healing tissue needs energy and protein, sometimes more than you expect. Dropping intake too far can slow recovery and lead to muscle loss around the injury.

Reduce carbohydrate slightly if your activity has fallen a lot, but keep protein at the upper end of the usual range and eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains. Our physio guide to exercise rehabilitation covers the movement side, and the on-site physiotherapy at Lycan Strength can build a plan around your injury, with 20% off treatment for members. If an injury is not improving or you are unsure what it is, get it assessed rather than guessing.

Alcohol deserves a mention too. It interferes with sleep and muscle repair, and heavy drinking after hard sessions slows recovery. Our guide to alcohol and training covers the details.