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If you’re anything like me, the last thing you want to do immediately after a hard effort is eat a big meal. In fact, when you do a high-intensity ride, your body borrows blood from your gut and sends it to your big muscle groups. This results in sluggish digestion and a lack of appetite.
Despite this lack of appetite, your body desperately needs re-nourishment immediately after a hard ride in order to re-fuel, re-hydrate, and rebuild muscle fiber. If you don’t get the post-exercise nutrition your body needs, you might experience excessive fatigue, additional muscle soreness, and a depressed immune system.
Enter the recovery smoothie. It’s quick (you can prep it before your ride), easy to digest, and full of much-needed nutrients. Drink one in the first 60 minutes after finishing a ride for best results.
Here are three of my favorite recovery smoothies. They are all high in protein, carbohydrates, and fluid — the things your body desperately craves after an intense workout.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Recovery Smoothie
1 cup milk of choice (cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk)
1 banana (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
Add all ingredients to your blender. Blend thoroughly, serve and enjoy.
About the Ingredients
Whey Protein
Created as a by-product of cheese production, whey can boost recovery after a hard workout. It is also high in an amino acid called lecuine that is associated with muscle gain, weight loss, and body fat loss. Score!
Bananas
Bananas provide fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are known for improving cardiovascular health, stabilizing gut health, and boosting athletic performance.
Tropical Green Recovery Smoothie
1 cup milk of choice (cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk)
1 banana (fresh or frozen)
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup pineapple (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
Add all ingredients to your blender. Blend thoroughly, serve and enjoy.
About the Ingredients
Spinach
Good ol’ Popeye was definitely on to something. Spinach has a myriad of health benefits. A single cup of spinach (the amount used in the smoothie recipes here) has only 7 calories (heck yeah!) but lots of good stuff like potassium, calcium, fiber, and folate.
Spinach is good for your skin, hair, and bones—yes, it is a beauty booster. Even better, it is full of antioxidants that help prevent cancer. It can lower blood pressure and manage diabetes. The list goes on and on.
Super Strawberry Recovery Smoothie
1 cup milk of choice (cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk)
1 banana (fresh or frozen)
6 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
Add all ingredients to your blender. Blend thoroughly, serve and enjoy.
About the Ingredients
Chia Seeds
Low in calories but not in nutrients, the tiny seeds are a terrific source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Ounce per ounce, they provide more Omega-3s than salmon.
Strawberries
Strawberries are high in levels of antioxidants which help flight both chronic disease and cancer.
If you like these smoothie recipes, check out my e-book, 100 Days of Green Smoothies*, for 100+ nutritious smoothie recipes.
These sound great! And simple to make. Thanks for sharing!