Recovery is often treated as the quiet afterthought of training, but science tells a very different story. Recovery is an active, highly coordinated process involving muscle repair, nervous system regulation, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and stress management. How well you recover directly influences how your body adapts to training, how you perform, and how resilient you remain over time.

In this blog, we’ll explore what actually happens in the body after exercise, why recovery is just as important as the workout itself, and how evidence-based nutrition and hydration strategies can help you recover smarter, not just harder.

What should I be eating after exercise?

During exercise, muscles rely on stored glycogen as a primary energy source. Glycogen is derived from carbohydrates, mainly sugars such as glucose and fructose, which are commonly found in sports nutrition products like energy gels. After hard or prolonged exercise, these stores can become significantly depleted, often leaving us feeling fatigued, low on energy, or shaky, clear signs that the body needs refuelling.

Carbohydrates are the most effective way to restore depleted glycogen stores. A landmark study by Ivy and colleagues (1988) demonstrated that consuming carbohydrates immediately after exercise leads to significantly greater muscle glycogen resynthesis than delaying intake by several hours(1). This effect occurs because muscles are especially sensitive to glucose uptake in the early post-exercise period. Subsequent research has reinforced that post-exercise nutrition isn’t just about replacing calories, it's about accelerating recovery and preparing the body for the next training session.

Research suggests that carbohydrate intake in the hours following exercise is the main driver of glycogen restoration, with intakes of around 1.2 g per kilogram of body mass per hour shown to maximize recovery and support repeated performance. Adding protein can further enhance recovery, particularly when carbohydrate intake is lower, by stimulating insulin release and supporting muscle repair. Together, these strategies speed up recovery and improve readiness for subsequent training (Alghannam et al., 2018)(2) A quick an easy way to get in both carbs and protein after training is by using a protein based bar like our Bar+. 

Should I focus on drinking after exercise too?

Alongside glycogen depletion, exercise also results in substantial fluid and sodium losses, especially for heavy or salty sweaters, or when training in hot conditions. Sweat losses vary widely between individuals, but replacing both fluid and electrolytes is a critical part of effective recovery.

Hydration after exercise is not just about volume, what you drink matters. Controlled research comparing a high-sodium oral rehydration solution (ORS), a standard sports drink, and plain water found that both the ORS and sports drink led to significantly better fluid retention during recovery than water alone. The ORS also reduced urine output more rapidly in the first hour, indicating faster early rehydration. (3) These findings highlight that beverages containing sodium and carbohydrate are more effective for restoring hydration and supporting physiological recovery than water alone, particularly after intense or prolonged exercise- our Mix+ is perfect for this. 

Post-Exercise Rehydration Checklist

  • Replace more than you lost
    Aim to drink more fluid than your estimated sweat loss to account for ongoing losses during recovery.

  • Don’t rely on water alone
    Large volumes of plain water can increase urine output and limit effective rehydration.

  • Include sodium
    Use electrolyte drinks or salty foods to improve fluid retention and restore fluid balance. (4)

  • Pair fluids with food
     Eating while drinking enhances overall hydration compared with fluids alone.

  • Limit alcohol intake
     Alcohol increases urine output and can impair rehydration and recovery.

Recovery isn’t passive, it’s a vital process that helps the body adapt to training and get ready for what comes next. Research shows that refuelling with carbohydrates, supporting muscle repair with protein, and restoring fluid and electrolyte balance are all key parts of effective post-exercise recovery.

When recovery is guided by evidence rather than habit or guesswork, it becomes a powerful performance tool instead of an afterthought. Approaching recovery with the same focus as training supports better performance, greater consistency, and long-term health and resilience.

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References

(1) 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 on muscle glycogen storage. Journal of Applied Physiology, 64(4), 1480–1485. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1988.64.4.1480

(2) Alghannam, A. F., Gonzalez, J. T., & Betts, J. A. (2018). Restoration of muscle glycogen and functional capacity: Role of post-exercise carbohydrate and protein co-ingestion. Nutrients, 10(2), 253. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020253

(3) Evans, G. H., James, L. J., Shirreffs, S. M., & Maughan, R. J. (2017). Optimizing the restoration and maintenance of fluid balance after exercise-induced dehydration. Journal of Applied Physiology, 122(4), 945–951. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00745.201

(4) Ly, N. Q., Hamstra-Wright, K. L., & Horswill, C. A. (2023). Post-exercise rehydration in athletes: Effects of sodium and carbohydrate in commercial hydration beverages. Nutrients, 15(22), 4759. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224759