Getting back into running after having a baby can be daunting. And, you can have a training plan complete with speedwork, easy days, tempo runs, long runs, and strength training, but if you miss one other key aspect of training – RECOVERY – you won’t see the improvement you’re after. Especially carrying the fatigue (and sleep deprivation) of looking after baby.
EAT
Whether you are running 400 meter repeats on the track or a half-marathon, your muscles experience microtrauma. In order to see the full benefits of the workout and improve, your muscles need to recover. It’s in that recovery process that the adaptations necessary for building speed or endurance occur. Sleep, rest days, and cutback weeks are all part of the recovery progress – and most immediately, nutrition after your run plays a vital role in recovery.
The worst thing you can do for your recovery after a run is to skip a meal. While many runners hope to lose weight, skipping your post-run snack or meal will not help with weight loss and could deter your running goals by delaying the recovery process.
EAT REAL FOODS
Recovery bars and drinks can be useful if you are on-the-go and unable to eat a real meal within the vital 30-60 minute recovery window, but ultimately you are better off eating real foods. Bars and shakes may provide the carbohydrates and protein you need for recovery, but real foods will provide antioxidants and nutrients as well—which will improve post-exercise recovery by reducing inflammation.
EAT AT THE RIGHT TIMES
When you eat after a run matters just as much, if not more, than what you eat. Running uses glycogen (stored carbohydrates) for energy and causes micro tears in your muscles. If you take the right steps to replenish your glycogen stores and start the recovery process for those micro tears, you will improve as a runner. So what are those right steps?
The best thing you can do to replenish your glycogen stores and jumpstart muscle recovery is to eat within 60 minutes of completing a run. The 60 minutes after a run are often referred to as the “recovery window,” because that is when your muscles are primed to absorb and process carbohydrates into glycogen and protein for muscle repair.
Ideally, you want to eat a combination of carbohydrates and protein after a run. There’s no perfect post run meal or snack—you could choose anything from oatmeal with fruit and nuts to a turkey sandwich. If you are not very hungry after your run, opt for a small snack such as fruit and yogurt. The harder the workout, the more carbohydrates you will need, so be willing to adjust your post-run snack or meal based on the day’s workout.
Recovery nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated—by making a few smart choices, such as eating within 60 minutes and picking a few foods that fight inflammation, you can recover better and keep running.
