recovery drink

misterdeeds

I was talking to a fellow runner today about recovery drinks etc and he has told me to try "creatine monohydrate" he swears by it and never seems to b struggling, I wonder is this any good and would like to hear peoples opinion on this drink or something similar that works for them
thanks in advance :-)

ultraman1

if it was any good ,everybody wud be usin it,,try a glass of milk and a bannana

ecoli

I have found most of the time these "recovery drinks" are over hyped. I usually keep it simple. A Yazoo choc milk after sessions does the job for me and I know a few others who swear by it to

ecoli

misterdeeds wrote: »

I was talking to a fellow runner today about recovery drinks etc and he has told me to try "creatine monohydrate" he swears by it and never seems to b struggling, I wonder is this any good and would like to hear peoples opinion on this drink or something similar that works for them
thanks in advance :-)

People always look to the gimmicks as opposed to the athletes training here or sleep patterns. that would be my first port of call

menoscemo

ultraman1 wrote: »

if it was any good ,everybody wud be usin it,,try a glass of milk and a bannana

Alternatively, try a banana flavoured Yazoo

BenMicheal

misterdeeds wrote: »

I was talking to a fellow runner today about recovery drinks etc and he has told me to try "creatine monohydrate" he swears by it and never seems to b struggling, I wonder is this any good and would like to hear peoples opinion on this drink or something similar that works for them
thanks in advance :-)

You will always get people who will always be sceptical about these things in the same way you always get people that will swear by them but at the end of the day the old Ali line about the fight being won on in the gym and roads away from the camera always rings true.

Creatine Monohydrate works for me personally. It doesnt make me run faster but does help with the post run recovery. That said its not something you can take every now and again and in this is the problem for most. For it to work one has to go through a loading phase (take a tea spoon of it 3-4 times a day for five days) before reducing the intake to 1 teaspoon a day/after training. After 4 weeks of this you have to take 4 weeks off without taking it before starting the process again. Also its not the cheapest of suppliments.

misterdeeds

ultraman1 wrote: »

if it was any good ,everybody wud be usin it,,try a glass of milk and a bannana

What kinda training do u do as in miles per week and average pace per mile?

MrCreosote

Creatine is useless for any distance running- just slows you down by making you heavier.

It helps sprinters and field athletes though.

Save your money for something better.

BobMac104

not that i take it myself but they have shown recently that consuming a low (lower than for power athletes) amount daily may help pull glycogen into muscles more efficiently after training which sounds like it may be of some benefit dependant on how its taken.

ultraman1

misterdeeds wrote: »

What kinda training do u do as in miles per week and average pace per mile?

check me t log

rom

People rave about Yazoo but we got ;Semi-Skimmed Milk,Glucose Fructose Syrup ,Sugar (3%) ,Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (1%) ,Stabilisers: Cellulose ,Cellulose Gum and Carrageenan ,Natural Flavouring

Glucose Fructose Syrup ain't good for you. I am thinking of just going with beetroot juice for recovery instead of anything else.

ecoli

rom wrote: »

People rave about Yazoo but we got ;Semi-Skimmed Milk,Glucose Fructose Syrup ,Sugar (3%) ,Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (1%) ,Stabilisers: Cellulose ,Cellulose Gum and Carrageenan ,Natural Flavouring

Glucose Fructose Syrup ain't good for you. I am thinking of just going with beetroot juice for recovery instead of anything else.

Not a bad option for recovery considering the amino acids but can dent the wallet. If you look hard enough you will find most things have some element which is bad for you, as long as you maintain balance and moderation you should be fine

eldiva

I find Cherry Active the best for recovery. It's a bit price for the size of the bottle you pay for, but it actually goes a long way. I would use self-made chocolate milk or cup of tea

rom

eldiva wrote: »

I find Cherry Active the best for recovery. It's a bit price for the size of the bottle you pay for, but it actually goes a long way. I would use self-made chocolate milk or cup of tea

I thought that you need fast burning carbs and protein as part of a recovery drink ? I saw a doc on a top UK cyclist who used bread and jam as he got carb and sugar.

rom

ecoli wrote: »

Not a bad option for recovery considering the amino acids but can dent the wallet. If you look hard enough you will find most things have some element which is bad for you, as long as you maintain balance and moderation you should be fine

2.49 for a 4x200ml pack in tesco. If I was only to use them after sessions that's only like 0.43 Euro per go. Comparing this to Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1 Recovery which would have 30 servings per container. Price 50 Euro with 30 servings which is 1.67 Euro per go. So a quater of the price. I know you are not comparing with these but say if you have one after 3 sessions a week it ain't going to break the bank.

Plus I can lump it in the shopping so it makes it cheaper still :pac:

ecoli

rom wrote: »

2.49 for a 4x200ml pack in tesco. If I was only to use them after sessions that's only like 0.43 Euro per go. Comparing this to Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1 Recovery which would have 30 servings per container. Price 50 Euro with 30 servings which is 1.67 Euro per go. So a quater of the price. I know you are not comparing with these but say if you have one after 3 sessions a week it ain't going to break the bank.

Plus I can lump it in the shopping so it makes it cheaper still :pac:

Didnt know they did it was comparing to health store prices. Must look into that

nerraw1111

rom wrote: »

People rave about Yazoo but we got ;Semi-Skimmed Milk,Glucose Fructose Syrup ,Sugar (3%) ,Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (1%) ,Stabilisers: Cellulose ,Cellulose Gum and Carrageenan ,Natural Flavouring

Glucose Fructose Syrup ain't good for you. I am thinking of just going with beetroot juice for recovery instead of anything else.

Check out the m and s chocolate flavoured milk. I *think* it contains none of the stuff above. Stabilisers are carrageenan and xanthan gum though.

walshb

A good healthy smoothie is the best option.

eldiva

rom wrote: »

I thought that you need fast burning carbs and protein as part of a recovery drink ? I saw a doc on a top UK cyclist who used bread and jam as he got carb and sugar.

Well carbs and sugar are the same thing. Most recovery drinks will have simple sugars/carbs for easy absorption. But yes there are athletes which will use bread and jam or peanut butter and bread for recovery.

Cherry Active, choc milk and tea all have enough sugar and carbs to keep you going until you can get a proper meal with the right amount of carbs, protein, fats and other nutrients you need

mithril

If you believe something works, it always will to some extent.
Some amazing research has been done on how effective injecting sugary water was during the war as an anaesthetic when the real thing ran out.

Try taking something for 3 months, stop for 3 months and start again for 3 months and see if you notice any difference. The only thing I found to be of any obvious value is a constant intake of sugar during a race in any form.
I take a banana and chocolate milk after a race if I have it handy, because received wisdom is that its good for you, but have never noticed any obvious benefit.

meijin

rom wrote: »

I thought that you need fast burning carbs and protein as part of a recovery drink ?

Yes, so why not using the simplest and cheapest option, with no rubbish added: glucose / maltodextrin + unflavoured protein of your preference?

Krusty_Clown

meijin wrote: »

Yes, so why not using the simplest and cheapest option, with no rubbish added: glucose / maltodextrin + unflavoured protein of your preference?

Simplest option?! I would have thought that the simplest option would be a pint of full fat milk, rather than mixing together a number of manufactured powders. Simplicity clearly means different things to different folks. Although I suppose these days they're equally likely to contain horse DNA.

Oregano_State

+1 I'm a pint-of-milk post-run man myself, I get through over a litre most days, full fat.

I've taken creatine monohydrate in the past for weightlifting, and I found it good. I may start again, but milk is doing the job just fine at the moment.

ASIMON0V

rom wrote: »

2.49 for a 4x200ml pack in tesco. If I was only to use them after sessions that's only like 0.43 Euro per go. Comparing this to Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1 Recovery which would have 30 servings per container. Price 50 Euro with 30 servings which is 1.67 Euro per go. So a quater of the price. I know you are not comparing with these but say if you have one after 3 sessions a week it ain't going to break the bank.

Plus I can lump it in the shopping so it makes it cheaper still :pac:

i'm not saying ON is the best solution but am I right in thinking that a serving of ON 2:1:1 has just under 5 times the protein and twice the carbohydrate than 200ml of Yazoo (34g V 7g for protein and 38g v 20g for carbs)?

This probably needs to be factored into the cost / value equation somewhere.

That said, I drink milk for recovery usually; but take a recovery drink (provon revive) if i have hard back to back sessions.

hardCopy

Chocolate Fudge Frijis are nicer than Yazoo, and Haribos are nicer than a scoop of anything.

rom

Would Cola Cao be any good ?

mak78

hardCopy wrote: »

Chocolate Fudge Frijis are nicer than Yazoo, and Haribos are nicer than a scoop of anything.

+1 for the Chocolate Fudge Frijis, they're really nice.
Or else 2 bananas, milk, some whey protein powder (& some honey if you want) in a blender. Sorted for carbs & protein - with no crap.

jmcc99_98

mak78 wrote: »

+1 for the Chocolate Fudge Frijis, they're really nice.
Or else 2 bananas, milk, some whey protein powder (& some honey if you want) in a blender. Sorted for carbs & protein - with no crap.

What would be the quantities or powder and Milk?

mak78

jmcc99_98 wrote: »

What would be the quantities or powder and Milk?

No need to be overly scientific about it ... but around 2 scoops (15g protein) and maybe half a pint or so of milk. Should give you roughly a 4:1 carbs to protein ratio

Larry Brent

mak78 wrote: »

+1 for the Chocolate Fudge Frijis, they're really nice.
Or else 2 bananas, milk, some whey protein powder (& some honey if you want) in a blender. Sorted for carbs & protein - with no crap.

Wouldn't there be a fair bit of crap in the whey protein powder? Flavourings, preservatives, Corn Maltodextrin, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Salt, Carageenan, Xanthan Gum, Acesulfame Potassium, and Sucralose etc.?

Ceepo

rom wrote: »

Would Cola Cao be any good ?

As a recovery drink i wouldn't think so, but might be some advantage while training on a long long run, or Marathon

mak78

Larry Brent wrote: »

Wouldn't there be a fair bit of crap in the whey protein powder? Flavourings, preservatives, Corn Maltodextrin, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Salt, Carageenan, Xanthan Gum, Acesulfame Potassium, and Sucralose etc.?

Nope. A good quality pure whey protein powder like kinectica or pulsin brand will be just whey protein isolate. Don't confuse protein powder with protein recovery mixes which sold likely contain all that sort of stuff

ASIMON0V

mak78 wrote: »

Nope. A good quality pure whey protein powder like kinectica or pulsin brand will be just whey protein isolate. Don't confuse protein powder with protein recovery mixes which sold likely contain all that sort of stuff

are you sure? Pulsin have pure isolate but most protein powders will have some combination of flavours, sweeteners, emulsifers and stabilisers. Do Kinetica have a straight protein product without flavour?

ecoli

mak78 wrote: »

Nope. A good quality pure whey protein powder like kinectica or pulsin brand will be just whey protein isolate. Don't confuse protein powder with protein recovery mixes which sold likely contain all that sort of stuff

Always read the label:

Kinetica Whey Protein Ingredients: BIOTEIN™ Protein Blend (Ultra Filtered Whey Protein Concentrate, Cross flow Micro Filtered Whey Protein Isolate, Hydrolysed Whey Protein Concentrate), Natural Flavouring, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Digestive Enzyme (AMINOGEN), Stabiliser (Carboxymethycellulose), Sweetener (Sucralose)

http://www.proteinsdepot.ie/kinetica-whey-protein-4-5kg.html?gclid=CI-u946y_7QCFW_KtAodNy8Ang#additdata_1-tab

Dtp79

Cherry active. 100 percent organic and natural. Look it up online to see its benifets

mak78

ecoli wrote: »

Always read the label:



http://www.proteinsdepot.ie/kinetica-whey-protein-4-5kg.html?gclid=CI-u946y_7QCFW_KtAodNy8Ang#additdata_1-tab

I stand corrected - I use the Pulsin one myself, someone else had recommended the Kinetica one to me but i haven't used it.

Aimman

I've done a lot of Recovery drinks and usually go through phases of changing them for variety

For a powder one I'm currently using the Hi Five 4:1 Recovery (bought a big stash during an expo), but the best one I would recommend from my experience is the 'For Goodness Shake' recovery drink from Amphibian King/Base to Race. Easy to make up as you can just add sachet to ordinary water bottle. No need for a shaker.

If I fancy a home-made recovery, I'd blend up milk, banana, raw egg, honey peanut butter and cinnamon.

I'd expect science wont point to one drink above the rest as it probably depends on everyone's physical make-up and ability to absorb and utilise proteins etc and the level of damage sustained during training.

jmcc99_98

When do people suggest you take recovery drinks? After every workout? I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but I just wonder what the benefit is in burning 500kcals on a run for example and then drinking a chocolate friji which has probably the same amount of kcal.

I'm not overly concerned with losing weight but don't want to gain it either.

What exactly are the benefits of taking these drinks over having a glass of water, I understand they replace nutrients lost in exercise but what are the benefits of getting these nutrients back into the body quickly as I'm sure the body will get them from other sources over the course of the day or indeed the body may even produce some of them.

Again I apologise if this is a ridiculous question

rom

Within 20 mins. Protein for repair and fast burning carbs so you don't burn muscle. Thats what I has read anyways.

Aimman

rom wrote: »

Within 20 mins. Protein for repair and fast burning carbs so you don't burn muscle. Thats what I has read anyways.

Yep.

Optimally, the best time to take a recovery drink is 20 mins after a workout, but you can still get benefits if you drink it up to an hour after workout, but more effective within the first 20 mins.

Some instructions will tell you to take one within 20 mins and then one after an hour, but I think this might be a sneaky way of doubling their sales.

But admittedly, I have sometimes followed their instructions and drank two within the hour. :rolleyes:

jmcc99_98

Ok, so within 20 Minutes. But should it be after every work out of just particularly hard ones?

Like sometimes I will go out and do a 8 or 10k run and feel fine after it (Should I take a recovery drink then) but I might do a very tough half hour on the bike (Would I take one then)

Ya see I will usually do some form of exercise everyday, either in Gym or a 5k+ run, or long cycle, Im just thinking that drinking one of these recovery drinks or a friji chocolate milk everyday of the week cant be good for me

rom

jmcc99_98 wrote: »

Ok, so within 20 Minutes. But should it be after every work out of just particularly hard ones?

Like sometimes I will go out and do a 8 or 10k run and feel fine after it (Should I take a recovery drink then) but I might do a very tough half hour on the bike (Would I take one then)

Ya see I will usually do some form of exercise everyday, either in Gym or a 5k+ run, or long cycle, Im just thinking that drinking one of these recovery drinks or a friji chocolate milk everyday of the week cant be good for me

It is personal choice but I would consider a interval/tempo session or a long run a hard workout and all the rest not needing of such a drink. TBH some of the sessions could give it a miss also. Its an easy habit to get into taking it after every run but it will only put on weight as you could be taking in more calories in a single drink than you burned on your run and you probably will eat a meal within an hour of that. I feel that after a race where food is not always easy to get them very handy. But I went out and bought a load of Yazoo's the other day.

menoscemo

Personally I'd only consider a Recovery drink after a 2hr+ run or after a race.
I'd rarely have one after an interval session/tempo run as I'd be usually getting dinner within an hour of midweek sessions finishing.

rom

menoscemo wrote: »

Personally I'd only consider a Recovery drink after a 2hr+ run or after a race.
I'd rarely have one after an interval session/tempo run as I'd be usually getting dinner within an hour of midweek sessions finishing.

This is defo a better approach and probably slowing my speed to my goal weight.

Ceepo

I have to say i am not convinced on the Recovery drink thing (any brand).
and i have take a few brands over the years and hand on heart i can say i have never noticed any difference taking them or not
but i know some on here take them, so each to there own,
I can see as rom said, taking one when there is nothing else like after a race.
My own opinion is that there is no need for them, if you are having something to eat within a short time after training, that said if you are commuting for more that an hour or have no way of getting some "real" food i can see some benefit as its better than having nothing, and there is the convince factor to add weight to the argument for taking them.

I have said it before on another thread that imo if you are eating a good balanced diet there should be no need to take Recovery drinks, Protein drinks, or any other supplements, if you dont have a good diet then maybe you should look to see if you could improve it before trying anything that comes in Powder or Tablet form

Yes of course if you are taking them and you think there is a benefit, well keep taking it,

Murph_D

BBC did a Panorama programme on this a while back - sports drinks, supplements, recovery drinks etc. The consensus was that they don't work for most people, most of the time, if I remember correctly.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2012/jul/19/panorama-truth-about-sports-products

rom

murphd77 wrote: »

BBC did a Panorama programme on this a while back - sports drinks, supplements, recovery drinks etc. The consensus was that they don't work for most people, most of the time, if I remember correctly.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2012/jul/19/panorama-truth-about-sports-products

Sugar water is a totally different thing. Would only take it for a marathon but diluted down a lot.

Murph_D

rom wrote: »

Sugar water is a totally different thing. Would only take it for a marathon but diluted down a lot.

The programme covered a lot more than lucozade/powerade/gatorade.

Here's a link. The supplements (including recovery drinks) section is about 46 mins in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rul7XbM844

Duanington

Reading through some older threads on recovery drinks here - only because I've decided to "trial" a recovery drink over the next month or so following any long runs or tempo\speedwork.

I tend to do core work before going out to run and found that I simply could not keep up with my appetite during peak training for DCM ( although I am usually asleep by 10 pm which doesn't help I suppose), I eat quite well to be fair but I was finding that hunger would actually wake me up in the mornings after heavy sessions ! ( eat more I hear you say? I don't think I actually could eat any more !)

It seems people have very mixed opinions on recovery drinks, there is general consensus that SOME form of carbs\protein should be taken after an intensive workout so once I'm finished with this recovery drink trial, I might go down the chocolate milk\protein powder route ( sounds massive !).

In general though, what are people's thoughts on the benefits of supplements? Do they have their place at all? Are they a complete rip off? I'm starting to think the protein powders available certainly have a use in the world of anyone running 5\6 miles per week but I'm not convinced by most of the other stuff ...yet

rom

Duanington wrote: »

Reading through some older threads on recovery drinks here - only because I've decided to "trial" a recovery drink over the next month or so following any long runs or tempo\speedwork.

I tend to do core work before going out to run and found that I simply could not keep up with my appetite during peak training for DCM ( although I am usually asleep by 10 pm which doesn't help I suppose), I eat quite well to be fair but I was finding that hunger would actually wake me up in the mornings after heavy sessions ! ( eat more I hear you say? I don't think I actually could eat any more !)

It seems people have very mixed opinions on recovery drinks, there is general consensus that SOME form of carbs\protein should be taken after an intensive workout so once I'm finished with this recovery drink trial, I might go down the chocolate milk\protein powder route ( sounds massive !).

In general though, what are people's thoughts on the benefits of supplements? Do they have their place at all? Are they a complete rip off? I'm starting to think the protein powders available certainly have a use in the world of anyone running 5\6 miles per week but I'm not convinced by most of the other stuff ...yet

Looking at your training log. You suggest that people who run need 50/60 miles a week need something extra. So based on that you are doing less. I toyed with some of these recovery drinks and they ain't needed. If you are wrecked after every run and need these then its overtraining or running too fast.

Go back to basics. All this crap was not needed back 30 years ago when John Tracy was running sub 2:10 why is it needed now ?

In the lead up to DCM 2012 I used to like taking Optimum nutrition as it made me feel better. yes I probably needed more protein. Now I take two raw eggs every morning. It didn't hurt Ron Hill.

Duanington

rom wrote: »

Looking at your training log. You suggest that people who run need 50/60 miles a week need something extra. So based on that you are doing less. I toyed with some of these recovery drinks and they ain't needed. If you are wrecked after every run and need these then its overtraining or running too fast.

Go back to basics. All this crap was not needed back 30 years ago when John Tracy was running sub 2:10 why is it needed now ?

In the lead up to DCM 2012 I used to like taking Optimum nutrition as it made me feel better. yes I probably needed more protein. Now I take two raw eggs every morning. It didn't hurt Ron Hill.

Thanks ROM - to be honest, I'm sceptical about them but have been convinced to at least try them by a well meaning friend. I take the point about the mileage though, I won't be doing 50\60 miles again for quite some time ( I was doing this kind of mileage for about a month during DCM but won't be doing it again for maybe 3\4 months) so why would I use them during a relatively low mileage phase anyway ? ( regardless of the benfits\uselessness)

I'll probably stick to taking one after an intensive\long session ( so twice per week) for the next 4 weeks or so and see how it goes - if nothing else, I can tell my pal I've tried them and they're $hite !

Just to add though, I probably do need to get calories in there somehow when the big miles come along again - maybe peanut butter and the likes is the way to go for that though, we'll see