Athletes Guide To Creating A Recovery Smoothie

Christine Gemmell
May 15, 2023
2 min read

Athletes often don't think about nutrition as an important component to their post exercise recovery plan. They might understand the importance of some form of recovery therapy like stretching, foam rolling, ice baths, or maybe using a hyper volt gun, if ya fancy. I know in the CrossFit industry, these recovery tools are hot commodities!

However we also need to FUEL the recovery process, especially after intense training periods, such as pre-season and after back to back games and competitions.

There are 4 key ingredients to make a good recovery smoothie:

• COLOUR (AKA fruits and vegetables): to accelerate recovery of muscle function and reduce muscle soreness. Some more examples: blueberries, cherries, frozen kale, raspberries, pineapple, banana • PROTEIN: to help build and repair muscle tissue. Some favourites: whey or plant based protein powder, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, tofu, pasteurized egg whites, milk (cow or soy) • CARBOHYDRATES: to replace muscle glycogen AKA your fuel tank and to increase fibre. Fruits are a source of carbohydrates but for this category we’re looking for longer lasting carbs (complex carbohydrates) like oats or rice • FLUID: to rehydrate. Some favourites are: milk, milk alternatives, coconut water, orange juice, tart cherry juice and of course water. Additional add-ins include: • Healthy fats: if this is your only meal for a while, I recommend including healthy fats as it helps with satiety. They also offer additional nutrients beyond fat (protein and vitamins/minerals). Some examples: avocado, nuts and seeds. • Omega-3 fatty acids & other anti-inflammatory foods: to accelerate recovery and decrease muscle soreness. Some examples: chia seeds, flax seed, walnuts, hemp seeds, turmeric, ginger, any vegetable!

Smoothies are great for post workout nutrition. I often recommend smoothies for athletes who aren’t hungry after training, are on-the-go and/or have limited access to prepare a whole meal.

One of my favourite recipes is this: - 4 strawberries - 4 pieces mango - 1 cube frozen spinach - 2 hefty spoonfuls pain Greek yogurt - 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder - 1/3 cup oats - 1/2 cup (ish) water - Splash of orange juice