The Voice from the Pacific Northwest Newsletter
Beer - For Post Workout Rehydration and Refueling?
By Peak
Performance
Beer;
can it be used for post workout rehydration and refueling?
Known as the beverage of the gods, brewed from carbohydrate
rich plants, and apparently a source of antioxidants and chock
full of plant based chemicals, beer has been the choice of brew
throughout time as an elixir to celebrate the comradeship of
a sporting lifestyle and the physical demands of training. But
by the time the beer is brewed only a measly 2-5 grams of carbohydrates
are left in a bottle of light beer and an average of 10-12 grams
of carbohydrates in a regular Canadian bottle of beer. This
paltry amount of carbohydrate doesn’t even come close to the
70-80 grams of carbohydrate the typical male endurance athlete
needs in the first hour post workout to get a jump on refueling
after a tough training session. This refueling is important
as it gives you the energy to get through the next day’s training
session feeling energetic and raring to go!
Well…. many masters athletes complain about poor recovery after
tough training sessions, difficulty with maintaining muscle
mass, declining power and general fatigue. A quick look at training
and nutrition logs may link some of these issues to events occurring
when healthy food choices are being left out of a post workout
meal plan to make way for an evening of beer and foods with
little nutritional value. This doesn’t mean that beer can’t
fit in – it can, if you take care of your sport nutrition needs
with a little planning. Here is one easy tip: use the beer to
“chase” a carbohydrate rich meal or snack. Meal examples include
pasta, rice and legume based dishes such as curried chicken
with pasta, vegetable beef stir fry with rice or a spicy bean
wrap. If you are into fast food go for a small burger on a large
bun with a side serving of fries and salad to go along with
your beer. Snack suggestions include a baked potato with salsa
and cheese topping, salted pretzels and nuts with dried fruit
thrown in for extra carbohydrate or pita chips and veggies with
humus dip. To top it off, turn that beer into a shandy (mix
½ ginger beer and ½ beer) to increase the carbohydrate
content and minimize the effect of the alcohol in the beer.
Cheers!
Copyright
© 2005 Peak Performance. All Rights Reserved.
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