It's sometimes worse than other times, but you probably know the feeling after a hard workout: tired and sore muscles. Sometimes it's not entirely explainable why the workout was so hard, but it can have all kinds of reasons. Not only a different or harder workout, but also temperature, what you ate and how you slept. Nutrition is a very important one in that. Therefore, in this blog some tips on faster muscle recovery through nutrition.

Muscle recovery with nutrition

There are three nutrients that your body can use well after a hard workout and that ensure faster muscle recovery: magnesium, vitamin C and, of course, protein. So it's good to make sure you get enough of these nutrients.

Magnesium

Magnesium is needed for the production of hormones, helps build muscles and bones, and provides relaxation and calming. You can find this mineral in whole grain products and nuts, among other things. But when you do a lot of heavy sports, it is wise to take extra magnesium. A magnesium deficiency can be noticed very quickly; stiff and cramped muscles, fatigue and dizziness are symptoms of magnesium deficiency. I take a magnesium supplement every day and occasionally take a foot bath with magnesium flakes. Magnesium is in fact absorbed very well through the skin.

Vitamin C

One of the most important processes that vitamin C helps initiate is the formation of collagen. Among other things, collagen ensures a firm and wrinkle-free appearance, but it also helps to repair broken-down muscle tissue faster. Vitamin C is found mainly in citrus fruits (orange, lemon, grapefruit) and spinach. In my experience, if you eat these fruits and spinach regularly - especially after exercise - there is no need to take supplements. If you still want to, Ekopura has an organic and natural version made available from acerola powder.

Proteins

And last but not least: protein. But of course I don't have to tell you that because I've written about that before. Proteins ensure muscle building and recovery and are indispensable if you work out a lot. You have different proteins; whey, casein, soy and vegetable proteins. I recently taught a class on "whey or casein." In terms of quantity, a good guideline is 1.5 to 2 times your body weight in grams (for example, if you weigh 65kg, your protein requirement as an athlete is 97.5 to 130 grams of protein). This applies to athletes; if you do little to no sport, your protein requirement is also lower. Protein-rich foods that are essential for an athlete:

• Chicken and lean beef Both chicken and lean beef contain a large portion of protein. If you eat either of them with your evening meal, you will soon be at 20 grams of protein. The big advantage of lean beef is that it also contains other vitamins such as iron, zinc and vitamin B.
• Tuna, salmon, cod Like chicken and lean beef, fish contains a lot of pure protein. In addition, it is low in fat and often high in omega 3 fatty acids. These are essential for athletes; they provide faster fat loss, a faster metabolism and also counteract inflammation.
• Quark As a real athlete, of course you eat cottage cheese! Quark contains a high dose of casein - so-called slow proteins - and you can actually eat it throughout the day. I often start the day with a bowl of cottage cheese and end the day with a bowl of cottage cheese....
• Hüttenkäse You have to love it, Hüttenkäse has - if you ask me - a rather boring taste, which you therefore have to do something with. But if you do something with it, it quickly becomes very tasty. On a cracker with avocado and plenty of pepper or as a snack with blueberries and raisins. Hüttekäse, like cottage cheese, is particularly high in casein. It is also low in fat and a source of vitamin B and calcium.
• Eggs For a long time eggs were in a negative light, it was said to be bad for your health, but those days are over. Eggs are your friend if you exercise a lot. They contain high-quality protein, good fats and vitamin D.
• Beans Beans, think lentils, chickpeas, soybeans and kidney beans are also relatively high in protein and iron. They are perfect to eat for vegetarians, but even as a non-vegetarian, beans are incredibly delicious to incorporate into dishes.
• Protein powder If you find it difficult to get your protein from your diet, you can use protein powder as a supplement. Many people do so because they just like protein shakes :) Whey protein is particularly suitable to take immediately after exercise, casein protein is good to take before you go to sleep so that these proteins can do their work at night. My favorite protein is from Ekopura. Organic and great tasting. They have whey protein in the flavors natural, vanilla and cocoa and they also recently introduced a natural casein protein and several vegan varieties.

Jessica has been doing CrossFit for 1.5 years and now trains 4 to 5 times a week in Amsterdam. She is also training for her first Olympic distance Triathlon in Barcelona.