After any workout, it is common for beginner athletes to prioritize rest and hydration as a form of recovery. Unfortunately, this means that you lose out on post workout fuel which is arguably as essential as the actual workout itself. The underlying process when you work out is that your muscle fibers break down in a process referred to as metabolism. This is followed by the repair and growth of muscle tissue; a process known as anabolism. Therefore, it is essential to make sure that your body is able to replenish those critical nutrients used up during muscle breakdown to enhance recovery and at the same time to allow your body to produce more cells. This will speed up your recovery and also enhance your muscle development. It is for this main reason that pro athletes rely on post workout supplements to fuel their recovery and maximize their gains from working out.
Best Post Workout Supplements for Recovery
To make sure that you get the best results, here is a list of the top 8 best post workout supplements for recovery. The supplements in this list have fetched impressive feedback from users and the best online reviews.
Cellular Alpha Amino is the most popular and one of the most effective post workout supplements for recovery in the market today. Alpha Amino is designed to supply essential amino acids to your muscles which provide the necessary fuel for recovery. Alpha Amino mix also replenishes your electrolytes while improving your hydration levels.
Alpha Amino is packed with 14 highly effective amino acids, high quality ingredients, and a 2:1:1 BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) ratio. It is also available in 5 flavors. Each serving contains 5 grams of hydration formula to enhance your hydration, 5 grams of BCAA matrix, and 5 grams of amino acid complex for that much needed fuel.
Universal Nutrition Torrent is lauded as one of most complete post workout supplements for recovery in the market. It brings together free form amino acids with whey protein, cutting edge creatine and more. It presents an excellent option for post-workout nutrition, while also optimizing results from your workout.
Some of the key ingredients include free-form amino acids, hydrolyzed whey protein, a variety of delicious fruit flavors and advanced creatines. Each serving contains 7 grams of amino blend, 8 grams of anti-catabolic leucine complex, 3 grams of parabolic complex and 20 grams of protein. It therefore provides many of the nutrients that your body craves to fuel your post workout recovery.
Like the name suggests, this post work out supplement is specifically designed to enhance your post workout recovery by replenishing your branched chain amino acids. Its unique chemical formulation merges the 3 BCAAs which maximizes absorption and use of amino acids by your body.
Some of the main features include a unique bonding process which merges the 3 BCAAs, 5 grams of branched common amino acids (BCAA) per serving, and a simple formula. It is highly recommended for those athletes seeking a simple yet high quality product to enhance their BCAA levels. It is however important to note that this supplement only provides BCAAs. This means it does not present a complete solution as compared to other post workout supplements included herein.
BSN Amino X has made a name for itself as a powerful recovery supplement which works extremely rapidly. This supplement raises the post workout supplement game a notch, with up to 10 grams of amino acids with each scoop. It is also the first post workout supplement that works instantaneously.
Some of the key highlights of this supplement include instant absorption by your body, it is easy to mix, it comes in several flavored options and does not include caffeine or sugar therefore making it ideal to use at any time.
Dark matter is a very effective and unique post work out supplement designed to fuel rapid glycogen replacement and protein synthesis. It contains creative, amino acids and other nutrients which are essential for your post workout nutrition.
Some of its highlights also include rapid absorption. Each serving provides creative, protein synthesis accelerator and glycogen replenishment complexes.
This supplement is best known for being one of the most effective and powerful post workout supplements in the market. It combines some powerful amino acids with green tea extract, beta-alanine, and more. This makes it a great choice for post workout recovery. It also doubles up as an effective supplement during your workout routines.
Each serving contains 160 grams of energy blend, 50 milligrams of caffeine and 5 grams of amino acid blend. Essential Amino Acids is a highly recommended supplement because it not only provides your body with the nutrients necessary for recovery and readiness for the next workout, it can also be used both before and during your routines to give you that extra energy while at the same time laying the foundation for your recovery.
Xtend BCAA is specifically made to be used during your workout. This does not mean it is not a post workout supplement. Rather, it allows your body to begin recovery even during your workout. It brings together BCAAs as well as several recovery nutrients such as fast and slow releasing carbohydrates.
This supplement should be taken during your workout. However, it does not contain creatine, beta alanine, or protein and therefore does not provide a complete post workout solution.
BCAA 3:1:2 is a simple yet powerful supplement which offers a simple way through which your body can get a large dose of BCAAs which your body demands after training. Unlike most post workout supplements, BCAA 3:1:2 comes in the form of capsules.
You can use BCAA 3:1:2 either during your workout or after. Each serving contains valine, isoleucine, and leucine. It is mainly recommended for athletes seeking to increase their daily consumption of branched chain amino acids. However, it lacks proteins and creatine, making it less of a complete solution when compared to other options in this list.
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