On rest days, it’s common to dramatically cut calories, avoid all carbs or cut your water intake to avoid gaining water weight. But do these strategies actually help you in the long run? In reality, the body continues to make protein and repair worn down muscles for up to 48 hours after training. Not following proper recovery nutrition principles on rest days may actually hinder your strength and cause performance set backs. To make sure you receive the proper gains from your training, follow these strategies for rest day nutrition.
“Significantly reducing calories on rest days is a crucial mistake that athletes make,” says Angie Asche, M.S., R.D., a Dietitian working with Olympic lifters and NFL players. “They often assume that they don’t need as much fuel since they’re not exercising, but this can deter muscle protein synthesis that your body needs for increased strength and muscle mass.” In other words, make sure you consume your usual amount of calories on rest days to ensure muscle growth and recovery.
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Eat the Right Ratio of Nutrients.
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, athletes should aim for a 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio during recovery to stimulate glycogen re-synthesis and prepare for tomorrow’s workout. For intense strength routines, that ratio can be closer to 2:1, but it’s important to still include carbs in your rest day nutrition plan. Eat a variety of high quality complex carbs, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. And, of course, protein is absolutely essential to a rest day routine. “Protein provides those amino acids that the body needs to repair and build new lean tissue,” says Jessica Cording, MS, RD, CDN, a NYC-based Registered Dietitian. “I recommend real-food protein, like eggs, chicken, fish, lean meat, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt or whey, pea, and egg white protein powders, if your needs are very high,” says Cording.
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Stay Hydrated.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, most athletes finish exercising in a dehydrated state. Drinking plenty of water and sodium after a workout is imperative for proper recovery. If no sweating occurred, salt losses may be negligible and you can stick to solely water. Although many athletes try to avoid gaining water weight on their rest days, staying adequately hydrated on your day off is essential for the next day’s workout. Entering a workout in a dehydrated state, it can negatively affect your performance. There’s no set fluid recommendation, but many experts suggest drinking at least 2 liters per day.
Lifting heavy weights or working out to the max can definitely cause inflammation build up inside the body. Not only is inflammation bad for the joints, but it can be painful during the recovery phase. If inflammation is the poison, then antioxidant-rich foods are the antidote. Eating plenty of dark colored produce, like beets, berries and leafy greens, will pump you full of antioxidants to help decrease inflammation.
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Don’t Overdo It
“Rest days often become “cheat days” to the point that 50 percent or more of caloric intake is coming from fat. Consuming the majority of your calories from saturated fat, like greasy pizza and donut “cheat meals” definitely won’t help your muscles grow and recover,” says Asche. On rest days, give your body nutrient-rich foods that will promote recovery.
Obviously, avoiding all alcohol all the time is no fun. But it’s important to time your alcohol consumption so that it doesn’t interfere with recovery. A review in the journal Nutrients suggests that drinking alcohol during the recovery phase may actually decrease muscle protein synthesis and growth. Plus, it dehydrates you, which can negatively affect tomorrow’s workout.
