4:1 carb:protein ratio for recovery from movement-training activities, 2:1 for strength-training activities. These were guidelines I once gave in an article of mine called "Recovery 101: Nutrition". Maybe it is time for Recovery 201, because I am no longer convinced that these guidelines are correct.
I'm a big believer in the metabolic typing diet, which individualizes someone's food sources based on their biochemistry. Basically, it looks at what your body can metabolize and what it can't, and from there the diet is created. Because of this, I now hold the view that if your body cannot metabolize carbohydrates effectively, ingesting them will not help you recover faster. In fact, it may be delaying your recovery time.
I've put this theory into practice with myself and have not noticed any delay in my recovery time since removing the fast-acting carbohydrates. I do, however, mix my post-training shake in whole milk (*gasp! Fat post-training??) and must say that I recover very well with this and have achieved solid strength gains while following this protocol.
I guess this post is to be more thought-provoking than information based as I have not done extensive research into this theory. So, it is something to think about. How do you feel when you eat carbs in general? Do you feel sluggish or lethargic after you eat a big bowl of pasta or an entire pizza? Maybe those carbs aren't doing what you think they are in your body.
Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.
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