Even after maintaining a steady exercise schedule for years, recovering from exercise is often a tedious, drawn-out process. Of course, it’s also a necessary one; the body’s recovery process is what works to build a bigger, stronger, faster you, so it’s important to pay attention to the needs of your muscles long after your workout has ended. To this end, many fitness fans turn to post-workout recovery supplements designed to provide the body with exactly what it needs to quickly and effectively bounce back after strenuous activity, giving rise to an entire industry that revolves around this need. Given all the choices out there, even seasoned fitness buffs often ask: What are the best muscle recovery supplements? To learn the answer, keep reading as the amino acid supplement experts at aminoVITAL® share their insight on this topic.
Popular Types of Muscle Recovery Supplements
If you’re someone who regularly visits the gym, keeps weights around the house, or runs laps around the neighborhood, chances are you’ve used some type of muscle recovery supplement. These products often take the form of powders or pre-made shakes that offer nutritional support for your aching body, but a wide variety of supplements populate the market. The following are some of the most popular of these muscle recovery supplements:
Protein Powder
Today, the most commonly used type of muscle recovery supplement – by far – is protein powder. This product can be found on the shelves of supermarkets, drug stores, and innumerable online marketplaces, typically in the form of whey protein powder. A single scoop of whey can provide 20 or more grams of protein, though protein powders often contain ample amounts of sugar and calories as well.
BCAAs
Hot on the tail of protein powder for the top spot among exercise recovery supplements is BCAAs, a class of amino acids that encompasses the compounds leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Each of the three BCAAs has been found to offer a wide variety of benefits1 for fitness fanatics, though they tend to work best when consumed together. Many popular brands offer BCAAs, and these potent powerups now lead many Top 10 lists for the best muscle recovery supplements around.
Glutamine
Another popular amino acid for promoting muscle recovery is glutamine. Studies have shown that taking glutamine along with your workout can lead to some considerable benefits, such as a reduction in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). In addition to keeping your muscles from hurting as much, glutamine can help them regain their strength between workouts; participants in one study2 saw “faster recovery of peak torque,” according to the authors of the study, a great benefit for those who work out frequently.
Sports Drinks
We’ve all seen commercials where an athlete, dripping with sweat, downs a sports drink at the end of a long workout. Admittedly, these ads have some truth to them; sports drinks do offer one or two benefits when it comes to recovery. Along with the much-discussed electrolytes these products provide, the carbs they contain can be especially helpful for recovering muscles because they aid in the restoration of glycogen in the muscles – the main fuel source when you work out.
Tart Cherry Juice
Inflammation has long been known to be a factor in muscle status after exercise, which is why more than a few fitness blogs recommend products with anti-inflammatory properties. Tart cherries are a particularly attractive option for fighting inflammation because, out of all the natural foods out there, tart cherries have the highest amount of antioxidants. By drinking a glass of tart cherry juice every day, regular gym-goers can fight soreness and inflammation to help their muscles recover.
How to Pick the Best Muscle Recovery Supplement
Considering the fact that the above-mentioned supplements are only a few of the products on offer nowadays, it’s easy to see why even veteran athletes sometimes struggle to choose the best muscle recovery supplement. When it comes time for you to pick your own, it’s important to keep a few points in mind.
Firstly, the best muscle recovery supplement for you is the one that conforms to your particular type of exercise. If you’re a runner looking to repair and refuel your muscles, supplements aimed at muscle growth, such as protein powder, may not be the best option for you. Instead, consider the benefits of a BCAA supplement that can protect your muscle tissue while you run and aid in their repair after; plus, aminoVITAL®’s Rapid Recovery mix offers electrolytes and a dose of carbohydrates to aid glycogen restoration.
Secondly, your personal fitness goals can have a bit impact on what muscle recovery supplement is best for you. For instance, the runner mentioned above might prefer to stay lean, rather than put on mass; for this purpose, a low-calorie amino acid supplement might be the optimal choice, especially when compared to a sugar-laden scoop of chocolatey protein powder. On the other hand, those looking to bulk up quickly may benefit from those extra calories, so it really comes down to what results you want to get out of the muscle recovery process.
Try a Lean and Powerful Amino Acid Supplement for Muscle Recovery from aminoVITAL®
Although we know that you have a variety of choices, we at aminoVITAL® truly believe that amino acids hold the key to the best possible muscle recovery. Not only do our supplements offer the three BCAAs – which stimulate muscle protein synthesis, protect muscle tissue, and help keep you energized – but they also come with glutamine, which reduces soreness and hastens recovery, as well as arginine, which improves blood flow. Try an aminoVITAL® post-workout or mid-workout supplement today and see the difference for yourself; visit us online or call (888) 264-6673 to learn more.
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