Although experts have already convinced recreational athletes that water alone is not enough for strenuous training, a recovery drink is usually considered unnecessary.
We replace recovery drinks with lunch, dinner, or some random food we find in our pocket or the trunk of our car.
This might work until we start training really intensely, more than 3 times a week. Then it becomes really important that you get the right nutrients in the first 20, 30 minutes after exercise.
SPORTS AND RECOVERY DRINK - EVERYTHING WE NEED
In addition to the carbohydrate drink during exercise, the recovery drink is one of the two key supplements of endurance athletes, and according to our estimates it covers 90% of their needs.
A recovery drink is food in powdered form, which the body absorbs as quickly as possible.
After having analyzed the recovery drinks on the market, we found that there is almost no beverage on the market that would take into account scientific evidence regarding human physiology in the rest and recovery phases.
The key shortcomings of recovery drinks, similar to sports drinks, stem from the wrong ingredients and the wrong ratio of macronutrients.
We weren't convinced by the recovery drinks on the market, so we decided to make our own.
NEW TRAINING DOCTRINES - YET DRINKS REMAIN THE SAME
This time, let's start with ratios rather than ingredients.
Many recovery drinks still recommend a 1:4 or even 1:5 ratio of protein to carbohydrates as ideal for proper protein synthesis and replenishment of glycogen reserves. This ratio is adapted to long (usually cycling) workouts that take virtually all day, in which it is necessary to consume a large amount of carbohydrates with a low protein content. With two huge scoops that amount to 20 grams of protein you often consume more than 100 grams of simple sugars.
Precisely due to its rapid absorption, most recovery drinks are based on glucose. But this composition is based on outdated beliefs, as recent research shows that different types of sugars are not only absorbed faster but can also replenish different glycogen stores with a varying degree of efficiency.
Glycogen is stored in the liver and muscles, and evidence shows that by combining maltodextrin and fructose you most efficiently replenish both liver and muscle glycogen stores in the post-exercise recovery period.
HOW TO ACHIEVE BETTER SUBSTANCE UTILIZATION AFTER EXERCISE?
The same way that applies to sports drinks and nutrients we consume during training.
Even after training, the rule is that the body accepts only the substances it needs.
Regen contains as much as 30 grams of quality protein and 50 grams of carbohydrates. These are a combination of maltodextrin and fructose in a ratio of 1:0.8.
With Regen, we wanted to develop a drink that would replenish both liver and muscle glycogen as efficiently as possible and enable the fastest possible recovery and reduce stress hormones as quickly as possible.
In case of long workouts and inadequate nutrients, stress hormones persist through the rest of the day, making you feel exhausted and unmotivated.
With faster stabilization of blood sugar and full glycogen stores, your immune system will be stronger and your body will be better prepared to assume its normal function after intense exercise.
Consuming a recovery drink, especially a sports drink or energy gel, during training helps to shorten the period after a workout when your are particularly susceptible to various conditions.
The ratio of 30 grams of protein to 50 grams of carbohydrates is also suitable for individuals after short but intense workout that triggers the breakdown of muscle tissue (e.g., sprint triathlon).
Whey protein concentrate contains the full amino acid profile, a high content of leucine (an amino acid that triggers protein synthesis), and glutamine (key components of skeletal muscle). Of all the types of protein, whey boasts the highest content of immune and growth factors and a high content of vitamins and minerals.
Proper recovery after intense exercise is crucial for your immune system and the normal function of your body.
OH, LACTOSE
There we go, we have encountered a problem.
Whey protein is the optimal choice, but how will it be tolerated by individuals with lactose intolerance?
We decided to test different concentrates and focus on the highest quality one - the one that our testers least complained about.
Individuals with the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have been our most valuable source of information.
Choosing a poor source of protein (some manufacturers live and die by soy) would be pointless if we can add an enzyme the absence of which causes problems. The prototype already includes both key enzymes, lactase and bromelain - we replaced fructose and maltodextrin several times until we came up with a composition that suited the vast majority of individuals.
The recovery drink does not contain artificial additives. What it does contain are electrolytes in case you forget your sports drink during workout.
After extensive testing, we decided to replace the whey concentrate with whey isolate, which is much easier to digest for lactose-intolerant individuals.
Regen contains top-quality ingredients, and the whey isolate is produced by non-aggressive low-temperature techniques that do not coagulate key micronutrients.
After intense exercise, recovery is the first thing you should think about.
LESS IS MORE - EXCEPT IN RECOVERY
Why is recovery so important?
Better recovery means more regular and more intense training sessions, which leads to better results.
The problem with recovery drinks on the market is that they do not follow the basic logic of recovery.
When the body, despite the huge amount of carbohydrates (which target only one transporter, usually glycogen in the muscles in the case of glucose), is not supplied with adequate material for movement, two things happen.
- When your glycogen is only partially replenished, your performance during the workout the next day will not be optimal because your body will lack energy.
- Fatigue will kick in as a result of excess metabolites, stress hormones, and excitatory neurotransmitters.
A longer period of fatigue is a sign that you did not get the needed nutrients either during or after exercise.
By subjecting the body to a stressor without the material which would restore many physiological processes to homeostasis, you have prolonged a certain acute state of readiness for danger.
If you train every day, this leads to chronic fatigue and eventually to burnout. Viral infections, unrehabilitated micro-injuries, low-grade inflammation leading to injuries, lacerations, and chronic diseases begin to appear.
In addition to suppressing the immune system, increased levels of stress hormones also have an effect on muscle recovery and growth.
The body, due to working too much, a disordered diet, and a changing biorhythm, is in an intermediate phase of inflammation, in which communication between immune messengers is limited. This results in accelerated breakdown of muscle tissue (anabolism), which the body uses for more urgent processes.
The lack of proper nutrients leads to several health issues.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE NOTHING NEW FOR THE BODY
Like the isotonic drink, Regen is also unique on a global scale.
It is the first drink to contain a two-component mixture of carbohydrates in a 1:0.8 ratio of maltodextrin and fructose.
According to scientific evidence, this is the most effective way to replenish muscle and liver glycogen, and you don't have to consume so much of it to make you feel uncomfortable.
The high protein content repairs muscle fibers more effectively, and a recovered organism not lacking key nutrients will not try to extract substances from the muscles.
A recovery drink that contains an appropriately high amount of protein in addition to the available carbohydrates is therefore a perfect food, as long as it follows some basic principles that have been so far overlooked precisely because of their simplicity.
Regen contains no artificial sweeteners, colors or flavor enhancers - and all flavors are of natural origin.
