How to Rehydrate for Faster Recovery After Running

Staying hydrated is important to our running performance and, more importantly, is to prevent heat-related illness. Lack of water consumption will lead to many illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion and consequences that are far more dangerous. Thus, runners need to pay attention to what they eat and drink after periods of long distance running for better body recovery.

One of the best ways to rehydrate for faster muscle recovery after periods of running is to consume none other than a pineapple. Juicy and sweet, pineapple might just be what you want after a long period of running. Pineapple provides a considerable amount of carbohydrates primarily in the form of simple sugars which our body are able to quickly metabolize it into energy. Therefore, this helps us to prevent the lean muscle from breaking down and used for energy. Besides that, pineapple is also a rich source of potassium mineral which aids in proper muscle function and it’s 86 % of water content will also help you in hydration. In addition, pineapple contains nearly 75% of the daily-recommended value of manganese, which is important for essential growth of strong bones and connective tissues. Thus, eating pineapple is indeed an excellent way to rehydrate ourselves and recover faster from a running. In conclusion, you should be indulging slices of pineapple right after a hardcore running routine to rehydrate for faster recovery.

 Benefits of eating pineapple:

• Prevent lean muscles from breaking down after running
• Rich source of potassium
• Contains high amounts of water

Another popular method of hydration is to replace water with coconut water as a post running drink. As we all know coconut water contains a high level of antioxidants and nutrients that will help us in our recovery. In addition, a study in 2012 shows that drinking coconut water as post running drinks has the same beneficial effects as a sports beverage. Other than that, there are some electrolytes especially calcium and magnesium that were found in coconut water that may help with stress and muscle tension. Besides building strong teeth and bones, calcium helps with smooth muscle relaxation as well. Appropriate intake amount of calcium may help to keep your muscles relax (including the cardiac muscle), lowering the risk of heart attack as well. On another hand, the primary function of magnesium is the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of the nervous system that helps us to relax. As a result, both calcium and magnesium work together to help our body relax and speed up the recovery. However, it is not advisable for those who have a weak stomach to use this method of rehydration as it might upset your stomach by causing bloating compared to sports beverage. In summary, coconut water is more suitable for those who just had a lighter workout.

Benefits of coconut water:

• Contains high levels of antioxidants and nutrients
• High levels of potassium and magnesium
• Less sodium than sports drinks

Many articles and reports claimed that chocolate milk to be a better alternative than water. First of all, there is a good amount of dietary fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, potassium, in this beverage. Vitamin D and Calcium are also present in high amounts – roughly 32% and 28% of our daily requirements in a single cup .The high level of calcium in chocolate milk can help to build bones tissues while vitamin D can maximize the absorption of Calcium into your body. In addition, chocolate milk has high water content and essential electrolytes for our body which is perfect for those who have fatigue muscles after a long period of running. Lastly, chocolate milk also contains protein which prevents our body to breakdown the lean muscle. As a result, we would definitely encourage you to grab a box of chocolate milk right after your running workout for much speedy recovery.

   Picture derived from:https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/09/08/is-chocolate-milk-a-good-recovery-drink/

The data on your left is a nutrition facts comparison between chocolate milk and Gatorade. The three key components of a good sports drinks are carbohydrates, protein, and water. Chocolate milk contains a higher concentration of carbohydrates compares to Gatorade thus it could provide more energy to you. It contains whey protein which body able to absorb quickly compared to chocolate milk.

Benefits of Chocolate Milk

• High water content
• Essential electrolytes
• Carbohydrates to prevent the loss of lean muscle

Other than all the popular method of rehydration, this method comes last in popularity but is very practical if you wish to achieve a faster rate of recovery, which is consuming cherry juice right after your run. I know right? Who would have thought cherry juice is actually good at decreasing muscle damage after a workout? However, based on a 2006 study, cherry juice not only help us in muscle recovery but also significantly prevents strength loss compared to placebo. In addition, it also decreases inflammation and lipid peroxidation. Other than that, cheery is actually a natural sleeping aid. This is due to the fact that cherry contains a significant amount of melatonin (sleep hormones) which can help us regulate our sleep cycle and improve the quality of our sleep. Improved sleep quality means improved rest which leads to a faster rate of recovery. In conclusion, if you are up for the unique taste that cherries can offer, this would be the best post-running beverage for you.

Benefits of Cherry Juice  

•  Decreases muscle damage
• Prevents strength loss
• Aids anti-inflammatory response
• Improves sleep quality

Your cup of tea might be more beneficial than you think. Studies have shown tea, both green and black tea are effective in fats oxidation (a process in which fats are broken down into smaller molecules then stored as energy) during aerobic exercise and post-workout recovery. Just like cherry juice, tea contains a high level of antioxidants that have been shown to reduce muscle soreness and increase the rate of recovery. Here at Rhymba Hills Tea , we provide a variety of herbal infusion (caffeine free tea) which includes infusion that helps speed up recovery and help relaxations as well! The Reelax tea which contains 2 main ingredients that are Lemongrass and Pandan. One study in 2015, shows that Lemongrass actually increases the hemoglobin concentration, thus it could help us to speed up the recovery of our body after long intensive running and get us back into actions again. On the other hand, pandan acts as a pain reliever and relieves us from the soreness after running. Both these ingredients work synergistically to help rehydrate you and help you to recover after a long exhausting run.

Benefits of Herbal Infusion (Rhymba Hills Reelax Tea)

• Increase the concentration of hemoglobin (Red blood cell)
• Reduce muscle soreness
• Help relieves pain