Extreme workout sessions and regular exercising can take a toll on your body, especially if you don’t focus specifically on your recovery. Post workout vitamins are critical to help rebuild and recover your muscles after exercise so you can be on top performance for your next workout session.
Muscle recovery includes repairing muscle tissue, reducing inflammation and removing waste products. Sore muscles can be soothed with post workout vitamins and help speed up the recovery process.
Why do muscles get sore after working out?
Suffering from achy, sore muscles after workouts is known as delayed onset muscle soreness. The pain is caused by microscopic tears that develop when you put stress on the muscles. You will usually start to feel the pain and ache of sore muscles around 24-48 hours post workout, and this is typically the length of time it takes for the muscles to inflame. Inflammation is a result of the minor tears in the muscles that cause pain and discomfort.
Which vitamins are best for workout recovery?
Vitamin deficiencies can ruin your workout as it is hard to build muscle with only protein, and by taking the right vitamins, you can improve your recovery time. Below are some of the vitamins and nutrients which are beneficial for muscle recovery after workouts.
- Vitamin A – Vitamin A is mostly known for the positive effects on the eye health, but it can also be used by bodybuilders and athletes to support protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is necessary for muscle recovery and growth.
Vitamin A is required for the breakdown of protein throughout the muscle repair process, and it helps to provide more structural strength to muscles. Vitamin A also promotes bone development by stimulating younger cells to mature at a faster rate than normal.
- Vitamin C – Vitamin C has many beneficial properties, but it can also play an important role in workout recovery. It can work to lower cortisol levels in the body which prevents muscle damage caused by oxidative stress.
Vitamin C also produces collagen which is important for healthy and strong bones, muscles, skin and tendons, preventing injury when lifting heavy weights and putting stress on the muscles during exercise.
- Vitamin D – Vitamin D helps the body to maintain healthy bones and works to support protein synthesis. Vitamin D also works to promote calcium absorption when paired with vitamin K which helps to build bone strength.
- Omega 3 – Omega 3 is known to have anti-inflammatory properties that can be beneficial for muscle recovery. In addition to reducing muscle soreness, omega 3 is necessary for hormone synthesis and works to improve bone repair.
- CoQ10 – CoQ10 is an antioxidant that is used to avoid muscle fatigue and soreness in athletes. It works to regulate the inflammatory pathways in the body that naturally increase during exercise and post workout. It is also beneficial for the health of the cardiovascular system.
