Muscle Shakes After Exercise

The best time to consume a muscle or sports shake or smoothie is right after you finish a workout. For a window of 20 to 30 minutes, your body will more readily accept and replenish the nutrients and vitamins that were depleted during exercise. You can use one of the many ready-made protein shakes, or recovery drinks that add a larger amount of complex carbohydrates in addition to the protein to help your muscles and body regenerate and recuperate.

Re-Fueling

"Endurance Sports Nutrition" by Suzanne Girard Eberle notes that intense exercise can actually suppress your appetite. Don't wait until your hungry to re-fuel; instead, consume a shake with 15 to 30 g of protein and 50 to 100 g of carbohydrate-rich nutrients. This combination will replenish your glycogen, or fuel for your muscles, much faster and also helps repair muscle damage from your hard exercise.

Choices

Eberle points out that choices abound in the world of muscle and sport shakes. A wide array of complete meal replacement products, in liquid or powder form, are an easy way to replenish your stores. Most of these products provide a balance of 40 percent to 70 percent carbohydrates, 15 percent to 30 percent proteins, and 5 percent to 25 percent fats. To add some variety and enhance the taste, mix the muscle shake product in a blender with fresh berries, bananas, ice cubes, and even a scoop of peanut butter for an extra energy boost.

Whey Protein Shakes

Protein is a proven nutrient for helping to rebuild and promote healthier muscle fibers, and is the favorite of weightlifters and bodybuilders. In the article, "The 5 Best Supplements," it says that consuming a muscle shake made from whey protein is an excellent source of needed nutrients, and it is key in building more muscle. The article states that muscle simply cannot be built without eating enough protein, especially after a hard workout. A weightlifter or bodybuilder can use whey protein shakes throughout the day to sustain energy and enhance muscle growth.

Carbohydrate Recovery Shakes

Carbohydrate-enriched muscle shakes are usually the choice of athletes who have just completed a long, hard endurance-type workout. In her book "Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes," Monique Ryan states that timing your re-fueling with carbohydrates after an intense endurance workout is of prime importance. Ingesting a carbohydrate-enriched sports shake will not only restore your glycogen stores quickly, but it also raises your blood sugar levels quickly to better recover. According to the article "Sports Drinks and Recovery Drinks," the ideal recovery drink should contain 21 to 29 g of carbs per 12 ounces of liquid.

Many Alternatives

No matter what type of workout you perform, most of today's muscle shakes have an ideal balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. If you still have your doubts about the shakes available or just haven't found one that tastes good, the best "natural" shake you can have after a workout is a glass of chocolate milk, as pointed out in a study from Indiana University.