5 Smoothies and juices for athletes

The choice of one or the other will depend on the objective to be achieved. The goal can be weight loss, muscle mass gain, replenishing energy after exercise, rehydration, preventing injuries, etc.

The combination of different foods in the preparation of smoothies or juices is the key to achieving the goal, take note:

Replenish energy after exercise

If the activity has been intense, lasting more than an hour or an hour and a half, it is advisable to consume foods that help in the formation of muscle glycogen, improvement of protein synthesis and immune parameters, such as glycogen and proteins. In this way, you will be in an optimal state in the next training session. A good example is:

• Orange, banana, cereals and nuts smoothie: mix in a blender a glass of skimmed milk or 2 skimmed yogurts, half a banana, the juice of a medium orange, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened whole grains and 3 nuts. It provides us with the proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals necessary to replace the nutrients lost during intense activity.

Weightloss

If you do physical activity to lose weight and it is a light activity, after exercise it is advisable to drink something, but choosing suitable foods and not exceeding the amount. The contribution of a small amount of sugar in the form of fruit is a very good option. A good example is:

• Green tea and citrus juice: prepare a green tea infusion and let it cool, put it in the fridge so that it is fresh and before consuming it, squeeze the juice of a tangerine and a lemon. It is a light drink, which helps to rehydrate us and provide antioxidants.

Hydrate after exercise

After the activity we are interested in a good source of hydration, in addition to recovering the minerals that are lost with sweating, such as sodium and potassium. This will be an excellent option:

• Celery and cucumber juice with a touch of salt: provides very good hydration after physical exercise due to the contribution of potassium and sodium from the celery and the contribution of potassium from the cucumber. Adding a pinch of salt makes it a better hydrating drink since sodium losses are considerable during exercise. It is prepared by cleaning ½ cucumber and 1 celery stick and mixing them in a blender. Add a taste of salt. If desired, lemon juice can be added to give it an acid touch. Served with ice it is much richer.

Prevent injuries

An extra dose of antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and beta-carotenes helps prevent injuries by compensating for oxidative stress as a result of free radicals produced by exercise. A smoothie rich in fruits and vegetables loaded with antioxidants is an excellent option:

• Tomato, garlic, cucumber and lemon juice: it is preferable to wash the vegetables well and blend them with their skin, since many of their vitamins reside here. Wash 1 tomato and ½ cucumber, blend them. Add 1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on taste) and half a lemon juice. Let it cool and ready to drink. A pinch of salt can be added to regain sodium lost through sweating.

Increase in muscle mass:

To increase muscle mass or maintain it, the amount of calories in the diet should be increased by choosing those calories from good quality nutrients. In this case, it is recommended that it be based on proteins of good biological value and complex carbohydrates combined with simple ones. It is advisable to take it after training.

• Oat bran smoothie, skimmed yogurt, egg whites, skimmed milk and 1 banana: Mix in the blender 2 previously cooked egg whites, since the assimilation of the protein is much better when it is cooked, with 50-60 grams of oatmeal, 1 ripe banana to enhance the sweet flavor of the smoothie, 1 glass of skimmed milk and 1 skimmed white yogurt. Beat everything, and if the texture is too thick add water until the texture softens.

Remember that In order to have a balanced diet, it is best to consult with a nutritionist. they have the best specialists in nutrition and sports medicine.

• If the physical activity has been intense, lasting more than an hour or an hour and a half, it is advisable to consume foods that help in the formation of muscle glycogen, improvement of protein synthesis and immune parameters, such as glycogen and proteins .
• After exercise we are interested in a good source of hydration, in addition to recovering the minerals that are lost with sweating, such as sodium and potassium.
• An extra dose of antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and beta-carotenes helps prevent injuries by compensating for oxidative stress as a result of free radicals produced by exercise.