Recovery supplements for after training, grouped by what they replenish: protein in whey, shakes and bars; minerals such as magnesium and zinc; and all-in-one formulas with creatine and collagen. Carbohydrates, the fuel you burn most, come mainly from food.
If you want protein for after training, go to protein. If you have sweated a lot, start with hydration. And if you hesitate between loose amino acids and complete protein, the comparison is further down.
Everything is JustLoading own brand, with the serving, the composition and the allergens complete on each product page.
Recovery supplements cover three gaps after training: protein, minerals and fluids. Here you have whey, shakes, bars, magnesium and zinc, with the serving and composition on each product page. Carbohydrates, the other piece, come mainly from your meal.
See the productsWhey with 22 to 23 g, shake with 20 g
93.8 mg of magnesium and 10 mg of zinc per ZMA capsule
Isotonics, gels and flavorings in the hydration entry
Full composition, allergens and daily dose on each product page
After a long effort you use up glycogen, fluids and minerals, and the muscle asks for protein. Each card is one piece.
Carbohydrates contribute to the recovery of normal muscle function (contraction) after highly intensive and/or long-lasting exercise that depletes glycogen. The claim asks for about 4 g per kilo of body weight in the following hours: 280 g at 70 kg. A meal of rice, pasta, bread or fruit does it; no product here covers it.
Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass and to the maintenance of muscle mass. It counts if the product is at least a source of protein, with 12% of its energy coming from it. Whey, ready shake and bars are compared by format under protein.
After sweating, water comes first. To replace salts too, hydration brings together isotonic powder, isotonic gel and flavorings. The all-in-one dissolves creatine, collagen, magnesium and electrolytes in 500 ml of water.
ZMA combines magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6 in one capsule: 93.8 mg of magnesium (25% of the reference value), 10 mg of zinc (100%) and 1.4 mg of B6 (100%). Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
This is the most repeated question in this category. The products do not have the same backing, and it helps to know which is which.
Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass and to the maintenance of muscle mass. Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, and zinc to normal protein synthesis. Each requires the serving to reach the level set in the rules.
European rules list no recovery or muscle mass claim for them. The chocolate whey already brings 2.5 g of leucine per serving, the same as the daily BCAA dose. Cover complete protein first.
Its claim is about performance: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise, at 3 g a day. It sits here because it is taken daily, also after training, and has its own family.
The product page data that let you compare the products in this category with each other.
Compare the grams per serving. The whey gives 22 or 23 g from 30 g of powder, the ready shake 20 g per 225 ml bottle, and the bars vary with size. A serving of 20 to 40 g falls within the range the ISSN recommends.
To attribute a claim to a mineral, the serving must provide at least 15% of the reference value. ZMA reaches 25% for magnesium and 100% for zinc. The collagen with magnesium and vitamin C gives 15% of magnesium with the three daily tablets.
The chocolate shake has under 0.01% lactose and the whey with creatine contains lactose. The marine collagen is from fish and the tablet collagen is from pork. Always check the allergen list on the product page.
Each label sets its dose: 6 g of BCAA, 5 g of glutamine, one capsule of ZMA, 3 g of creatine. Do not exceed it, and remember that a supplement does not replace a varied diet.
Tip: after a long session, eat first and supplement afterward. A plate of rice or pasta with a protein source covers the carbohydrates no tub contains. If you cannot eat right away, a ready shake and a piece of fruit close the gap. More ideas in what to eat after the gym.
European rules do not list muscle recovery as a benefit of any supplement. What does have backing is protein, which contributes to a growth in muscle mass and to the maintenance of muscle mass, and carbohydrates, which contribute to the recovery of normal muscle function after a long effort. Choose what you are missing.
Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass and to a growth in it, which is the authorized claim. After training, the ISSN recommends servings of 20 to 40 g, and a 30 g whey or a ready shake fall within that range. The window lasts several hours, so there is no need to rush.
Protein, carbohydrates and water: for example, a 20 g ready shake and a piece of fruit. If the session was long, add a meal with rice, pasta or bread in the following hours. Which supplement fits depending on when you eat again is under post-workout.
Among minerals, magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, as do calcium and potassium, and zinc contributes to normal protein synthesis. Among vitamins, B6 contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism. ZMA brings together magnesium, zinc and B6, with the amounts on its product page.
With strength training several times a week and protein spread over servings of 20 to 40 g. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass at any age. If you take medication or have kidney disease, talk to your doctor first.
Complete protein contains the amino acids in BCAAs and all the others. BCAAs and glutamine are single amino acids. A serving of chocolate whey has 2.5 g of leucine, the same as the daily BCAA dose, and neither of the single ones has an authorized recovery claim.
The all-in-one mixes 3 g of creatine, 5 g of collagen, magnesium, vitamin C and electrolytes in 500 ml of water, in a 13 g serving. If you want to replace fluids and salts after sweating, the hydration entry has isotonic, gel and flavorings with the full composition.
Carbohydrates in the hours after a long session, which is the term of their claim. Protein whenever it suits you, because the daily total counts. Creatine daily, at any hour. Each product page gives its directions for use and daily dose.
Yes, when there is an effort to replenish. A rest day does not need supplements if you eat enough protein. Creatine is the exception, because it is taken every day, whether you train or not, with 3 g as the claim dose.
