Refuelling After Hard Training
Carbohydrate with fluid, and protein across the day, are the best-supported parts of recovery nutrition.
Evidence suggests that what you eat after hard training matters more than any supplement taken alongside it. A meta-analysis of sixty-seven trials found post-exercise carbohydrate with fluid raised subsequent mean power output by about 4% compared with water alone, and a Bayesian meta-analysis of seventy-five studies found protein supplementation improved strength and endurance outcomes. We grade this B because effect sizes vary with how depleted you were and how soon the next session comes, and because most of this evidence comes from trained and predominantly male athletes.
- Misconception: 'There is a 30-minute anabolic window.' Timing matters most when the next session is soon; otherwise total daily intake dominates.
- Does not prescribe individual nutrition or diagnose deficiency
- Not a substitute for advice from a dietitian where one is involved
- Unintentional weight loss, disordered eating patterns, or persistent under-fuelling → clinician or registered dietitian
Every source below carries its own grade and links to the original study. This is the audit trail.