When to use this
The minutes and hours right after a race or hard time trial — especially when another race is coming soon.
- Multi-day meets, doubles, or prelims-and-finals schedules.
- Athletes who skip food after racing because of adrenaline or a long ride home.
- Evening races where recovery has to happen before bed, not at the next meal.
Advanced lab
Recovery fueling behind the timeline
The sheet gives the clock and the food ideas. A bit more detail on how much to eat is here for coaches who want to match the recovery window to the athlete and the schedule.
Amounts scale with the athlete and the day, so treat these as starting points. Repeated post-race weight loss over 2% of body weight, or an athlete who cannot face food after every race, is a flag to involve a sports dietitian.
Evidence sources
These references support the handout’s general education. Individual medical, supplement, laboratory, or injury questions should be handled by the appropriate qualified clinician.
- Burke LM, van Loon LJ, Hawley JA. (2017) Postexercise muscle glycogen resynthesis in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 122(5):1055-1067.
- Alghannam AF, Gonzalez JT, Betts JA.(2018) Restoration of muscle glycogen and functional capacity: Role of post-exercise carbohydrate and protein co-ingestion.
Where to go next
