7 Best Recovery Shakes for Women to Drink After a Workout

As its name suggests, a sports recovery drink mix/shake is designed to be consumed after a workout. This type of shake should be rich in protein and nutrients to help you rebuild muscle as well as maintain a healthy immune system. This means more protein, creatine, and amino acids are essential. A good solid multivitamin is also useful.

A post-workout recovery drink mix should include some form of carbohydrates to replenish your body’s fuel stores. While some nutritionists do not believe in the necessity of carbohydrates, most agree that a small amount can be beneficial after a workout to help your body rapidly refuel. Those who follow a low-carb diet may choose to pair their shake with fruits and other high-carb foods that don’t require insulin for energy. A quick Google search of “the best sport recovery mix for women” turns up many different food products including what seems to be your typical whole milk, complete milk protein, cane sugar, rice flour, and protein powder. But a closer look reveals that many of these shakes have unhealthy sugar content (which could lead to an increased appetite, feeling hungry, tired muscles, optimized macronutrient profile, and weight gain). We’ve rounded up the 7 best recovery mixes for women here in this short guide, so you can whittle your choices down to just a few and try them out.

Chocolate milk

If you want to drink something after a workout, consider chocolate milk. It’s delicious, but it’s also packed with essential carbohydrates, which your body needs to replenish muscle glycogen stores, and it contains protein to help in good recovery.

Drinking chocolate milk after a workout also provides your body with a complete protein source. Protein is key to building and repairing muscles because it’s necessary for cell growth, tissue repair, and muscle building. Unfortunately, some athletes don’t get enough protein in their diet and have turned to supplements like protein powders to compensate. But the fact is, chocolate milk offers the same amount of protein as those powders — and all of those powders combined — in a much tastier package.

When choosing a chocolate milk brand, look for one that contains two scoops of carbohydrate serving, 12 to 17 grams of sugar (depending upon your taste preference), and at least 10 grams of protein. You can use the same values to determine whether any other post-workout beverage will suffice.

In addition to your workout nutrition, don’t forget to refuel with one packet of healthy snacks after a workout to keep your energy up and continue building an optimal ratio of lean muscle.

Tailwind recovery drink mix

There’s nothing like a good meal after the longest and hardest workouts, but if you’re not careful in what you’re eating, then all that workout will go to waste. Real food has to be nutritious and preferably low in fat. The sports recovery drink mix has to contain all the essential minerals, vitamins, and nutrients that will help muscle-building. This is where the Tailwind recovery mix comes in handy. It contains only natural ingredients essential for muscle recovery, helping in the growth of lean muscle mass. It is specially formulated for women as it doesn’t cause enough water retention and bloating, which can hinder athletes.

This sport recovery drink mix is dairy, loaded with other proteins and gluten (non-gmo gluten-free, casein-free, and GMO gluten-free vegetarian), which is important because it’s meant to be used immediately following the hardest workouts. (2) The protein in the Tailwind recovery shake enhances protein utilization, helps muscles rebuild, and repair themselves after a tough workout. It’s ideal for all ages, shapes, and sizes–from elite athletes to beginner exercisers.

Kefir Whey Protein

Whey protein is great for muscle growth but can also be difficult to digest. Drinking Kefir helps solve that issue and provides a nice dose of probiotics. It’s also a low-calorie, low-carb option that’s gluten-free. Kefir has more probiotics than yogurt, contains high amino acids and vitamins, and promotes gut health. It also has electrolytes that replace those lost in sweat and can help you recover faster after a workout.

Skratch Labs Sport Recovery Drink Mix

This skratch labs sport recovery is a new twist on a traditional sports drink. Unlike most recovery drinks which only provide carbohydrates and electrolytes, the Sports Recovery Drink mix also provides protein to help you recover faster. In addition, it contains all the ingredients a body needs to replenish itself after an endurance exercise, making it the perfect drink to help muscle recovery, increase energy and decrease muscle soreness.

Common probiotic yogurts – Great-Tasting Recovery Drink

The best-tasting recovery mix for women to use post-workout will depend on how you define “best.” Are you more concerned with taste or the amount of protein packed into that powder? Or perhaps you want a labs sport recovery drink that can be easily added to water or some other liquid to save time from preparing a separate meal? If you prefer to keep things as simple and tasty as possible, then probiotic yogurt (not all probiotic strains are ideal for recovery) is the best choice. It has a great flavor, but it’s packed with goodies for overall healthy digestive system.

Ingredients: Greek Yogurt (Greek Yogurt, vanilla extract, Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Cocoa powder), Water, Coconut Water Concentrate, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Potassium Phosphate Dibasic, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phosphate Dibasic, Calcium Carbonate.

Coconut Water

Although it can be tempting to reach for a bottle of sugary Gatorade or a sports drink after a workout, these recovery drinks are far from optimal for rehydration and muscle recovery. For those looking to replenish their electrolytes and get the nutrients they need to recover after a workout, coconut water makes an excellent choice. This light, naturally sweet beverage contains carbohydrates(cocoa extract) and electrolytes, including potassium and magnesium, which can help stabilize blood sugar during the recovery process, while also replenishing nutrients lost in sweat. Coconut water can also help your body recover more quickly by maintaining blood sugar levels throughout the day. Best part? It tastes good!

A 2014 study published in the National Library of Medicine notes that the “body’s bio-electrical system” can be improved when drinking a beverage containing both glucose and fructose monosaccharides. Therefore, coconut water might just be the best choice for rehydration and protein utilization after a workout because it consists of these types of sugars.

Tart cherry juice

Tart cherry juice is a great sports nutrition and sport recovery drink mix
for women because it’s got benefits that work inside and outside your body. Inside, it helps your muscles quickly recover after exercise. This is because tart cherry juice contains anthocyanin, which gives cherries their bright red color. Anthocyanin also happens to be anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. In addition, this tasty mix contains only real natural ingredients

In other words, it helps your muscles physically recover from a workout by reducing swelling and scavenging free radicals. In addition, anthocyanin has been shown to prevent muscle pain caused by exercise in the lab, according to Iowa State University research.

Final words

A good sports recovery drink mix is an essential part of most athletes’ toughest workouts and training regimes. You may not always feel like drinking one after a workout, but if you want to be at your best for your next session, it’s important to fuel your body with the right nutrients to aid muscle repair and growth.