Fitness competitions and intense training can lead to multiple hard workout sessions in the same day. In order to perform your best in each of the sessions your nutrition and recovery needs to be dialled in. There is no time to waste when you only have a few hours between workouts. Getting the right food, in the right amounts at the right time is the key to recovering between workouts in the same day.
One look at a professional CrossFit athlete is all it takes to see the importance of nutrition for recovery between same day workouts. They come to the gym like they’re about to move in for a week. Their bags are filled with workout clothes and shoes, and a boatload of food.
Getting good food (with the right carbs, protein and fat contents) into the body after training is key when you’re doing multiple sessions a day. Just check out Sammy Moniz’s Instagram (@sammymoniz and @FeedingtheFrasers) to see how she helps 4x CrossFit Games Champ Mat Fraser (@mathewfras) recovery between workouts.
What to Eat Between Workout Sessions in the Same Day?
How many Carbohydrates to Eat for Same Day Recovery
As I covered in an article on post-workout nutrition after aerobic exercise, muscle glycogen is the primary source of fuel for our muscles when working out.
Essentially, we store carbohydrates as glycogen – a fast-acting energy form in our muscles and liver. When we exercise the glycogen is broken down and used as energy so our muscles can contract.
Exercising for long periods of time or at high intensity can decrease the stored glycogen in our muscles and liver. Therefore, we need to replace these stores so that we can do another workout at the same effort level.
Our body is looking for nutrition after exercise. The carbs that we eat after training will be used to replace the energy stores via a process called glycogen re-synthesis.
The re-synthesis rate is very high in the couple first hour after exercise (Moore, 2015). As a result, you should eat 1.2 grams of carbs per kilogram of body mass per hour (0.54 g/lb/hour) in the first few hours post exercise if you are recovering for another workout in the same day (Vitale & Getzin, 2019). Ideally, this would be done with a small dose of carbs every 15-30 minutes.
Smaller, more frequent ingestion of carbs after exercise leads to a greater increase in glycogen restoration rates (Vitale & Getzin, 2019). Plus, it’s more manageable to have a few small snacks or recovery drinks after a hard workout than to sit down for a big plate of pasta.
Although it has been established that the post-workout anabolic window is more bro science than real science, nutrient timing is key when doing multiple workouts in a day.
Recent research has shown that consuming carbs immediately after a workout leads to a 45% higher rate of glycogen restoration rates than waiting 2 hours to have the first recovery meal (Moore, 2015). The amount of restoration was measured 4 hours after the end of the training session.
You can imagine how much better your performance would be if you had 45% more recovery of energy stores in your muscles compared to the person doing the workout beside you.
Personally, I drink a Vega recovery shake after long bike rides. I don’t always tolerate whey protein very well, so I choose Vega because it sits better in my stomach. Some people complain about the taste of vegan shakes, but I like Vega. The texture is a bit ‘chalky’ though. The Vega Sport Recovery drink is a 4:1 carb to protein mix that I use to start my recovery – particularly after long days biking.
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Protein for Short Term Recovery
Obviously, weight training or resistance training stresses muscles and leads to microdamage. This microdamage needs to be repaired by the body via muscle protein synthesis (MPS). MPS is the body’s way of repairing and rebuilding muscles so that they are stronger and more capable the next time they’re stressed.
Although we might not think of it, even aerobic exercise will bread down muscle. When running the muscles of the legs have to decelerate the body on each step. These repetitive eccentric contractions are hard on the body. This is why you might be sore the day after running down a hill, or even hiking down a trail.
Regardless of the activity, starting MPS quickly after exercise will lead to better recovery outcomes. This is especially important when there’s a quick turnaround between workouts or sessions at a competition.
The most important factor for enhancing MPS is dietary protein intake (Moore, 2015). The body breaks down proteins into their component parts – amino acids. The amino acids are then used in muscles as the building blocks when repairing the microdamage that results from workouts.
A single 20-25 gram serving of high-quality protein (a complete amino acid complex) is probably sufficient to start MPS for quick recovery. This serving should be taken right after the first workout if you are performing double (or more) sessions in the same day.
Throughout the rest of the early recovery window, you should strive for at least 0.75 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (0.35 g/lb) (Moore, 2015). A post-workout recovery shake or bar, like the Vega Sport Premium Protein Powder can help make sure you get your protein requirement.
Nutrition to Recover Between Training Sessions on the Same Day
To recover between events at a competition or for multiple workout sessions in the same day you should strive for
- 1.2 grams of carbs per kilogram of body mass per hour (0.54 g/lb/hour) in the first few hours
- Try to consume carbs every 15-30 minutes to maximize energy restoration in muscles
- Start with 20-25 grams of protein immediately after the first session/event
- Strive for 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass (0.35 g/lb) over the first 2 hours after training
- Use recovery drinks to achieve protein and carb goals and replace fluids lost
Recommended carbohydrate and protein intake for same day recovery at a variety of body weights is listed below:
| Body Weight | Carbs for Recovery | Protein for Recovery |
| 50 kg/110 lbs | 60 g | 38 g |
| 75 kg/165 lbs | 90 g | 56 g |
| 100kg/220 lbs | 120 g | 75 g |
References:
Moore, D. R. (2015). Nutrition to Support Recovery from Endurance Exercise: Optimal Carbohydrate and Protein Replacement. 14(4), 7. https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000180
Vitale, K., & Getzin, A. (2019). Nutrition and Supplement Update for the Endurance Athlete: Review and Recommendations. Nutrients, 11(6), 1289. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061289