Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Michael Ormsbee, director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine, Florida State University, shares advice for fighting muscle fatigue.
If your muscles feel weak in yoga class, you may need to better fortify them after your each practice or workout. During any activity, muscles use glycogen, a simple form of sugar that fuels movement. The more intense the exercise, the more glycogen you use. To restock glycogen stores in your muscles, you need to replenish with carbs and protein—the main sources of glycogen.
Within 30 minutes of any exercise, eat a 150- to 200-calorie snack that contains a ratio of carbs to protein ranging from 3:1 to 4:1. One example: 8 ounces of chocolate milk, which has been shown to contain the optimal blend of muscle-fueling carbs and protein to prevent muscle-protein breakdown and weakness or fatigue.
See also Ask the Expert: What Foods Will Prevent Spring Allergies?