A recent Wall Street Journal article discusses new low-cal, low-carb, even electrolyte-infused options that are turning craft beer from a reward into a recovery drink.
“There’s definitely a trend to market craft beer to active people, and even some data that suggests active people are drinking more,” said Christie Aschwanden in the article, a science writer whose book “Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery” (W.W. Norton & Company) examines the latest research on post-exercise recovery and the growing market for related products.
But will beer really aid your post-workout recovery? Ms. Aschwanden explained that, “It’s drilled into us by sports drinks that electrolyte drinks are these magic pellets, but electrolytes are simply salt, and we’re really not deficient in them at all,” she said. “But beer is mostly water, so it is hydrating, and the carbs in beer are actually helpful in recovery.”
Another reason for a post-workout brew is that the biggest benefit might be booze itself. “One thing that’s often neglected after a hard workout is the need to relax. It’s important to send a signal to the body that it’s time to recover,” said Ms. Aschwanden, which is when a mug of suds might just do the trick. She added, of course, that “The trick is to stop at just one.”
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