Post-workout
Post-workout supplements for after training: protein powders, carbohydrate and electrolyte drinks, creatine and amino acids. We explain which form fits your session and how much protein actually matters across the day.Read more →
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Recovery nutrition after training: protein, carbohydrates and electrolytes
Post-workout is a moment, not a single ingredient. Everything on this page has one job: putting protein, carbohydrates or minerals back after you train. What you need depends on the session you just finished. A 45-minute strength session and a three-hour ride leave your body in very different states, which is why this part of our sports nutrition range holds such different products.
Protein, carbohydrates and electrolytes each do one job
Protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass. That is why whey, casein and plant blends fill most of this category, and why protein powders and shakes are the usual starting point for strength training. Carbohydrates have their own approved role: they help normal muscle function recover after intense or long exercise that empties glycogen, the sugar your muscles store as fuel. Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function and to normal protein synthesis.
Match the format to the session
Three broad choices:
- Protein only: for gym sessions where your main aim is reaching your daily protein target.
- Protein plus carbohydrates: for long endurance work, two sessions in one day, or training that leaves you with little appetite.
- Minerals and fluid: after heavy sweating. Our electrolytes pages cover sodium, potassium and magnesium drinks.
How we select post-workout products
We judge three things: the form, the dose per serving and whether the combination makes sense. A recovery drink with four grams of protein is not a recovery drink, so we check protein per scoop, the leucine share in amino acid blends and whether creatine is plain monohydrate instead of a pricier variant. We buy directly from the brands, with no intermediaries, so what arrives is authentic. Every product passes our compliance team before it goes live, we test products ourselves, and independent labs spot-check batches. After more than ten years, we still drop products that do not earn their place: read how we select.
What to expect, honestly
The half-hour window after training matters less than most labels suggest. Your total protein across the day is the bigger lever, and the UK reference intake of 0.75 g per kilogram of body weight is a minimum for adults, not a target for people training hard. Recovery products mainly make consistency easier: a shake in your bag is often the difference between eating properly and skipping a meal. Judge the effect over several weeks of steady training, not after one serving. If you already eat plenty of protein and train three times a week, a simple powder is likely enough, and that is a good place to stop.
Frequently asked questions
It is a timing category rather than one ingredient. Post-workout products are meant to be taken after training and usually contain protein, carbohydrates, electrolytes or amino acids, on their own or combined. You will find them as powders, ready-to-drink bottles, bars, tablets and capsules. Because the label describes when you take it, not what is inside, always read the ingredient panel before comparing two tubs on price.
