If you’ve decided that you’re going to use the lockdown to do a bit more exercise you’re going to need a decent post-workout recovery drink. There are many of these on the market but it can be difficult to establish exactly what’s in them. Making your own ensures your recovery drink only contains fresh ingredients and what’s more this particular smoothie tastes sensational.

So what does a recovery drink need to contain? Well, it needs a good quality protein to ensure that the muscles you’ve broken down during your exercise routine can be repaired as quickly as possible. This smoothie contains collagen protein to achieve the quickest possible tissue repair.

Your post-exercise smoothie also needs to contain some glucose. Your muscles will have used up their stores of glucose during your work out. To prevent stiffness, fatigue and muscle ache it is important to replenish these glucose stores as quickly as possible; ideally within 30 minutes of your workout. The coconut water in this particular smoothie not only benefits from the glucose your body needs post-exercise, but because it is isotonic it also ensures you are better able to rehydrate.
Following your work out it is essential you rehydrate and replenish electrolytes.

Most of these you can acquire from the fruit and coconut water in this smoothie but an important electrolyte not found in either of these is sodium and this will need to be obtained through the addition of some salt.

Finally, throughout your workout, your body’s acidity levels rise. It’s important therefore that your recovery drink has a high alkaline content to help reduce these levels and raisins are ideal for this purpose.

There you have it. A fantastic post-exercise smoothie fully of everything your body needs including a great taste.

Recipe

1. Whizz the ingredients together in a Nutribullet until smooth.