If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best clean pre workout for cardio is, then we recommend Performance Lab® SPORT Maintain as the best one.
Are you bothered by sore, aching muscles on your recovery days?
If so, then it’s time for you to find the best recovery supplement.
Using a recovery supplement may mean that your muscles are less sore after even the most intense training session.
What’s more, if you choose your supplement wisely, it may help you put on mass and have improved energy during your workouts.
Read on to learn more.
Here are the top recovery supplement we’ll be reviewing:
- Optimum Nutrition L-Glutamine Muscle Recovery Capsules
- Post JYM Active Matrix
- Garden of Life Sport Vegan Post Workout Muscle Recover Powder
- XTEND Sport BCAA Powder
- Performance Lab® SPORT Maintain
Why Use a Recovery Supplement?
Exercise is an important part of your life. In fact, your workout sessions tend to be pretty intense.
Of course, if you’re like most people, you don’t work out seven days a week.
You give yourself a minimum of one or two days a week to recover.
Some dedicated athletes are inclined to consider rest days as wasted time.
However, plenty of athletes, trainers and physicians believe that rest days are just as critical as workout days.
That’s because rest days give your muscles and tissues a chance for some much-needed repair.
Rest further is essential for replenishing nutrients, topping up energy stores and restoring the function of the central nervous system.
Clearly, your rest days are critical. This means that it’s a good idea to make the most of them by taking the best recovery supplement.
What to Look for in a Recovery Supplement
The specific ingredients that you will look for may vary depending upon what your fitness goals are and what kind of workouts you do.
For example, the needs of the long distance runner and the body builder are not the same.
The runner is more likely to be focused on stamina while the body builder is committed to gaining muscle mass.
Nonetheless, both of these athletes may benefit from using a recovery supplement.
These products are not intended only for elite athletes. They also can be beneficial for the average person who enjoys a good workout or exercise class at the gym.
One of the most popular and prevalent ingredients in recovery supplements is creatine.
This amino acid has been extensively studied and is considered safe and effective for muscle growth and repair.
Don’t worry. Taking creatine isn’t going to make you muscle bound. It likely will just help you to make the most of the hard work that you’re putting into your training sessions.
Many athletes also look for recovery supplements with Branched Chain Amino Acids, or BCAAs.
These amino acids are known to enhance exercise performance, help to build lean muscle mass and repair muscle damage.
Another critical ingredient that many athletes prefer is electrolytes, which are critical for maintaining sufficient hydration during and after a workout.
When you’re properly hydrated, you won’t be bothered by cramping muscles, headaches and other symptoms of dehydration.
What Are the Benefits of Using Recovery Supplements?
If you are not convinced that taking a recovery supplement could really make a difference for you, it may be worth giving it some deeper consideration.
A day without a workout can only do so much to help you recover from a tough training session and get you ready for the next one.
It is crucial that you drink enough water, eat nutritious food and get plenty of sleep.
What’s missing from the equation is that extra boost from a recovery supplement that helps to speed muscle repair.
Additionally, these supplements can help you feel more energized and ready for your next workout, which may mean that you are able to achieve a personal best.
If you are ready to break through your training plateau, then a recovery supplement may be exactly what you need.
Recovery supplements work because they contain concentrated doses of amino acids and other ingredients that perform specialized functions in the body.
With increased muscle repair, you’ll be more rested and ready for each workout, and this sets you up for gaining strength and mass.
Additionally, you are likely to see your energy levels improve. This may increase your stamina and your ability to keep pushing through during those tougher sessions.
The Best Recovery Supplements
Many products are available on the market today. Some are more effective than others.
Unfortunately, some are more about fancy labels and aesthetics than they are about actual physical benefits.
This is the list that will help you separate the useful and effective recovery supplements from the rest.
The five products listed here contain science-backed formulations and are highly likely to give you the results that you’re looking for.
Optimum Nutrition L-Glutamine Muscle Recovery Capsules
Optimum Nutrition L-Glutamine makes our list thanks to its use of L-Glutamine, a vital amino acid that assists with many critical functions in the body.
Glutamine is naturally produced by the body, but there may be situations in which an extra amount is needed. This is where supplements like this one come in.
Because it’s a protein building block, glutamine is essential for building muscle. Taking this supplement also may help with decreasing muscle soreness and improving recovery.
This is an inexpensive option, with one capsule containing one gram of glutamine. Two capsules are considered one dose.
However, glutamine is definitely not the most effective recovery supplement out there. To really get the maximum benefits from this product, you’d have to take between 20 and 30 pills per day.
That can be expensive and inconvenient.
However, some people see results, such as less muscle soreness, with a much smaller dose.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Contains an important amino acid
- May help to relieve post-workout muscle soreness
Cons
- Glutamine isn’t necessarily the most effect recovery supplement
- May have to take a lot of capsules to have an effect
Post JYM Active Matrix
Post JYM Active Matrix has a good mix of supplements like creatine, beta-alanine, BCAA’s and glutamine.
Additionally, this is a good option if you don’t like to swallow pills because this is a powder that you can mix into water.
A number of different flavors are available, making it possible to choose one that appeals to you.
In a single tub of Post JYM Active Matrix are 30 servings, which means that this could easily last you for between one to two months. Accordingly, this is a relatively economical choice.
This formulation contains eight active ingredients. In addition to those listed above, you get taurine, L-carnitine, L-leucine and L-Isoleucine, all of which are known to contribute to muscle recovery.
With several good flavors and excellent mixing ability, this is a good post-workout beverage. Plus, it is certainly encouraging that so much science backs up the listed ingredients.
However, several users have complained about stomach upset and diarrhea after using this supplement.
This does not happen to everyone, but some people just seem to be really sensitive to this formulation.
It may be wise to proceed with caution, carefully following the instructions on the label, until you know how you will react to this product.
Pros
- A powdered drink mix for those who hate taking pills
- Lots of great flavors
- Many effective, science-backed ingredients
Cons
- Some people experience stomach and diarrhea issues with this product.
Garden of Life Sport Vegan Post Workout Muscle Recover Powder
Garden of Life Sport Vegan Post Workout Muscle Recover Powder is perfect for you if you are seeking a product that is organic and plant-based.
In fact, this product is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and is certified USDA organic.
An antioxidant supplement, this is a powder that can be mixed into water so that you don’t have to force yourself to swallow pills.
This product is designed to stimulate muscle repair, reduce muscle soreness and reduce recovery time between training sessions with ingredients like pea protein, organic orange juice powder, a blend of antioxidants and a mix of B vitamins.
What this powder does not have is any of the usual suspects like creatine and beta-alanine. Accordingly, this choice may be ideal for someone who is committed to a plant-based lifestyle and diet.
However, people who are interested in serious mass gain might be better served with another option.
Pros
- Vegan and organic
- Contains pea protein to feed tired muscles
- Easy to mix
Cons
- Doesn’t have the ingredients that are needed for serious muscle gains
XTEND Sport BCAA Powder
XTEND Sport BCAA Powder is another powdered drink for those of you who hate capsules and pills.
What makes this one really different is the inclusion of electrolytes. If you deal with serious cramping after a workout, then this is the best recovery supplement for you.
Electrolytes are minerals such as potassium, sodium and calcium. They are critical to maintaining hydration and regulating muscle contractions.
Many people get electrolytes after a workout from drinks like Gatorade, but these beverages are loaded with sugars and other potentially undesirable ingredients.
XTEND powder gives you the benefit of the electrolytes without the sugar.
Plus, it’s packed with a broad range of BCAAs. Consisting of three amino acids, these supplements help to enhance your performance during a training session and help to fight tiredness after exercise.
It’s also thought that BCAA’s may promote weight loss.
I like the combination of electrolytes and BCAAs in this product for workout recovery.
However, this product is unlikely to support mass gain the way that a supplement with creatine would.
Pros:
- Contains electrolytes
- Has an impressive range of BCAAs
- Mixes well
- Tastes good
Cons:
- Not really formulated for massive muscle gains
Performance Lab® SPORT Maintain
Performance Lab® SPORT Maintain is one of my favorite recovery supplements because it contains creatine monohydrate.
Creatine is naturally found in muscle cells where it gives you energy to lift heavy weights or complete high-intensity exercise circuits.
Creatine is similar to amino acids in that it helps you to build muscle mass and strength.
Unlike many other recovery supplements, creatine has been widely studied and determined to be completely safe and effective.
If you’re looking to gain mass, then you definitely want to take creatine. It may even have positive benefits for your brain.
Also in the Performance Lab® SPORT Maintain formula is beta-alanine, an amino acid that gets converted in the body to other chemicals that are useful for muscles.
For instance, beta-alanine helps your body to produce carnosine, which is critical for reducing the build-up of lactic acid in your muscles during a workout. Less lactic acid means that you can exercise longer and harder.
With ingredients like these, it’s easy to see why this product deserves to be listed as a best recovery supplement.
Using it on your rest days helps you to amplify the gains that you started during your last workout.
These ingredients not only help with recovery but also help you come back stronger in your next workout.
Maintain capsules are relatively small, making them easy to swallow even for people who struggle to swallow pills.
Each serving size is six capsules, containing 3000 mg of creatine, 1,600 mg of beta-alanine and a solid 2.5 mg of iron.
Pros:
- Contains safe and effective creatine
- Beta-alanine helps you recover and boosts performance
- Capsules are relatively small
Cons:
- Can only buy on the Performance Lab website
Related: Click here to read our full review of Performance Lab® SPORT Maintain.
Final Thoughts
So which of the above products is the best recovery supplement?
My undoubted favorite is Performance Lab® SPORT Maintain.
This mainly is based on the ingredients in the product like creatine and beta-alanine, the effectiveness of both of which is backed up by numerous scientific studies.
Simply put, this is the best recovery supplement because it contains pretty nearly everything you need to help you gain muscle mass, recover from a tough workout and get yourself fueled up for your next training session.
The only real downside is that it’s only available at the manufacturer’s website, but that isn’t too much of an inconvenience for a product that is so effective.
