{"id":1097142,"date":"2025-12-17T01:53:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T22:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1097142"},"modified":"2025-12-17T01:53:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T22:53:15","slug":"the-7-best-post-workout-drinks-to-help-you-recover-according-to-dietitians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1097142","title":{"rendered":"The 7 Best Post-Workout Drinks to Help You Recover, According to Dietitians"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The 7 Best Post-Workout Drinks to Help You Recover, According to Dietitians<\/h1>\n
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By<\/span><\/p>\n
Kathleen Ferraro<\/p>\n
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\"Kathleen\"Kathleen<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nKathleen Ferraro\n<\/div>\n
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    Kathleen Ferraro has been published in local and national publications, including Outside, Travel + Leisure, NBC, Chicago Reader, and more. Currently, she’s a wellness writer for Bustle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \nByrdie’s Editorial Guidelines\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    Updated on December 12, 2023 02:29PM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    Reviewed by<\/span><\/p>\n
    Briana Bain<\/p>\n
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    \"Briana\"Briana<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    Reviewed by<\/span>
    \nBriana Bain\n<\/div>\n
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    Briana Bain, DPT, PT, is a physical therapist based in Virginia Beach. She works as a Physical Therapist at Adler Therapy Group and a BodyPump Instructor at OneLife Fitness<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \nAbout Byrdie’s Beauty & Wellness Board\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    Physical Therapist<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    From building strength and increasing mobility to boosting your mood and managing stress, exercising regularly has many benefits. But a challenging workout such as HIIT, running, or cycling can leave you running low on water and nutrients like electrolytes, both of which can contribute to feeling dehydrated, tired, or sore, says registered dietitian and nutrition consultant Lauren Minchen, MPH, RDN, CDN.\n<\/p>\n

    What you consume after a workout is as important as stretching before you start. Luckily, there are plenty of after-workout drinks that can help you replenish following a depleting sweat session. To help you settle on the right beverage to accompany your post-workout snack, we spoke to expert dietitians to learn which options are the best and why.\n<\/p>\n

    Keep scrolling to see seven post-workout drink options to help you recover and refuel to get your sweat on again in no time. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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    Meet the Experts<\/p>\n

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    • Diana Savani, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant at Vita Coco.<\/li>\n
    • Lauren Minchen, MPH, RDN, CDN, is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant for Freshbit, the AI-driven visual diet diary app.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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      01<\/span>of 07<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Water <\/span><\/h2>\n

      Feeling tired or thirsty during or after your workout? Though it may sound obvious, water is your surest bet to replenish, says Minchen. “Every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies uses water to function,” she tells Byrdie. “Our bodies pull water from food and fluids to manage temperature, remove waste, and lubricate joints, so providing plain, clean water directly is the best, fastest way to rehydrate after a workout.”\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      02<\/span>of 07<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Electrolyte Drinks <\/span><\/h2>\n

      Electrolytes are minerals your body needs to function well, including sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. But an intense workout\u2014and all the sweating that comes with it\u2014can drain your body of those nutrients, resulting in an electrolyte imbalance that can leave you feeling run down and dehydrated, says Minchen. The solution? Restore that balance with the help of an electrolyte-packed beverage. Although Minchen advises sticking to the low-sugar varieties to rehydrate most efficiently, sports drinks are one standard option.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      03<\/span>of 07<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Coconut Water <\/span><\/h2>\n

      Love water but want to switch things up? Try coconut water, says Diana Savani, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant at Vita Coco. It’s a natural source of electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium, making coconut water a great pick to help you replenish depleted minerals after a sweaty workout, she adds. It also contains natural sugars, which Savani says can help restore energy after a tiring gym sesh.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      04<\/span>of 07<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Unsweetened Decaf Tea <\/span><\/h2>\n

      If water is too dull, but sports drinks are too much, settle in the middle with a hydrating glass of tea after your workout. The antioxidant-rich concoction can help support hydration, muscle recovery, and overall health, according to Minchin. She recommends fruit-flavored chamomile, ginger, mint, and decaf green teas. Just be sure to pick a decaf variety, she emphasizes. Caffeine can cause further dehydration, which is the last thing you need after a tiring workout.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      05<\/span>of 07<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Chocolate Milk <\/span><\/h2>\n

      Though a glass of chocolate milk might remind you of your elementary school lunchroom, it’s also a great way to recover from an intense workout, says Savani. “Chocolate milk is a nutrition powerhouse when it comes to refueling after exercise, bringing along all of those beneficial components for post-workout fuel \u2014 carbohydrates, protein, fluids, electrolytes,” she tells Byrdie. Those nutrients can help restore depleted energy sources and give your body the sustenance it needs to repair and re-energize muscles that are stressed from exertion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      06<\/span>of 07<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Vegetable Juice <\/span><\/h2>\n

      Vegetables are an essential nutrient source to keep your body feeling and working its best, so why not use green juice to refuel after exercise? Juices that contain leafy greens, beets, carrots, and other veggies provide the vitamins, minerals (including electrolytes), and antioxidants needed to support muscle recovery and rehydration post-workout, according to Minchen.\n<\/p>\n

      The 10 Best Greens Powders We’ve Tested for Energy and Vitality<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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      07<\/span>of 07<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Smoothies <\/span><\/h2>\n

      Not feeling an all-vegetable beverage? Cut it with some fruit, says Savani. She recommends blending your favorite fruits and vegetables with your liquid and protein source of choice \u2014 like coconut water, almond milk, Greek yogurt, or protein powder \u2014 to custom-make the smoothie of your dreams. This is an excellent option if you tend to lose your appetite after your workout, she adds since plant-based smoothies contain tons of nutrients to replenish your exhausted body without the need to prepare a whole meal. Bonus? It’s delicious.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      The Best Drinks to Have Before a Workout<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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      Article Sources<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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      Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.<\/div>\n
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      1. \n

        Pritchett K, Pritchett R. Chocolate Milk: A Post-exercise Recovery Beverage for Endurance Sports.\u00a0Med Sport Sci<\/em>. 2012;59:127-134. doi:10.1159\/000341954<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        Read more:<\/div>\n
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        • Health & Wellness<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Nutrition<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

          Source URL: https:\/\/www.byrdie.com\/after-workout-drink-5184378<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          The 7 Best Post-Workout Drinks to Help You Recover, According to Dietitians By Kathleen Ferraro Kathleen Ferraro Kathleen Ferraro has been published in local and national publications, including Outside, Travel + Leisure, NBC, Chicago Reader, and more. Currently, she’s a wellness writer for Bustle. Byrdie’s Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 12, 2023 02:29PM Reviewed by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1097143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[83],"class_list":["post-1097142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-byrdie-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1097142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1097142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1097142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1097143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1097142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1097142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1097142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}