The Recovery Fuel Lab Recover. Refuel. Perform. Evidence

Food first or supplement?

Real situations athletes face. Pick the best answer for each, then check your thinking. Every answer shows the evidence behind it.

1 You finish practice at 5 PM and eat dinner at 6 PM. Your next session is tomorrow afternoon. Do you need a recovery shake?

Teaches: Timing

Yes. You must have protein within 30 minutes or you lose your gains. No. A balanced dinner an hour later covers carbohydrate, protein, and fluid. No. Skip dinner too, because rest days matter more than food.

2 You finish your first tournament game and compete again in 4 hours. What changes?

Teaches: Timing and dose

Nothing. Eat a big, normal lunch whenever you get hungry. Start right away: easy-to-digest carbohydrate every hour, some protein, and fluid with sodium. Drink water only, so you do not feel heavy in game two.

3 A strength athlete eats 100 g of protein at dinner and very little the rest of the day. What would work better?

Teaches: Dose and timing

Spread protein into 20-40 g servings every 3-4 hours. Eat even more protein at dinner. Replace dinner protein with amino acid capsules.

4 Tart cherry juice may reduce soreness. When does it make the most sense to use it?

Teaches: Context

Every day, all year, including easy base-building weeks. Around a congested competition or very heavy block, when fast recovery matters more than adaptation. Never. Functional foods have no evidence behind them.

5 A 15-year-old soccer player wants to start protein powder and a pre-workout supplement. What is the best first step?

Teaches: Context

Buy both. Teens recover faster with supplements. Check that meals and snacks cover energy and protein first. Food meets most young athletes' needs. Cut carbohydrate to stay lean for performance.

6 You weigh 1.5 kg less after a hot training session. How much should you drink over the next few hours?

Teaches: Dose

About 0.5 L. The rest will come back on its own. About 1.9-2.3 L, with some sodium from food or drink. About 5 L as fast as possible.

Take the Recovery Check