Five drinks you should always take after a workout

The first thing that comes to mind after a major work out is anything to quench your thirst.

Plain water is the best choice to rehydrate for most people, but if you are looking for an added nutrition boost or recovery potential, some of these new post workout beverages could change the game.

While some may not be easily available, they can be purchased from health shops or online stores like Amazon. Bottom line is to ensure you buy from trusted brands.

Here are five drinks you should always take after a workout

After a light workout, water will hydrate you just fine. But when you max out in the gym, chocolate milk is a great option for recovery. You’ll get plenty of fluids, together with carbohydrates and protein. In fact, you can go ahead and toss your old sports drink now.

Researchers have found that chocolate milk restores muscle glycogen and rehydrates the body just as well as Gatorade, but as an added bonus, it packs a gold mine of calcium, healthy fats and whey protein.

Whey protein in particular has been shown to boost the immune system thanks to lactoferrin which spikes insulin levels and help your muscles absorb more glucose to replace glycogen stores.

Having whey protein after a workout can help improve recovery, and may help reduce your hunger more than other proteins like soy or casein.

If you didn’t know, cherries are actually very good for your sex life. In that same breath, the same antioxidants that get things going in the bedroom will help you out at the gym, too.

According to GQ, a study carried out by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that subjects who drank 24 ounces or tart cherry juice everyday experienced less muscle soreness and a fraction of the usual strength loss after exercise.

This new type of water that has hit the market is infused with fruits instead of added sugar or artificial flavors, and it retains the fruit’s antioxidants along with added prebiotics for healthy digestion.

If plain H2O isn’t your cup of tea, these options are a tastier way to drink more.

You read right, green tea is the new green juice. More than just a caffeinated pick me up, green tea contains powerful antioxidants that help metabolize fats and fight exercise induced free radicals that would otherwise cause inflammation and muscle soreness.

Green tea is also good for you well beyond the gym. One of the key compounds, had been shown to help treat a number of chronic inflammatory conditions, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and even heart diseases.