Top Recovery Foods

After any intense workout it's really important that you give your body the nutrients and fuel it needs to properly recover. If you don't your performance will suffer during your next workout and your body won't be able to effectively repair and build lean muscle. This is key, as the more lean muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate and the more fat you'll be able to release.

Experts say that the best combo for maximizing muscle repair and boosting your metabolic rate is eating 2 to 1 carbs to protein with very little fat (up to possibly a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein) as quickly as possible after your workout.

Here are three options to consider...

1) Chocolate Milk - This is a fave for many athletes. An eight-ounce glass of low fat chocolate milk provides 32 grams of carbs and 11 grams of protein, an ideal carb to protein ratio.

2) Low Fat Granola Cereal - GOLEAN by Kashi is a good choice: A 1-cup serving has 140 calories, 30 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fat.

3) Fruit Smoothie - frozen banana, berries, whey protein powder and some water, aiming for at least a 2:1 carbs to protein ratio.