After running around a pitch for 90 minutes your muscles are damaged and fatigued. To help patch up the mess it does a strange thing – it starts feasting on itself.
If the idea of your body eating itself makes you feel a bit nauseous then you need to pay attention to our recovery guide, courtesy of former British bodybuilding champion turned elite sports nutritionist, Kerry Kayes.
According to Kayes your first port of call after a game should be the kitchen. To help with the rebuilding process feed your aching limbs protein, sugar and amino acids.
“Immediately after a game you want to get some nutrients in your body to stop it feeding on itself to repair itself from the trauma of playing,” Kayes told FFT.
“You need to put some simple sugars in your body quickly to stop the body breaking down muscle to get sugar.”
Make a rapid recovery watch this video and hear more from Kayes on the ideal post-match grub.
Kerry Kayes was talking at the World Football Academy: UK National Symposium. For more information visit www.worldfootballacademy.co.uk
Also see:
Recovery: A how to guide
Shane Long's rules to recovery
Micah Richards: Recharge your batteries for the next game
Post match recovery starts here...
Bobby Zamora on recovery
Bedtime at the Theatre of Dreams
How to sleep yourself sharp
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