Are you looking for a way of replacing lost electrolytes after a workout? Whip up a smoothie made from fresh or frozen fruit, ice and yoghurt – it's the trendy, healthy thing to do.

Smoothies – The way to go
If drunk within the 30-minute window period after a workout, a smoothie will replenish much of what the body has lost during the gym session and also reduce food cravings.

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Smoothies are also practical, especially if one takes into consideration that many people don't have an appetite after exercise.

But be warned, smoothies can add on the calories (and the fat) if you don't monitor your intake, if you add fatty substances to your smoothies, or if you don't substitute other meals or snacks for smoothies.

Replacing lost water
The aim of post-workout nutrition should be to replace lost water, lost nutrients and to replenish the body's glycogen stores (the principal form in which carbohydrate is stored in the body).

During exercise, your body loses large amounts of water. A rough guideline is to drink between 250 ml (one cup) and 480 ml of fluid after exercise. The fluid you need, can be incorporated into the smoothie you drink after a workout. But don't overdo it - fluid-overload can be just as dangerous as dehydration.

Putting back the carbohydrates
It is important to start replacing carbohydrates shortly after exercise as glycogen production takes many hours and it's quite a long process before glycogen stores are on par with pre-exercise levels again.

As you need to be in top form when you go to gym for your next workout, it is recommended that one should ingest approximately 100 g carbohydrate within 30 minutes after a workout. This will ensure that glycogen synthesis is optimised.

Once again, the smoothie is the perfect solution. It not only contains water to rehydrate the body, but also carbohydrates and other essential nutrients lost during exercise.

Ideas for smoothies
Smoothies are basically a combination of ice, fruit (frozen or fresh), fruit juice, yoghurt and/or nuts. If you want to add more calories to your smoothie, you can add a dash of ice cream.

Possible combinations include:

• ½ cup of strawberries, ½ banana, ½ cup of orange juice, 175 ml low-fat or fat-free yoghurt, ice
• 1 peach, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. honey, 175 ml low-fat or fat-free yoghurt, ice
• ½ cup of cranberry juice, ½ cup of strawberries, 175 ml low-fat or fat-free yoghurt, four almonds, ice
• ½ cup of papaw juice, ½ cup of pineapple pieces, 175 ml low-fat or fat-free yoghurt, three walnuts, ice

These ingredients can simply be stashed into a blender, mixed and voilà! – an instant, healthy treat.

Great smoothies at Kauai Express
If you're a Virgin Active member and convinced that smoothies are the way to go, look no further than the Kauai Express bar inside your gym.

"Drink your next meal" – a programme which was developed for its maximum benefit to all gym members – is based on the concept that a smoothie can act as a replacement for a meal.

Kauai Express offers a wide range of smoothies, made from a blend of fresh fruit and natural ingredients. The smoothies range from those specifically designed for weight gain (muscle builders) to low fat, work out and power smoothies, as well as blends for kids.

As an added bonus, the nutritional values of all the smoothies are indicated on the Kauai menu – so that you can match your energy input with your energy output.

Happy smoothie-ing! – (Carine van Rooyen, Health24)
 

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