The best workout recovery supplements replenish and repair your body, so you can stay consistent in your training. Read this ultimate guide to the top workout recovery supplements from a fitness pro.
By Glenn Holmes
Before we dive into which supplements are the best for workout recovery, let’s look at what recovery actually is and why we should be focusing on recovery to begin with.
The more we understand what our body needs to recover optimally, the better we can handle the soreness and make informed choices about which supplements we actually need.
Why Workout Recovery Matters
During exercise your muscles endure microtears, inflammation, and energy (glucose) depletion.
It’s essential we do everything we can to aid the healing and recovery process post-exercise, so we can restore both our muscles and our nervous system. Recovering both of these will produce better sleep to enable the physical healing processes and repair mechanisms, so we can feel ready to go again as soon as possible.
Not only is ‘going again’ important for consistency, but waking up energized will keep us mentally motivated.
Our muscles, joints, tendons, etc., also need to be ‘broken down’ and rebuilt effectively to grow back and repair even stronger and more adaptable than before, especially as we age.
So to put it simply, your recovery is your growth!
I know this first-hand: The majority of my more severe injuries and sickness throughout my training and coaching career have always come when my recovery has been suboptimal. Thankfully they have been few and far between, but when I look back and analyze why they occurred, I see a pattern: My body had been fatigued or overworked and under-rested. Even though at the time, I may have felt OK, it’s sometimes hard to gauge what state you are actually in and how hard you should train/work out.
Hopefully this guide to supplements for workout recovery will encourage you to create a routine, and help get, or keep, you on track to stay as fit and healthy as possible and injury-free forever.
The 3 Phases of Recovery
- Immediate (0–2 hours)
- Short-term (24–48 hours)
- Long-term (ongoing)
Consequences of Poor Recovery
Chronic lack of workout recovery causes a cascade of problems that eventually sabotage your gains and even your health.
- Poor sleep ⬇
- CNS (nervous system) dysregulation ⬇
- Fatigue (physical and mental) ⬇
- Muscle breakdown, potential atrophy⬇
- Poor joint and tendon health ⬇
- Increased injury risk ⬇
- Poorer performance in workouts ⬇
- Fitness and strength plateaus ⬇
Nutrition For Optimal Recovery
Macronutrients
- Protein: for muscle repair
- Carbohydrates: for glycogen replenishment
Key Micronutrients and Compounds
- Electrolytes: Potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium
- Creatine
- Antioxidants
- Adaptogens
- Amino acids
Top Supplements For Post-Workout Recovery
Protein Powders
Whey protein and plant-based protein both support muscle recovery after workouts, but they differ in composition and absorption.
Whey (milk protein) is rapidly absorbed and rich in all essential amino acids, especially leucine, which stimulates muscle repair.
While plant-based proteins (like pea, rice, soy) are slower to digest and do not contain a full amino acid profile, these are a great option for vegans and those with dairy sensitivities.
When to consume protein powder for workout recovery
Depending on the intensity and style of workout, for optimal recovery, you should aim to consume approximately 20–30 grams of protein within 30–60 minutes of your training.
Choose whey for faster absorption, or a high-quality plant blend if you prefer a dairy-free option.
BCAA’s
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA’s) are:
- Leucine
- Isoleucine
- Valine
They all play a key role in stimulating muscle protein synthesis, which improves your endurance, and is highly effective at reducing post-workout muscle soreness.
So, for example, after a more challenging strength workout, leucine, in particular, will trigger the repair and growth of muscle tissue.
BCAAs may also help delay fatigue during endurance training and decrease muscle damage, leading to a faster recovery.
When to take BCAAs for workout recovery
BCAA’s can be taken before, during, or after workouts, especially if you are working out fasted or when your protein intake is low.
A typical dose is 5–10 grams. While beneficial, BCAAs are most effective when used alongside complete protein sources for full recovery support.
Carbohydrates to replenish after a workout
Now here’s one that doesn’t need to be a supplement. Carbs help shift the body into a repairing state faster by feeding the muscles their rebuilding materials. You can do this with a banana, not an expensive, processed carbohydrate supplement.
If you want to optimize carbohydrate uptake in the muscles for repair, Alpha Lipoic Acid can help as it supports insulin sensitivity to help your cells absorb glucose.
Creatine supports rapid recovery between sets
Creatine is the most studied supplement on the market.
Safe and highly effective, creatine is shown to enhance strength, power, and recovery, all by increasing the body’s supply of phosphocreatine.
Phosphocreatine helps regenerate your primary energy source for muscles (ATP; I won’t bore you with the long version 😂).
Basically, creatine helps to expedite recovery between sets in workouts and improve performance in higher-intensity/harder workouts.
Creatine can help reduce muscle and brain fatigue, promotes protein synthesis, and may reduce soreness by aiding muscle repair.
Creatine monohydrate is the most studied and effective form, and typical doses are around 3–5 grams daily.
When to take creatine for workout recovery
Timing is flexible, but taking it post-workout with protein may improve absorption. Some studies also show that Alpha Lipoic Acid may enhance absorption. Read the label of your creatine supplement as dosing time and stipulations for taking with meals vary by brand. The most important aspect of creatine supplementation is consistency as daily use helps saturate muscle to maximize physical and cognitive recovery.
Hydration: Magnesium & Electrolytes
Water alone is not enough for optimal hydration.
Magnesium and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and calcium) are essential for muscle function and nervous system balance, especially during intense, prolonged, regular exercise as well as overall active lifestyles. You lose substantial amounts of these nutrients in sweat during workouts.
Just like protein and amino acids, magnesium supports muscle protein synthesis, which means recovery and growth.
Magnesium is required for hundreds of metabolic and chemical reactions in our bodies, including specifically, energy production in muscle cells to maintain performance during and recovery after a workout.
Electrolytes aid recovery between sets by maintaining fluid balance and preventing dehydration-related performance dips. They also play a role in reducing brain and muscle fatigue during endurance training.
When to take electrolytes for workout recovery
Doses vary, but daily magnesium intake is typically 300–400 mg.
Electrolytes can be replenished through water, food, or supplements—especially after heavy sweating or long workouts. As well as an electrolyte supplement added to your water.
Adaptogens help manage workout stress
Ashwagandha and Rhodiola are key adaptogens, herbs that help the body manage stress responses to promote a healthy, regulated nervous system.
Ashwagandha is known to help lower cortisol levels (our stress hormone), improve strength via enhanced muscle recovery, and reduce both physical and mental fatigue, helping your performance in your workouts, your job and daily life and of course your key recovery tool.. sleep quality. It’s a great option in the evening, I typically take it most nights as I begin to wind down for the day.
Rhodiola is a great option that can help boost endurance, sharpen your focus, and reduce perceived exertion and muscle soreness by enhancing cellular energy and resilience to stress.
Both can support recovery between workouts and help prevent burnout.
When to take adaptogens for workout recovery
Typical doses are 300–600 mg of Ashwagandha and 200–400 mg Rhodiola taken once or twice daily, ideally with food.
Antioxidants for workout recovery
A really common buzzword in health and wellness: ANTIOXIDANTS.
What are they, what do they do?
Antioxidants play a vital role in reducing oxidative stress in our cells, which can happen when our bodies are too stressed (from intense physical training and other factors) and not replenishing and recovering properly. If left unchecked, our tissues can basically rust, leading to a cascade of other unpleasant issues.
Exercise does a lot of amazing things for the body, but it also causes production of oxidative substances. The good news is it’s easy to combat with ample antioxidants.
Antioxidants:
- Coenzyme Q10
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin A
- Glutathione
- Alpha Lipoic Acid
- Quercetin
- Curcumin
- Selenium
- Zinc
Consuming antioxidant-rich foods and supplements approximately 2–3 hours post workout can really help your body recover faster and perform better over time, and mitigate any potential cellular damage from inflammation and oxidation.
Antioxidant foods:
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Leafy greens
- Beets
- Turmeric
- Dark chocolate
Other colorful plant foods provide a wide range of antioxidants, though there are a few things to consider here…
With antioxidants and exercise recovery, the timing of intake and balance is key.
Do not over-supplement; some oxidative stress and inflammation post-exercise is necessary for muscle growth and adaptation naturally. Shutting that natural process down too quickly and too often will be counter-productive for your fitness goals.
When to take antioxidants for workout recovery
Timing depends on your goals. If your main goal is to maximize the effects and gains from your workouts, I suggest delaying antioxidant intake for two hours post-workout. During the two-hour window of recovery, antioxidant intake can blunt muscle adaptation by reducing the oxidative signals that trigger your muscle growth and endurance improvements from the exercise.
I always suggest prioritizing getting your nutrients (especially antioxidants) from a diverse, whole-food diet and use supplements to support, not replace, that foundation.
Vitamin C is a huge support recovery tool and lifelong addition to supplement regime for managing oxidative damage in daily life, but the best results come when it’s used as part of a balanced, food-first approach and a well sourced, high-efficacy, absorbable form of Vitamin C that can penetrate to the cells.
This is where the benefits of liposomal Vitamin C and supplements comes in:
- fewer digestive issues
- encased nutrients
- deliver high effective doses
- better absorption and bioavailability
Do your high-dose antioxidant supplementation on your rest days, in the morning as soon as you wake up, or hours after your training session, not immediately after every workout (unless recovery from a very hard effort to go again the next day is your top priority).
Common Mistakes with Recovery Supplements
1. Relying solely on supplements without nutrition
Supplementing without a solid nutrition foundation can undermine your fitness and recovery goals. Supplements are meant to complement and enhance a balanced diet, not replace it.
Whole foods provide your essential nutrients, fiber, and synergistic compounds that supplements alone can’t replicate.
Without adequate calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats from real food, your body lacks the building blocks for muscle repair, energy, and long-term health.
In short, supplements can enhance performance and recovery, and help you cover all your health bases, but they are NOT substitutes for consistent, nutrient-dense eating.
2. Ignoring sleep and stress recovery
Sleep is the #1 time when the body repairs muscle tissue, balances hormones, burns fat and consolidates physical and mental learning from your workouts.
Chronic stress and poor sleep will elevate cortisol (stress hormones), reduce muscle protein synthesis, create fatigue, spike energy at the wrong times (like in the middle of the night), impair recovery between sessions, and just generally increase your risk of injury and the feeling of being overwhelmed or burnt out.
Even the best nutrition and supplements can't compensate for inadequate rest and unmanaged stress.
Prioritizing quality sleep and having a good stress management system (adequate rest, breathwork, days off, treats, play time, etc.) are essential for maximizing your performance, recovery, and overall health. Everything is linked!
Building a Recovery Routine That Works
So you now have a list of supplements and the basic information that can help you get on track with optimizing your recovery.
Remember: Consistency is key.
You can combine these elements to build a recovery routine that supports your goals, and schedule, not just short-term performance. It’s about creating habits.
I encourage you to use personal experimentation; try these methods and assess how you feel, track performance in your workouts over the weeks and months, track sleep and recovery and just have a general gauge on your vitality and energy levels throughout the days and weeks and see how you go.
I’d love to hear all about your wellness journey and if any of these supplements end up changing the game for you.
Thank you for reading, you can message me on Instagram with any more questions you might have on any of this.
Stay healthy.
