Is there any fast food that would work as good recovery meal following a long ride or run? I generally drive to a park or other remote location to do my longer workouts and it would be nice to grab a quick quality meal on the way back home. Also, is it best to get that meal on board within 30 minutes of completing the workout? What is the proper mix of pro/carb/fat for recovery?
Thanks!!
Mark
Five Guys mini cheeseburger and “regular” fries.
WORD!
The body has about an hour window after a workout when it is prime to absorb nutrients and what not, but the sooner the better.
Anything you can eat after your workout should be fine, your body will burn it up. I was talking to the exercise physiologist at my school and he said it doesn’t really matter what you eat after a workout, and said it will just get burned up and you don’t have to worry about your blood sugar levels spiking.
But, don’t overeat. Unless ya want to 
Standard answer is 4:1 carb/protein ration within 30 mins of finishing a workout.
I carry powdered Endurox then add water after my run so it doesn’t fester in my car. I suck that down then usually grab something else on the way home like a mocha. That curbs the starvation mode. You then have up to 3 hours after your workout to get in a full meal.
As far as what fast food? I don’t eat it so I’m not sure I will be a big help. I imaging a regular burger would be OK. Without cheese and NOT a Whopper. Choc shake would taste awesome!
Subway or other sandwich shop is ideal.
4/1 Carbs to protein, as others said.
I too love Endurox. 1 scoop for 1hr workouts, 2 for workouts that are over 1hr and intense or over 2hrs period. Chocolate milk is also a good recovery drink, and I’ve used slimfast too.
Then there’s supposedly a ‘window’ the length of your workout to cheat. (Maybe it’s 1/2 the length, don’t recall). So if you want some cake, or some junk food while still not ideal that would be the time to do so.
Is there any fast food that would work as good recovery meal following a long ride or run? I generally drive to a park or other remote location to do my longer workouts and it would be nice to grab a quick quality meal on the way back home. Also, is it best to get that meal on board within 30 minutes of completing the workout? What is the proper mix of pro/carb/fat for recovery?
Thanks!!
Mark
When I do really long workouts (relative term), I sometimes get a Whataburger burger, fries, and chocolate shake… good mix of carbs, fat, protein.
Do the shake first for carb replenishment.
Sonic has a nice PowerAde slushie during at least the summer months.
When I was growing up, every day on the way back from swim practice we’d stop for a coke slurpee at the 7-11 at the corner. Mmmm … recovery drink.
You can actually get a great recovery meal at McDs: Plain hamburger on a bun. Adequate carbs, fat and protein - and very tasty after several hours of sweet flavored nutrition. I remember last year after one particularly long training day, I chowed down 4 plain hamburgers in a row.
vanilla milkshake.
i was very surprised to find myself in a fast food place, getting this milkshake, but my usual replenish-immediately food cache went awry and this popped iinto my head…as a golden arches was advertised, and i was yet within 30 minutes of finishing. it turned out to be great…which means, for me, it did the job. i had the recovery i had hoped for, and one that matched the one i get from my normal recovery food.
about a month later i was in a similar situation, but actually had my own food with me—just thought a milkshake sounded good, so went for it again. and the recovery was equally as good as the prior one.
peggy
Milk Shake
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A couple chocolate milks is enough. Shakes are absurd. Check out Mcdonald’s “nutrition” data
Products
1% Low Fat Milk Jug
100 20 2.5 1.5 0 10 125 12 0 12 8 500 2 320 0
1% Low Fat Chocolate Milk Jug
170 25 3 1.5 0 5 150 26 1 25 9 500 4 300 0
Chocolate Triple Thick® Shake (16 fl oz cup)
580 120 14 8 1 50 250 102 1 84 13 1060 0 430 2
Chocolate Triple Thick® Shake (21 fl oz cup)
770 160 18 11 1 70 330 134 1 111 18 1410 0 580 2.5
Chocolate Triple Thick® Shake (32 fl oz cup)
1160 240 27 16 2 100 510 203 2 168 27 2120 0 870 4
The McD’s soft serve is reasonably low fat, so it’s a good sugar/protein fix. Subway is probably the best choice…that being said, after Wildflower you’ll find a lot of us at the In-n-Out in Gilroy…fries well done please.
When I was little, Mom used to take me to Dunkin Donuts after swim practice (if I’d done a good job). I turned into a good fishie.
Therefore, I’d say chocolate glazed donuts are good recovery food 
I certainly don’t want to erase all my hard work. I have to say I’m surprised to hear milkshakes, hamburgers and fries. I didn’t realize the 4:1 - carb:pro was the general rule. I think I had it backwards since I was more focused on protein. I may check out Endurox for immediately after and then go with PBJ or turkey samich a little later. sound reasonable?
taco bell refried bean burrito, no cheese or sour cream
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When I was little, Mom used to take me to Dunkin Donuts after swim practice (if I’d done a good job). I turned into a good fishie.
Therefore, I’d say chocolate glazed donuts are good recovery food
Back when I was a fishie in High School and we had 2 practices a day me and a couple other fishies would hit the local bakery for some donuts on our walk to practice at 5 am. One or two on the way for some energy, then two or three after wards for ‘recovery’ and before school. Then you’d have some left over for another one or two after school before the pm practice and then aonther couple for the walk home before real dinner.
I preferred the double chocoloate though…
Subway… grab a chocolate milk with your sandwich.
See, I knew there was something to it.
I had a chocolate glazed donut as a snack before a 20 mi race last weekend…
subway foot long turkey on wheat with lot of lettuce, hot and sweet peppers and a bit of light mayo!
The best option would be to pack something to eat on your drive home (Choc milk, pb&j, or a bar of some sort, etc). I have been told the best combo would be 4:1 carbs:protein (not sure about the fat) within a 30 min window.
But, if you are picking something up, I would think that Dunkin Donuts flat bread sandiwches (egg whites or turkey & cheese) or their bagel sandwiches (egg & cheese), Subway (lean meats w/ cheese), or any bagel sandwich shop (PB&J or egg whites & cheese or Lox w/ tomatoe & lf cc) would be good options.