After a hard or long workout, my go-to drink is a Cherry-Beet Recovery Smoothie. If you’ve every been around me after a run, you’ve probably seen me drinking this post-workout anti-inflammatory smoothie. It’s a delicious and refreshing way to consume a 3:1 carb to protein ratio for refueling.

When I am heavy into marathon training, or more recently ultra marathon training, I have a lot of early morning runs. Whether I am driving out to the hills of Barrington to train for Boston, heading to Maple Lake with my trail running crew, or going to an early morning workout class at EDGE, most of the time I will not immediately be home after a workout to cook breakfast. But I know the importance of having something soon after a workout to help start recovery. That’s why this Cherry-Beet recovery smoothie is the perfect solution.

The Cherry-Beet Recovery Smoothie is designed to be portable, recovery focused, and above all delicious. If I am spending 4 hours out on the trails, I want the first thing I drink to be tasty and satisfying, yet beneficial for my overall recovery. They key ingredients are tart cherries, beets, blueberries and turmeric (all to reduce inflammation). Bananas add carbohydrates and cashews/powder add protein. After a workout lasting an hour or more, you need a combination of carbohydrates and protein ( research says in a 3:1 ratio ). If you workout less than that, you don’t really need something immediately after.

So, if you follow me on Instagram , you’ll see that I like beets. More like love beets. A lot. Why else would I make beet ice cream ? Beets are a superfood for runners. They have a high level of nitrates which dilates the blood vessels and allows more oxygen to reach the muscles. There’s been a lot of research about drinking beets before a workout – they allow athletes to perform harder for longer.

But AFTER a long hard workout, beets can still work their magic. I want to bring fresh blood and fresh oxygen to my muscles to help repair them, reduce inflammation, and prepare myself for the next day’s workout. Especially when doing back-to-back long runs during ultra marathon training. That’s why I add beets to my post-run smoothies.

In addition to beets, this smoothie also contains tart cherries and blueberries. Both tart cherries and blueberries have properties that help fight inflammation. After a long run or hard workout, your muscles will naturally be inflamed. Drinking a smoothie with cherries and berries kick starts your recovery process and gives your body healthy and natural fuel to reduce inflammation.

Refueling after a hard workout is critical to allow you to recover and adapt to training. By recovering properly, you can have more quality runs in the future. Post-workout recovery smoothies like this one are perfect because they are easy to digest, full of antioxidants and very refreshing.

Cherry-Beet Recovery Smoothie

What are your favorite smoothie ingredients? If you try this recipe, let me know! Rate it, leave a comment, take a picture and tag @Rabbitfoodruns on Instagram. I’ love to see where you enjoy your recovery smoothie!

Buen provecho,

Becca



