What to Drink After Exercise? Honest Recovery (Without the Sugary Drinks)

Session done, soaked t-shirt: the aisle hands you neon « recovery drinks » at 6-8g sugar/100ml. Except real recovery fits in 3 words — water, electrolytes, protein — and your 45-min session needs zero liquid sugar.

• 💧 The 1.5× rule: weigh yourself before/after — drink 1.5× the weight lost (1kg lost = 1.5L over the following hours). THE foundation of recovery, before any powder
• 🧂 Electrolytes (if heavy sweating): sodium and potassium leave in sweat — a pinch of salt in your diluted INTI bottle + a banana do the job of €2-a-dose powders
• 🔴 The « recovery drink » myth: at 6-8g sugar/100ml they're justified after 2h of intense effort — not after your 45 min
• 💪 Protein within the hour: 20-25g (Greek yogurt, eggs, a shake) for muscle rebuilding — the plate recovers, not the drink
• 🌿 The INTI post-session bonus: ginger + turmeric = the documented anti-inflammatory duo for muscle soreness (DOMS) — studies show reduced post-exercise muscle pain with daily ginger. 0% sugar, the taste that makes you drink your 1.5×

The summer recovery protocol: 1.5× the weight lost in water + diluted INTI, pinch of salt if heavy sweating, 20-25g protein within the hour. Sugary recovery drinks? Marketing for 95% of sessions. ⚠️ Very dark urine hours after sport, severe persistent cramps or feeling faint = serious dehydration, see a doctor.

❓ FAQ

What should you drink after exercise?

The 1.5× rule: drink 1.5 times the weight lost during the session (1kg = 1.5L over the following hours). Add a pinch of salt if you sweated heavily, and 20-25g of protein within the hour. « Recovery drinks » at 6-8g sugar/100ml are only justified after 2h+ of intense effort. Bonus: daily ginger reduces post-exercise muscle soreness (DOMS) in several studies — diluted INTI (0% added sugar) makes the recovery drink you actually want to drink.