Winter is in full swing, and staying motivated and consistent with your exercise training can be challenging, especially with the cold and flu running rampant.

With the right sports supplements though, you can support your recovery, promote relaxation and keep your training on track.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the best sports supplements to help you achieve your winter fitness goals.

Promote Relaxation & Sleep Quality

Proper rest and relaxation are vital for recovery, especially during the winter season where the body may need extra time to recuperate.

Consider the following supports to support this key area of your winter recovery:

Magnesium: Magnesium is a vital mineral that plays a crucial role in rest and relaxation. It helps regulate neurotransmitters that may promote a better state of calmness, making it an excellent and rather affordable supplement for supporting relaxation.

Learn more about Magnesium here.

Valerian Root: Valerian root is a herbal remedy used for centuries to promote relaxation and support healthy sleep patterns (Taavoni et al., 2011). For this one, we recommend Delta Zone by BPM Labs, which contains this ingredient.

Glycine: Glycine is a conditionally essential amino acid found in most protein sources, and supplementation with glycine has shown to improve sleep quality and performance next day (Yamadera et al., 2007). Purchasing a quality protein powder is a simple way to obtain a good source of Glycine. 

Support Adrenals & Manage Exercise-Induced Stress

While exercise is an excellent way to manage stress, intense workouts or over doing it in the gym during winter can put excessive stress on the body. This can greater increase our risk of getting sick, especially during winter.

To support recovery and combat exercise-induced stress, consider these supplements:

Adaptogenic Herbal Blends: Look for supplements that contain a combination of adaptogenic herbs such as Rhodiola, Ashwagandha and Liquorice Root. These herbs work to naturally support the body’s stress response and promote recovery.

Heard of Ashwagandha before? Read more about it here.

Turmeric/Curcumin: Curcumin is the active ingredient found in Turmeric and contains potent anti-inflammatory efforts. This can help better alleviate exercise-induced stress and promote faster recovery (Basham et al., 2019). We recommend Turmeric and Curcumin by Natural Superfoods and Co.

Adrenal Nutritional Support Blends: Like Adaptogenic herbal blends, looking for a sports supplement that sports your adrenals can be effective at managing exercise-induced stress. These supplements contain ingredients such as Magnesium, Zinc, and often also Ashwagandha. We recommend Adrenal Switch by Switch Nutrition.

Optimise Muscular Recovery

Regardless of season, if you’re following a strict training regime, optimising muscle recovery is crucial (although it may be even more so during winter).

Consider these supplements to add into your winter recovery routine:

Protein Powder: Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth. Incorporating a high-quality protein powder into your post-workout routine can help provide the necessary amino acids to support recovery.

Learn more about Protein Powder Supplementation here.

Glutamine: Glutamine is an amino acid that aids muscle recovery, reduces muscle breakdown and supports immune function. Glutamine is the perfect option if you’re looking to support your recovery this winter. We recommend Glutamine by Legit.

Collagen Peptides: Collagen is beneficial for supporting joint health and helping to prevent injury during training. Collagen is the perfect option to promote muscular recovery while also supporting healthy connective tissue (Kviatkovsky et al., 2022).

The Takeaway

In conclusion, let's snuggle up and conquer winter recovery with a touch of self-care! Embrace relaxation and sleep support with Magnesium and Valerian Root.

Manage exercise-induced stress like a champ with Adaptogenic Herbal Blends and Turmeric/Curcumin. Don't forget to pamper your hardworking muscles with Protein Powder, Glutamine, and Collagen Peptides.

You've got this – winter won't stand a chance against your well-rounded, feel-good routine!

If you’re looking for other recommendations to support your winter wellness routine, reach out to our Customer Service team and we’ll be happy to help!

References

• Ac, C., & S, M. (2017, November 3). Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29099763/
• Basham, S. A., Waldman, H. S., Krings, B. M., Lamberth, J., Smith, J. W., & McAllister, M. J. (2019). Effect of Curcumin Supplementation on Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Muscle Damage, and Muscle Soreness. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2019.1604604
• Kviatkovsky, S. A., Hickner, R. C., & Ormsbee, M. J. (2022). Collagen peptide supplementation for pain and function: is it effective? Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 25(6), 401–406. https://doi.org/10.1097/mco.0000000000000870
• Taavoni, S., Ekbatani, N., Kashaniyan, M., & Haghani, H. (2011). Effect of valerian on sleep quality in postmenopausal women. Menopause, 18(9), 951–955. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e31820e9acf
• YAMADERA, W., INAGAWA, K., CHIBA, S., BANNAI, M., TAKAHASHI, M., & NAKAYAMA, K. (2007). Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 5(2), 126–131. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x

Authors: 
Stephen Brumwell, Nutritionist (ANTA #40048)

Reviewed:
Teigen Faux, Exercise Phyioslogist (Honours) for Scientific Accuracy