Should I drink orange juice after a workout?
Orange juice is a popular post-workout drink option for many athletes and fitness enthusiasts. It’s accessible, tasty, and provides a quick dose of carbohydrates and vitamins. However, there is debate around whether orange juice is truly an optimal choice for post-workout nutrition.
The Benefits of Orange Juice After Exercise
There are some potential benefits that make orange juice an appealing choice for post-workout hydration and refueling:
- It’s packed with carbs. An 8 oz glass provides about 21 grams of carbohydrates, including natural sugars like fructose and sucrose. After an intense training session, your muscle glycogen stores are depleted and your body craves carbohydrates to replenish them.
- It contains key electrolytes like potassium. Intense exercise can lead to the loss of electrolytes through sweat. Potassium helps regulate fluid balance and muscle contractions.
- It offers vitamin C. One serving provides over 100% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. Vitamin C supports immunity and collagen production, which may help with exercise recovery.
- It’s convenient and tastes good cold. Orange juice is accessible at most grocery stores and refreshing right out of the fridge, making it a convenient and palatable post-workout option.
Potential Drawbacks of Orange Juice as a Post-Workout Drink
Despite the potential upsides, there are some important downsides to consider regarding orange juice as an after-exercise beverage choice:
- It lacks protein. To properly recover from exercise, experts recommend consuming protein and carbohydrates together. Orange juice provides no source of protein.
- It’s high in sugars. While the natural sugars in orange juice help replenish glycogen stores, some find the 21 grams per serving to be excessive, leading to an energy crash later.
- It’s relatively low in nutrients. Compared to whole oranges and other fruits and vegetables, orange juice is lower in nutrients, fiber, and filling ability per calorie.
- The sugars may hinder hydration. High amounts of sugar can actually delay hydration compared to electrolyte drinks.
- It’s acidic. The citric acid content in orange juice can bother those with sensitive stomachs or GERD after strenuous exercise when the lower esophageal sphincter is relaxed.
Expert Recommendations
Most sports dietitians and personal trainers do not recommend orange juice as the optimal post-workout recovery drink. Here is a summary of expert recommendations:
| Expert | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| International Society of Sports Nutrition | Chocolate milk provides an optimal ratio of carbs to protein for post-workout recovery. Orange juice is not recommended due to lack of protein and excess sugars. |
| Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics | Low-fat chocolate milk or a shake/smoothie with carb to protein ratio of 3:1 to 4:1 is preferable to orange juice following exercise. |
| Chris Mohr, PhD, RD | Orange juice has too much sugar and not enough protein compared to chocolate milk or a fruit/yogurt smoothie, which provide superior nutrient profiles for recovery. |
The consensus is that while orange juice provides carbohydrates, it is not optimal for post-workout recovery due to lack of protein, low nutrient density, potential for energy crash, and possible hydration and digestive issues.
Alternative Post-Workout Drink Options
Instead of orange juice, most experts recommend choosing recovery drinks with a better balance of carbs and protein as well as more nutrients. Here are some top picks:
- Chocolate milk: Provides carbs, protein, electrolytes, and fluids.
- Smoothies: Blend Greek yogurt, milk/milk alternatives, banana, berries, peanut butter, etc. for a nutrient-dense drink.
- Nutrition shakes: Low-sugar protein shakes and meal replacement beverages provide protein, carbs, vitamins.
- Coconut water: Natural electrolytes and fluids to rehydrate without excess sugar.
- Herbal tea: Provides hydration from water content without stimulants found in many sports drinks.
- Vegetable juice: Options like low-sodium tomato or carrot juice offer some carbs, vitamins, and hydration.
Putting It All Together
While orange juice is a convenient post-workout option found in most refrigerators, it is not considered an optimal choice by most experts due to its high sugar content and lack of protein and other nutrients. Recovery drinks like chocolate milk or smoothies provide superior macronutrient profiles to replenish glycogen stores, build and repair muscle, and rehydrate.
However, orange juice is certainly better than nothing at all after a tough workout. If you enjoy a glass of OJ to quench your thirst and provide some carbohydrate refueling, there is likely no harm. Just be sure to eat a balanced meal with quality protein sources within the hour.
In the end, listen to your body’s signals. If orange juice sits well in your stomach after exercise and provides an energy boost without crashes, there is no need to avoid it. But for those seeking an evidence-based optimal recovery drink, the consensus points to alternatives like chocolate milk rather than plain orange juice.
