Recovery supplements: what people take after training and after work

Recovery supplements is a loose label, and no single product earns it. Shops use it for sports drinks, electrolyte sachets, protein, creatine and more, and sports bodies describe all of these as a small part of the picture next to food, sleep and rest.

This post separates two readers: the person recovering from a training session, and the person trying to switch off after a long work day. One thing first. WorkMode doesn't sell a recovery product. The rest of the post describes what shops file under 'recovery', what the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) says about it, and where an evening drink like WorkMode OFF fits into a routine.

What people mean by recovery supplements

Open a pharmacy's sports recovery shelf and you see how wide the label is. In South Africa, a typical pharmacy's sports recovery section lists L-glutamine, oral electrolyte sachets, salt tablets, creatine monohydrate, BCAAs and carbohydrate powder. Those are very different things with different jobs, sold under one heading.

Two groups of people end up searching for them:

• Someone training around a job. They want to know what people take after a session, and whether any of it is worth the money.
• Someone who has simply had a long day. No gym involved. They want to wind down properly, and 'recovery' is the nearest word they have.

They need different answers, so this post keeps them apart. WorkMode OFF belongs to the second group, as an evening drink. It isn't sold as a sports recovery product and we make no claim that it is one.

Do recovery supplements really work?

The honest answer is: a little, in specific situations, and not instead of the basics. The AIS says sports foods and supplements can play a small but important role in the nutrition plans of high performance athletes. The 2018 International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus statement, as summarised by the AIS, puts it more modestly still: nutrition usually makes a small but potentially valuable contribution to performance in elite athletes, and dietary supplements can make a minor contribution to that nutrition programme. The same statement notes that supplement use is widespread at all levels of sport. Common use is not proof that something works.

Evidence also differs a great deal from one ingredient to the next, so 'recovery supplements' can't be judged as one thing. Our view is plain: eat properly, sleep, and take rest days before you spend money on a tub.

If you do consider a product, the AIS weighs up any supplement by asking:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it permitted for use in sport?

The contamination question is a real one. The AIS has published a report on contamination risk in protein fortified foods, because the doping risk of these foods is confusing for athletes and the people who advise them. Anyone who competes under anti-doping rules should take that seriously.

What each type of recovery product is designed for

The AIS groups sports foods and supplements into four groups (A to D) by the scientific evidence and practical considerations behind them. Group A is defined as 'Strong scientific evidence for use in specific situations in sport using evidence-based protocols.' Its sports foods include sports drinks, gels, confectionery, bars, electrolyte supplements, isolated protein supplements and mixed macronutrient supplements. Its own descriptions are useful because they say what each product is for:

• Electrolyte supplements are powders, tablets or ready to drink products designed to replace fluid and electrolytes (in particular sodium and potassium) lost through sweat or other body fluids.
• Sports drinks are designed to deliver a balanced amount of carbohydrate and fluid, so an athlete can rehydrate and refuel during and after exercise.
• Mixed macronutrient supplements (bar, powder, liquid meal) are a compact source of protein and carbohydrate, plus micronutrients, for when it is impractical to eat or access whole foods, or when appetite is suppressed.

Notice the pattern. Each one is tied to a situation: a long hot session, a missed meal, a travel day. None is described as something everyone needs daily. The AIS also lists caffeine, beta-alanine, dietary nitrate (beetroot juice) and sodium bicarbonate as Group A performance supplements, and advises always engaging with a sports dietitian when considering any supplement. That is the right place to start if you train seriously.

Magnesium, and how to count it across the day

Magnesium gets searched for in its own right, often alongside recovery. On a label, the figure that matters is the amount of elemental magnesium per serving, not the weight of the compound. Check which form is used, and check the serving size the figure refers to.

The usual trap is adding it up from several places. A multivitamin, a magnesium tablet and a drink mix can each contribute. For WorkMode, ON has 100mg of magnesium per 7g serving and OFF has 125mg per 5g scoop, so someone using both should add those two amounts together before counting anything else. Our magnesium guide cites the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements upper limit of 350mg a day for adults from supplements and medicines (not counting food), and the NHS statement that 400mg or less a day from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. It also covers the medicines that magnesium can interact with, so they aren't repeated here.

Follow the serving on the label, count every product, and if you take prescription medicine, ask a pharmacist before adding magnesium.

An evening routine for busy people

This is the part for the after-work reader. WorkMode OFF is an evening drink with magnesium, 5-HTP, L-theanine, chamomile and rooibos. It has no caffeine and no melatonin. The label says to dissolve 1 heaped scoop (5g) in 250ml of hot or cold water, 30 minutes before bed. The flavour is Peach Iced Tea, and a 150g tub gives about 30 servings.

Per 5g serving the label shows:

• L-glutamine 500mg
• L-theanine 200mg
• rooibos leaf extract 200mg
• chamomile (4:1 extract) 200mg
• magnesium 125mg (as magnesium bisglycinate)
• 5-HTP 100mg
• passionflower (4:1 extract) 75mg
• vitamin B6 10mg

It is sweetened with sucralose. The routine around it is simple: phone away, lights down, no caffeine late in the day. The drink is one step in that routine, not a result on its own.

For a whole day, the All Day Stack is ON in the morning, Power Hour for the afternoons that need it and OFF in the evening. ON is 2 level scoops (7g) in 250ml of cold water and has 90mg of caffeine per serving. Power Hour is 1 tablet in 250ml of cold water, with 130mg of caffeine per tablet. Both contain caffeine, and it adds up before you count a single coffee. EFSA says up to 400mg of caffeine a day from all sources raises no safety concerns for healthy adults who aren't pregnant, so count the caffeine from ON and Power Hour together with your coffee.

Rise & Reset covers mornings and evenings only, for people who don't want afternoon caffeine. If you want to see the studies behind the ingredients, they are set out on the science page.

Who should check with a doctor or pharmacist first

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before using WorkMode OFF if any of these apply:

• You take prescription medicine. OFF contains 5-HTP, which Memorial Sloan Kettering says may interact with medicines that affect serotonin, such as some antidepressants.
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• You take medicines that interact with magnesium. The magnesium guide lists them.

The same applies to any product from the recovery aisle. If you compete in a tested sport, or you are building a plan around a specific goal, a sports dietitian can tell you what suits you. This post can't.

Questions people ask

What is the best supplement for recovery?

There isn't a single best one. The AIS places sports drinks, electrolyte supplements, isolated protein and mixed macronutrient products in Group A, each designed for a particular situation, such as replacing sweat losses or eating when whole foods aren't practical. The AIS advises working with a sports dietitian for personal advice.

Do recovery supplements really work?

The AIS says they can play a small but important role for high performance athletes, and the 2018 IOC statement calls the contribution minor. Evidence differs by ingredient, and food, sleep and rest come first. No product can promise a result.

What do athletes take after training?

Athletes commonly use sports drinks, electrolytes and isolated protein, and the IOC notes supplement use is widespread at all levels of sport. That describes what people use, not proof that it works.

Can I take magnesium every day?

Follow the serving on the label and count magnesium from every product you use. Our magnesium guide cites the NIH upper limit of 350mg a day from supplements and medicines, and the NHS statement that 400mg or less a day from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. If you take medication, check with a pharmacist first.

Is WorkMode OFF a recovery supplement?

No. It is an evening drink for a wind-down routine, with magnesium, 5-HTP, L-theanine, chamomile and rooibos, and no caffeine or melatonin. It isn't sold as a sports recovery product and we make no recovery claim for it.