Sore muscles might seem unavoidable after a hard-charging day on the slopes. And while a few après cocktails and a soak in the hot tub are timeless remedies, muscle pain after skiing isn’t inevitable. With ingredients that rebuild and repair the damaged muscle tissue that causes pain, a new category of sports drinks has emerged to speed recovery time. Like energy drinks, recovery recipes include carbohydrates and electrolytes, but they also contain protein, a key ingredient for muscle repair. There’s still no consensus on the best source of protein—whey, soy or milk— and the optimal carb-to-protein ratio, but most nutritionists agree that it’s between 3:1 and 6:1, and that the drinks should be consumed within 30 minutes after exercise.

Gatorade’s recovery products come in shake or powder form, and both kickstart the amino acid and glycogen synthesis that repairs tissue damage. Skiing several days in a row? Mix the powder packet with a 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade Thirst Quencher to get twice the carb content of the shake.

Protein source: milk protein isolate

Carb-to-protein ratio: 2:1 (shake), 3:1 (powder)

Nutrition: 70 mg of sodium; 28 grams of carbohydrates; 10 grams of protein; 150 calories per serving

Info: gatorade.com