The present invention provides for a nutritional composition in a liquid drink form, dry powder form, gel form, or carrier form intended to optimize human physiological performance during intense exercise and subsequently return the body to its healthy, pre-exercise state. The composition comprises a carbohydrate and a protein, and preferably a ratio of the carbohydrate to the protein is greater than about 4.3 parts by weight carbohydrate to 1 part by weight protein. Preferably, the liquid nutritional composition is comprised of: (1) carbohydrate in the range of 3.45-10% by weight of the liquid nutritional composition to allow immediate and long-term energy production by muscle cells and neurons, insulin modulation, and muscle glycogen sparing, the carbohydrate being in the form of monosaccharides or polysaccharides or a combination thereof, and the saccharides preferably comprising 40-95% dextrose by weight of the final volume of saccharides, 5-45% fructose by weight of the final volume of saccharides, and 1-25% glucose polymer by weight of the final volume of saccharides; (2) a protein source that contains all 20 “standard” amino acids, in the range of 0.1-0.8% by weight of the liquid nutritional composition, whose inherent structure plus further chemical modification results in amino acid absorption into the bloodstream rapid enough for initiating and enhancing protein synthesis and subsequent muscle cell repair during the exercise and post-exercise periods; (3) Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA), leucine, isoleucine, valine, for use by muscle cells for energy thus sparing glycogen stores, for increasing protein synthesis by stimulating insulin and growth hormone release, and for reducing protein degradation; (4) precursors of the signaling molecule nitric oxide, important for increasing blood flow and subsequent nutrient delivery (including those in this composition) to tissue during intense exercise; (5) precursors of creatine, a molecule important for ATP regeneration in muscle and nerve cells and for muscle cell volumizing effects; (6) a mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic antioxidants: retinol/Beta-carotene (Vitamin A), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), and di-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E); ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10 [5-100 mg/500 ml], which in addition to its antioxidant properties is also important for ATP generation and Vitamin E regeneration; a mixture of 10-100 mg epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and 25-150 mg polyphenols from green tea extract; 40-250 mg ellagic acid and punicalagin from pomegranate or raspberry extract, at ratios comparable to that found in the whole fruit, which have been shown to have protective effects on blood vessels as well as inhibiting stimulation of the pro-inflammatory protein interleukin-1b (IL-b) which causes degradation and damage to joints (These six antioxidants prevent and eradicate reactive oxygen species and free radicals generated during strenuous exercise, thus preserving muscle integrity.); and (7) the ions Na+, Cl−, K+, Ca+2, Mg+2, and Zn+2, which are important for the muscle fiber contraction and relaxation cycle, for neuronal signal propagation, for repletion of such ions lost in excessive perspiration during exercise, for water absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, and for catalytic action by energy producing and antioxidant enzymes.