Recovery is an essential part of training routine. Your after-exercise recovery routine has a big impact on your sports performance.
Recovery is essential to muscle and tissue repair and to build strength. 24 to 48 hours. This is the time your muscles need to repair and rebuild ! Here are some tips to help you recover faster:
Drink water before during and after training
Water supports nutrient transfer in the body and the metabolic functions. Having plenty of water will improve every bodily function. Beeing well hydrated is even more important for endurance athletes !
If you are a fan of sports drinks enhanced with electrolytes or any other kind of post-exercise recovery drinks, it may help you as well. Of note, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that chocolate milk may be a good post-workout recovery drink (contains protein, carbohydrates, fats, water, and electrolytes).
Nevertheless, keep that in mind that at the end of the day, there’s nothing more beneficial than plain water !
Eat Healthy Recovery Foods
If you expect your body to recover you need to refuel, repair tissues, get stronger, and be ready for the next challenge. This is even more important if you are performing endurance exercise day after day or trying to build muscle.
Ideally, you should try to eat within one hour of the end of your workout.
Rest day
Give your body time to recover. Your body has an amazing capacity to take care of itself Depending on your age and skill level, you might require less time to rest or more. Always listen to your body !
Sleep
Sleep at least 8 hours will help you recover faster. And if you can add a power nap, even better !
Take a nap
According to the National Sleep Foundation, naps can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce injuries.
Stretching
Never forget about stretching ! Especially during recovery days. In time, it will help with your recovery and won’t be a burden any longer.
Active recovery
Easy, gentle movement (such as a walk, light run or yoga) improves circulation, which helps promote nutrient and waste product transport throughout the body.
Hot therapy
Hot therapy causes blood vessels to swell and increases circulation to muscles and joints. This is very useful for people with joint stiffness, enhancing flexibility. Learn more about hot therapy and contrast therapy.
Cold therapy
Cold water does the opposite. It causes blood vessels to constrict, which reduces inflammation and relieves pain by numbing the affected muscles and tissues. If you can’t handle the sensation of cold water on your skin, or if you don’t have tthe possibilty to make an ice bath (while traveling for example) you should definitely think about the cryo-system or the cryo-compression system .
