Training places stress on the body and to counter this we need periods of recovery, periods that give the body a chance to absorb all of the stress and allow the itself to adapt.
The better an athlete recovers, the more effective their training becomes, so in this post we have looked at how to recover quicker for sport. Obviously this can be tailored to individuals and their specific activities, but we think it’s a great start when it comes to recovery strategies for sportspeople of all levels.
1. Post-Training Nutrition
Refuelling properly will enhance muscle repair, restore muscle and glycogen stores and replace fluid loss. Refuelling is important to return the body back to its resting state so that athletes can start quality training again as soon as possible.
If this has not occurred, the athlete is more likely to accumulate more fatigue leading to injury down the track.
As a general guideline for recovery, nutrition should include:
- Quality carbohydrate to replenish muscle fuel stores
- Lean protein to promote muscle repair
- Fluid and electrolytes to rehydrate effectively
For more individualised nutrition advice, book in to see a Sports Dietician to create a nutrition plan.
2. Sleep
Sleep results in greater performance and mental well-being. Sleep is also important because it is during sleep when our body releases human growth hormones critical for muscle repair, something that is vital or athletes and sportspeople training hard and wanting to recover quickly.
Tips with better quality sleep include:
- Routine time when you go to sleep
- Sleep in a cooler environment
- Reduce exposure to light 30 mins prior to sleep
- Track your sleep (there are many apps that help track your duration of sleep)
- Avoiding stimulants (eg. coffee) and alcohol prior to sleep
3. Active Recovery
Traditionally, most people will tell you to stay off your feet and let your body rest.
However, “active recovery” is low intensity exercise to promote blood flow to the body’s muscles resulting in the removal of waste products the body may accumulate during exercise such as lactic acid.
Types of effective Active Recovery strategies may include:
- Swimming
- Walking
- Jogging
- Cycling
4. Recovery Tools
There are many recovery accessories to add to your recovery routine. These include:
- Foam rolling
- Massage
- Compression
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Cryotherapy
Recovery accessories are just that, accessories that complement the foundations of recovery which are nutrition and sleep.
Pick a few recovery accessories to see if they work for you. The key is not to add too much, as adding more to the process may increase stress to the body.
This post on recovery strategies was inspired by our colleagues at high performance training centre Precision Athletica, if you would like more information about what they do, please visit their website: www.precisionathletica.com.au
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