Recovery From A Workout

So you just finished a great workout and you’re thinking that you’re done for the day, right? Not quite yet. The time you spend working out is only part of the equation in achieving your health and fitness goals. Some may argue that your recovery routine is just as important as the workout itself. The reasoning behind this is because we actually build muscle during the recovery period after our workout. During exercise, we subject our muscles to a physical stress which causes micro tears to the connective tissue of our muscles. This is a normal response to exercise and with proper rest and recovery your body has the opportunity to repair those micro tears and rebuild your muscles to make them stronger than before.

So how do you optimize your recovery and make sure your body is ready for your next workout? Here are a few tips to add into your recovery routine.

Drink your water! You lose water during exercise when you sweat and it is important to replenish your body with enough water to ensure you can work in an optimal state. Proper hydration helps dissolve nutrients and make them more readily available for absorption into your body, it also helps regulate your body temperature, lubricates and cushions your joints, helps with digestion and removes waste from your body.

            Refuel with the proper nutrients. After exercising you should consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates will help replenish your energy stores and protein consumption will help repair and rebuild your muscles. It is recommended that you consume ~1-1.2 g/kg/h (grams per body weight per hour) during the first 4-6 hours of your recovery period to adequately replenish your carbohydrate stores². As for protein, it is recommended you consume ~0.3 g/kg (grams per body weight) after you workout².

            Roll it out. The fancy term for using a foam roller, compression ball or rolling-pin-like stick is called myofascial release. This part of the recovery process might be painful but it’s well worth it. During myofascial release, you are breaking up the adhesions that have formed by the connective tissue between the layers of your muscles¹. Breaking up the adhesions will allow the layers of muscle to glide over one another, thereby restoring proper alignment of muscle tissue and normal muscle function. Additionally, myofascial release will help regain normal range of motion and reduce muscle tightness¹. Perform myofascial release with a foam roller, compression ball or rolling-pin-like stick on the desired muscle group for approximately 2-3 minutes. When you find a sore or tender spot, rest on that spot for 10-15 seconds until the tension in that spot is released, then continue rolling until you find another tender spot.

            Schedule adequate recovery time between high intensity workouts. Ample recovery time between exercise bouts should be considered to avoid overtraining. After a hard workout you may experience muscle soreness, fatigue and smaller ranges of motion, working out while in this state will increase your risk of injury. Allow 24-72 hours between high intensity training bouts of the same muscle group.

References

1.     McCall, P. (2015). Top Strategies for Optimal Recovery Between Workouts. American Council on Exercise. Retrieved from https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6422/top-strategies-for-optimal-recovery-between-workouts

2.     Thomas, D.T., Erdman, K.A., Burke, L.M. (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 48(3):543-68. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852