Best Methods For Muscle Recovery

Recovery doesn’t mean chilling in front of the TV or indulging in unhealthy food until you’re sick. What you do on off- days is just as crucial as what you do in the gym. Have a read and see how you can break the couch potato habit. Add New

  1. Promote Circulation By Working Your Joints. Even on your off day, by moving your arms, wrists and knees in low intensity circles. The opening and closing of your joint brings fresh synovial fluids to nourish, lubricate and hydrate these areas, while expelling waste and scar tissue. Rotate clockwise and counterclockwise to prevent imbalances and overuse injuries. Be careful not to hyper-extend, and keep circles tight to prevent excessive lateral motion so you don’t torque your joints.
  2. Use A Foam Roller To Reduce Muscle Tension. If you’re feeling pain or tightness post workout, you can use a long, semi- soft foam tube to give your muscles a massage. Foam rolling breaks up scar tissue and knotting in your fascia, which if left unattended- can lead to nagging aches and paints in your joints. Spend at least 30-60 seconds minimum rolling your sore muscle group immediately upon waking, before bed and any time you can spare during the day- the more, the better.
  3. Get Some Sleep. It has been shown that lack of adequate sleep can decrease the reduce tolerance to training, alter mood, increase perception of fatigue and negatively affect the physiological mechanisms responsible for adaptation from the stresses of training. Hormonal secretion during sleep is one of the most important factors influencing recovery, after all the purpose of sleep is to induce a state of recovery in the body. Try for 8 hours sleep per night and/ or fit in an afternoon power nap for 30 minutes to rejuvenate the body.
  4. Hydrate. Dehydration can reduce performance potential, but also delay the recovery process. Exercise and an increased metabolic rate, both increase the body’s need for water and electrolytes. It has been suggested that the minimum amount of fluid intake per day for males is 3.7L/ day and 2.7L/ day for females. Be mindful of water lost from sweating, one source recommended roughly 1L of water for every 1000 calories expended.
  5. Get Your Nutrients. Recovery is a time where proper nutrition is essential. Protein sources are required to rebuild muscle tissue and to supply the building blocks for various cells, tissues, enzymes and hormones. Depending on how often you train during the week, protein recommendations can range from 1.0 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight PER DAY. Carbs on the other hand are the muscles major source of energy, therefore eating carbs is essential at refuelling your body’s glycogen stores. Your body refuels glycogen at a higher rate within 3.0 to 60 minutes post workout so it’s important to consume a post workout snack or shake during this time. It has also been shown that including a small amount of protein in this snack speeds up the rebuilding and recovery process.

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