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Recovery after exercise

Recovery after exercise is so important to prevent over training. After a training session we usually feel tired, fatigued and sometimes a little bit sore. Although these are a normal response to exercise, by optimizing our recovery we can lessen these effects. Sometimes, when we pull up a bit stiff after a session, we don’t feel like working out. Reducing stiffness promotes consistency with our training, helping us work towards our fitness goals. In addition to this, the better we can recover the more we can get out of next session (remember quality over quantity). Exercise is the stimulus we place on the body and the recovery is where we adapt. The greater the adaptation, the bigger effect it will have on performance.

Here are five strategies to optimize your recovery.

1. Sleep

Is where we rest, recover and our tissues regenerate. It is also a time for our body to adapt to the challenge of the exercise session we completed. It is recommended that we achieve 7-9 hours of sleep per night. There are multiple things that can impact on our sleep however; this is not the focus of this piece. In short, keep a regular sleep routine, keep the bedroom dark and quiet, relax before bed and turn off the TV at least 30mins prior to sleep.

2. Warm up

The purpose of a warm up is to increase your body temperature, activate our muscles and improve mobility. Doing some sort of warm up that mimics the exercises you are about to undertake prepares the body for the session. This will allow the body to perform the exercises more efficiently in session and reduce the chance of soreness the next day. The type of warm up drills you choose will depend on the exercise you are about to complete. An example warm up could include; self-myofascial release, muscle activation, dynamic stretching and specific movement prep.

3. Nutrition

The foods we eat not only provide us with fuel before we exercise but also helps us to refuel after exercise. So, what should we eat and when to aid in our recovery?

Try to eat a carbohydrate rich snack within 15-30mins of end of session and then another carbohydrate snack within 2 hours post exercise session. Aim for 1-2g/kg/hr of carbohydrate in first 2 hrs after exercise. Use moderate to high glycaemic index carbohydrates.

Here are a few eating ideas that might help; Breakfast muesli or bars, bagel, bread roll, pancakes, low fat crackers, sports drink, fruit bars, dried fresh fruit, liquid supplement or smoothie.

Protein is also important for muscle recovery and regeneration. Protein synthesis is enhanced with protein consumed soon after exercise (within 30mins). Adding protein to your carbohydrate meal can also increase glycogen storage. Aim to consume 25g of protein within 30mins after exercise to optimize protein synthesis.

4. Cool down

This prepares your body for recovery, lowers your heart rate, breathing rate and starts to allow the muscles to relax. The cool down is very light exercise like a slow walk or gentle stretching. Spend about 5mins after the session doing some light cardiovascular work (e.g. peddling with no resistance or slow walk). Diaphragmatic breathing is a great way of lowering your heart rate and bringing you back to that rest and recovery state.

5. Stretching

Static stretching is recommended after the session in the cool down or any other time outside of the exercise session. Stretching is a great way to increase our flexibility and joint range of motion by reducing muscular tension. Aim for 3 sets holding the stretch for 20-30 seconds.

So, if you’ve been struggling to recover after exercise make sure you give some of these a try. As always, if you are a bit unsure please speak to your Accredited Exercise Physiologist.