What does your recovery look like? Do you work as hard on your recovery as you do on your training? Do you keep an accurate and honest record of your recovery?
The Reality of Recovery
These are questions that an athlete should be able to answer, however, the reality is that many athletes are more likely to concentrate on their training and not on their recovery.
Poor recovery will ultimately lead to failure and the spectrum of failure is massive. It can manifest chronically or acutely, such as tiredness a lack of motivation to train or a deficiency of energy, equally pushing too hard on tired legs can lead to a chronic or acute soft tissue injury.
Warning Signs of Poor Recovery
• Chronic tiredness and lack of motivation
• Deficiency of energy for training
• Increased risk of soft tissue injuries
• Pushing too hard on tired legs
Athletes are also bombarded with marketing from companies, that will promise benefits to performance based on very little science and research.
Understanding Recovery
Recovery is vital for adaptation to occur, every time you stress the body with exercise load, there will be a period of time before your body recovers to its original starting point. The greater the load (Duration and Intensity) the longer it will take to recover.
Recovery Fundamentals
Understanding Training Impact
A 30-minute easy run will not elicit the same impact as a 1-hour hard run, therefore you should have an idea of any impact on subsequent sessions. Ask yourself: how will this session impact the next?
The Adaptation Process
Every time you stress the body with exercise load, there will be a period of time before your body recovers to its original starting point. The greater the load, the longer the recovery time needed.
Supporting Your Recovery
You can assist your recovery by ensuring that you understand the type of training and the total stress that might come from it, in terms of your recovery. Doing too much too soon without adequate recovery will eventually lead to failure.
Recovery Support Strategies
Preparation
- • Warm-up before intense sessions
- • Adequate hydration before and during training
- • Strength training regime
Nutrition
- • Strong nutritional plan
- • Proper micro and macronutrients
- • During and post-exercise nutrition
Sleep: The Ultimate Recovery Tool
Sleep is the best form of recovery available to you the athlete, there have been plenty of scientific studies that demonstrate that so many processes happen when you sleep (Your body can use up to 25% of its stored glucose). Your body will be in overdrive to recover and adapt to the demands that have been placed on it.
The Power of Sleep
Sleep Requirements
Sleep as much as you can, less than 8 hours a night could suggest that you are not giving your body a chance to recover, especially if your training, work and lifestyle are equally placing a demand on you.
Professional Advantage
The advantage a pro has over an age group athlete is usually the quality of their recovery, with lots of sleep, including naps, on-point nutrition and other interventions.
Coaching and Recovery Monitoring
As a coach one of the first questions I ask of my athletes is "How are you feeling?" this follows a daily check of the athletes' training and feedback including how they are feeling each day. I ask this question to ensure the athlete is in a good place both physically and mentally and to look them in the eye as I'm doing so.
With an honest and trustworthy relationship, we both try to identify, agree and accept when the athlete needs to back off or continue to push on.
Recovery Interventions: What Works?
Other activities and interventions can assist with recovery (I have commented on what I feel is useful and from my own understanding), but sleep will top trump all of these:
Recovery Methods Assessment
HRV
Potentially useful over time
Rolling
Potentially useful but unproven
Stretching
Unlikely to be useful but may help in some situations
Ice Baths
Unlikely to be useful other than a placebo
Massage Gun
Possibly useful but more unlikely to be useful
Sports Massage
Potentially useful if used as rehab
BCAA
Unlikely to be useful, lack of evidence supporting
Compression
Potentially useful but unproven
Key Point: Sleep will top trump all of these recovery interventions. Focus on getting quality sleep before investing in expensive recovery gadgets.
The Bottom Line
Recovery is not optional - it's where adaptation happens. Prioritize sleep above all else, understand your training load, and be honest about how you're feeling. Quality recovery separates good athletes from great ones, and it's often the missing piece in many training programs.
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