A balanced fitness or athletic training program includes strength training and cardio conditioning, as well as a plan for optimizing muscular recovery both during and after your workouts. Whether you're an athlete training for a competition or you engage in physical activity purely for fitness reasons, promoting muscular recovery should concern you. Without allowing for and encouraging adequate muscular recovery, you're likely to miss out on the fitness and athletic gains you could otherwise enjoy.
Nutrition
Begin hydrating your body with water or an electrolyte fluid at least 30 minutes prior to working out, and continue drinking fluids every 15 to 20 minutes while you exercise. Even a small percentage of dehydration leads to a marked decrease in muscle performance and fatigue. Within two hours following your workout, eat a meal containing a blend of high-quality protein and carbohydrates, as suggested by MayoClinic.com.
Rest
Do not strength-train the same muscle group(s) two days in a row, and do not perform intense strength-training workouts with already-sore muscles. If your workouts are leading to declines rather than increases in strength and performance, you're probably not allowing your muscles enough recovery time between workouts. To maximize recovery during rest periods, sleep for at least seven hours per night, as suggested by the National Sleep Foundation.
Massage
Massaging sore muscles following intense exercise can help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and reduce muscular swelling, as reported in a study published in the July-Sept. 2005 issue of "Journal of Athletic Training." This study concluded that massage after exercise had no effect on a muscle's range of motion or strength. During a professional sports massage, a certified massage therapist will use a variety of massage techniques to alleviate your muscular stiffness and pain.
Active Recovery
The March 2006 "Journal of Sports Science and Medicine" included a study showing that rock climbers engaging in active recovery by walking briskly for two minutes in between two-minute climbing efforts had lower lactate levels and perceived that they exerted less effort in future climbs than climbers who rested completely. The results of this study suggest that for any athlete engaged in an activity requiring a short and intense muscular output, staying active at a low intensity between efforts may result in improved muscular performance.
Stretching
Stretching regularly can potentially decrease the risk of injury and increase muscles' range of motion, while also alleviating pain and encouraging faster muscle recovery. Stretch warmed-up muscles only, preferably after a workout using those muscles. According to MayoClinic.com, stretching cold muscles before working out has been associated with a greater risk of injury.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Eating and Exercise: Time It Right to Maximize Your Workout
- National Sleep Foundation: How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?
- "Journal of Athletic Training": Effects of Massage on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness, Swelling, and Recovery of Muscle Function
- "Journal of Science and Sports Medicine": Effects of Active Recovery on Lactate Concentration, Heart Rate and RPE in Climbing
- MayoClinic.com: Stretching: Focus on Flexibility
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