Recovery

[anklebreaker]

I recently read an article in the Play Magazine of the New York Times. Amongst other things it explored the 4 main elements of peak fitness and athleticism: mind-set, nutition, training (lifting, movements etc), and recovery. The first and last components are often ignored, and I think a thread on recovery will be useful for myself and others. A good recovery protocol can increase gains in strength, size, etc, considerably.

For the OP, my sources include the above article, Crossfit Jan 2005 journal on Recovery, many other sources that I may not reference, and personal experience. Disclaimer: Some of the stuff may be impractical or even plain BS- do your own due diligence.


Prehab

This is arguably a part of training, but is worthwhile mentioning because it aids in regeneration and avoiding injuries, which in turn, is a part of recovery. “Prehab” refers to warming up and/or stretching. There’s a previous thread that discussed the merits and demerits of stretching prior to and after a workout.

What I do: Recumbent bike or erg machine for a few minutes before lifting. I don’t stretch before lifting, and I usually forget after. I gotta get on that.

Macronutrion

There’s a lot of info about overall nutrition and post-workout supplementation in many other threads. Obv, you wanna eat and supplement to promote muscle gain, and replenish glycogen and other energy stores, as well as optimize your endocrine response.

What I do: Sustained protein intake with the help of different meat protein sources as well as supplementation with different kinds of protein powder. I used to use malt/dext PW, but I do not anymore. I find a night-time shake (casein based) particularly useful for recovery.

Micronutrition

Okay, this part gets messy because there are a LOT of claims made in this department, and there’s often contrary research. I’m just gonna list a bunch of micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and supplements that have been established (perhaps wrongly) to aid recovery amongst other things.

> Antioxidants, preferably from natural sources. (See the paleo diet, mentioned I think by azk)
> Creatine
> Glutamine
> Vitamin C
> Vitamin E
> Alpha Lipoic Acid
> CLA/EFA
> BCAAs

What I do: Multivitamin and CLA. Creatine and glutamine pre and post-workout. Vitamin C pw, and sometimes BCAAs before and after cardio. Oh, and lot’s of water throughout the day.


Sleep

Alright, this is HUGE, and probably my biggest issue. Getting 8 to 10 hours of good sleep helps muscle regeneration, lipolysis (fat loss), hormone production and immunity. Try to sleep in a dark room.

I’ve also read that mismatched day-light and circadian rythms are harmful, i.e. sleeping from 2am to 10am > sleeping from 6am to 2pm.

What I do: College really screws this up. Not only do I rarely get 9 or 10 hours of sleep, the time I sleep is all over the place and dependent on what other stuff I’m doing. I really gotta start a better routine. I find ZMA to be helpful.


Contrast Hydrotherapy

This involves alternating between fairly cold and fairly hot water after a workout. This can help muscle recovery and even sleep, and also just feels good. Elite athletes often use a 50-55 deg (f) cold plunge, alternated with a 100-110 deg hot tub.

What I do: I’ve started alternating between hot and cold showers after a lift; I’m not sure how effective it is, but it certainly feels good.

Stress

There are different forms of stress and they have pretty bad effects: immunity lowers, sleep decreases, and hormone function is not optimal (cortisol etc.) Controlling stress might come under the “mind-set” element (there should be another thread on this), but being fairly stress free certainly helps recovery.

What I do: I’m lucky wrt to this factor: I’m usually happy. If I’m stressed I become very aware of my breathing, relax, and/or go do something fun.

Massage

Occasional massage can be beneficial for overall recovery. Besides feeling good, it helps blood and lymph circulation, and lactic acid elimination.

What I do: Get a few massages; sometimes from girls, and sometimes from professionals. Sidenote: There’s one massage chair, I think at sharper image, that is absolutely awesome.


Allright, I think there’s enough above to get started. Hopefully people will contribute with more tips, comments, criticisms, and personal practices.

Cliffsnotes: Recovery is important. Some aspects: Warm up, eat well (with an added emphasis on recovery), stay hydrated, sleep, don’t over-train, and relax.