3 ways you can improve muscle recovery
by Michael Davis in Education
3 ways you can improve muscle recovery
Do you sometimes struggle to recover from exercise? Maybe you feel sore for 3-4 days after? It could be that your sessions are too difficult. It could also be that you are not focusing enough on your recovery. When it comes to recovering after a workout, there are a few important things to keep in mind. I were asked which 3 were the most important for muscle recovery, these would be my top choices:
Nutrition
Protein
Eating enough protein in your diet is essential if you want your muscles to grow and recover. Post-workout protein intake as well as total daily protein intake are both important. Consume 20-30 grams of protein after your workout to help speed up muscle repair. The recommended daily amount varies from person to person and depending on your activity levels. If you resistance train, want to build muscle and lose body fat, then aim for 1.6 – 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Check out this blog if you want to learn more about your protein requirements.
Hydration
As you exercise, water is lost through sweating and it must be replenished. Ensure that you are correctly hydrated before working out. Doing so will improve how you feel as well as the the effectiveness of the workout. The amount of water you need will depend on a few factors such as the intensity and duration of the workout, aswell the temperature and humidity of the environment you workout in. If you’ve been sweating heavily, you may also need to consider replenishing electrolytes with a sports drink or electrolyte solution.
Rest and sleep
Sleep quality
The quality and duration of your sleep will impact the effectiveness of your workout aswell as your ability to recover after exercise. During deep sleep in particular, blood flow to your muscles will be increased, brining along oxygen and other nutrients necessary for the recovery and growth of muscles. To improve your sleep, you must work on your sleep hygiene. Check out this blog for more information on sleep hygiene. Have a read of this blog if you want to learn about nutrition surrounding sleep.
Rest days
Taking one or more days off between workouts is especially important if your workouts are quite intense. It will help prevent any overtraining, reducing the risk of injuries occurring. Overtraining happens when you don’t allow sufficient time between workouts, not letting your body recover. Taking rest days, away from intense training, will allow your muscles, joints, tendons and nervous system to recover. 1-2 rest days per week is recommended but more may be needed if your workout sessions are very intense.
Active recovery
Active recovery is a key component of muscle recovery because it encourages better blood circulation, reduces soreness and stiffness, helps prevent injury, and supports the body’s natural healing processes. Even though complete rest has it’s benefits and is necessary at times, light activity can helps speed up the recovery process. There a few things for you to consider:
1) Stretching and mobility work
One or a combination of the following: yoga, static stretching, foam rolling. Focusing on flexibility, mobility and relaxation and help release muscular tension.
2) Light aerobic activity
One or a combination of the following: light intensity cycle, walking, light running or any other low intensity exercise. Doing light aerobic activity will encourage blood flow to your muscles, supplying them with the nutrients the need to recover. It’s important that you don’t over exert yourself when doing activity recovery.
Thank you for reading!