Recovery in sport is vital.
There are a hundreds of gadgets, supplements, tools designed to 'enhance' recovery.
Seldom do we realize how you recover depends on what you are recovering from.
My 4 types of fatigue & how to recover from each:
-Flatness
-Soreness
-Stress
-Lethargy
There are a hundreds of gadgets, supplements, tools designed to 'enhance' recovery.
Seldom do we realize how you recover depends on what you are recovering from.
My 4 types of fatigue & how to recover from each:
-Flatness
-Soreness
-Stress
-Lethargy
1. Flatness = You lose pop or responsiveness. Your legs feel flat.
What is it?
Flatness occurs when our muscle tension is off.
Think of a rubber band. If the rubber band is stretched and worn out, then if you pull it back, it wonβt go far. It lacks tension.
What is it?
Flatness occurs when our muscle tension is off.
Think of a rubber band. If the rubber band is stretched and worn out, then if you pull it back, it wonβt go far. It lacks tension.
What causes decreased tension?
Training (especially slow, high volume work) tends to reduce tension over time.
What to do?
Increase muscle tension with responsive/reactive work:
-Hops
-Fast strides
-Hill sprints
-Plyos
-Get fast & reactive without fatigue!
Training (especially slow, high volume work) tends to reduce tension over time.
What to do?
Increase muscle tension with responsive/reactive work:
-Hops
-Fast strides
-Hill sprints
-Plyos
-Get fast & reactive without fatigue!
2. Soreness
Do your muscles ache or feel tender to the touch?
Weβve all dealt with muscle soreness before, often when weβve introduced a new exercise to the program.
Often, doing something new, large changes in volume or intensity of training will cause soreness.
Do your muscles ache or feel tender to the touch?
Weβve all dealt with muscle soreness before, often when weβve introduced a new exercise to the program.
Often, doing something new, large changes in volume or intensity of training will cause soreness.
What to do: Move + Repair:
Move:
-Pool: splash around, do drills, skips, move.
-Easy exercise/drills
-massage
Repair:
-Increase carb + protein intake. Aim for 5-6 "hits" of protein throughout the day to elevate protein synthesis.
- 20-40g of protein 30min before bed
-Sleep!
Move:
-Pool: splash around, do drills, skips, move.
-Easy exercise/drills
-massage
Repair:
-Increase carb + protein intake. Aim for 5-6 "hits" of protein throughout the day to elevate protein synthesis.
- 20-40g of protein 30min before bed
-Sleep!
3. Stress
A general feeling of feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, and maybe even anxious. A feeling like your nervous system is in overdrive.
Stress impairs recovery. Stress hormones linger, your body stays in breakdown and be prepared for action state.
A general feeling of feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, and maybe even anxious. A feeling like your nervous system is in overdrive.
Stress impairs recovery. Stress hormones linger, your body stays in breakdown and be prepared for action state.
What to do:
-Social Recovery: Spend time with friends. Gets us out of stress mode and into affiliate/recovery.
-Sleep!
-Get outside in nature.
-Walks
-Relaxing things: exercise, baths, reading, music, enjoyable hobbies. Anything tha transitions us out of stressed state
-Social Recovery: Spend time with friends. Gets us out of stress mode and into affiliate/recovery.
-Sleep!
-Get outside in nature.
-Walks
-Relaxing things: exercise, baths, reading, music, enjoyable hobbies. Anything tha transitions us out of stressed state
4. Lethargic:
Staleness and malaise. A feeling of general fatigue and tiredness that persists for days. Low energy and poor general performance in training.
Staleness and malaise. A feeling of general fatigue and tiredness that persists for days. Low energy and poor general performance in training.
Consider:
-Blood work: Check hormone status, Iron, cortisol, vitamins, etc.
-Consult medical provider
-Sleep
-Quality nutrition: Often increasing total energy intake
-Blood work: Check hormone status, Iron, cortisol, vitamins, etc.
-Consult medical provider
-Sleep
-Quality nutrition: Often increasing total energy intake
Exercise:
-Easy with spices of not-taxing intensity. Lots of slow easy runs/walks. Add in hard strides or surges with full recovery. "Feel good, don't tax."
-Consider: small spices of work instead of longer (i.e. Opt for 20min in AM and PM, instead of an hour long exercise bout
-Easy with spices of not-taxing intensity. Lots of slow easy runs/walks. Add in hard strides or surges with full recovery. "Feel good, don't tax."
-Consider: small spices of work instead of longer (i.e. Opt for 20min in AM and PM, instead of an hour long exercise bout
There's a lot more to add, but that's my basic concept for how to think about recovery
Like any categorization, it's not perfect and often one blends into the other. But it gives you an idea on how to think about applying the right modalities/approach based on the condition.
Like any categorization, it's not perfect and often one blends into the other. But it gives you an idea on how to think about applying the right modalities/approach based on the condition.
If you found this valuable, consider retweeting to share to others who may benefit & following @stevemagness for more info.
If you enjoy going deep on topics, I put out a monthly newsletter on mental and physical performance. You can sign up here:
thegrowtheq.ck.page
If you enjoy going deep on topics, I put out a monthly newsletter on mental and physical performance. You can sign up here:
thegrowtheq.ck.page
Loading suggestions...