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Post-Workout: Recovery and Reduction of Muscle Soreness

post-workout

Being fit and physically active is key for being healthy, however we need to know our limits and avoid excesses (also known as overtraining). Post-workout recovery is as important as exercising, so repairing damaged muscle and replenishing energy are critical if we want to see both fast and long-term results.

Below we present you the best tips for an excellent post-workout recovery.

What is recovery?

Here we will discuss the concept of post-workout recovery, including muscle recovery, reducing muscle soreness and fatigue and restoring hydration and energy levels.

Let’s start with an analogy:

A mobile phone operates by using a battery, so if the battery is depleted it will stop functioning. Our body is similar: when we use it, we need to recharge it, or eventually it will stop functioning.

During workouts, our body is exposed to more energy consumption, muscle fibers get damaged and we lose water and minerals (in the form of sweat). Recovery is the process by which energy is restored, muscles are repaired and liquids replenished. This happens so that you can feel as great the day after the workout, as you felt the day before.

In short, the recovery process can be improved by eating healthy, hydrating adequately and resting enough.

Exercising mindfully

Before thinking about recovery, be preventive, and think about working out correctly! If you put your body in danger with bad posture or overtraining the recovery will be a much tougher process.

For a safe and effective workout, the body (or the targeted muscle groups) should be well rested, and proper posture should be applied during the exercises. A warm-up is also recommended to get the body ready and to reduce the risk of injuries.

If our muscles are not rested, and still sore from the previous session, a workout will be counterproductive because it will damage the muscles more when they didn’t even had a chance to repair. Overtraining also increases the probability of injuries, fatigue and stress; for women, it can affect the menstrual cycle negatively.

Different sports, different recoveries

Different sports will have different recovery focus. We don’t mean that you shouldn’t want to recover the whole body: you should always repair damaged muscle tissue, decrease muscle pain, strengthen the immune system, and rehydrate and replenish glycogen levels. But the focus will be different for cardiovascular exercise and muscle building.

Cardio Exercise Recovery

For cardio exercise, such as running or cycling, the physical stress is focused on the cardiovascular function, the muscles on the legs, and dehydration. The recovery for these types of exercises should consist primarily in rehydration and energy reposition and then in reducing muscle soreness and fatigue.

Bodybuilding Recovery

For strength workouts, such as bodybuilding, the physical stress is focused on muscle destruction. Hence, the recovery should be focused on muscle repair and reducing muscle fatigue, and then energy reposition.

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How to speed up the recovery process?

Post-workout Nutrition

Immediately after training you should eat and drink foods that will help you recover:

  • Liquids: during workouts, you sweat and lose liquids and minerals so it is important to rehydrate. You should rehydrate by drinking liquids such as water, isotonic drinks or fruit juices.
  • Carbohydrates: during workouts you use the energy provided by carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to fuel your activity. After the workout the glycogen levels are depleted so it is important to quickly replenish them by consuming high glycemic carbohydrates. Some recommendations include bread, bananas, potatoes, rice, pasta or fruit juices.
  • Proteins:  there will also be micro-ruptures in your muscle tissues that you will need to fix with protein (the main constituent of muscle). Some recommendations include meat, fish, eggs and dairy.

In case you do your workouts before any main meal (lunch or dinner), here are some ideas:

  • Sweet potatoes, veggies, beef (or chicken breast) and eggs. This is a classic post-workout meal for bodybuilders
  • Tuna, eggs and rice with a side salad. If you are not on diet, adding some mayonnaise will make it more delicious.
  • Chicken stir fry with veggies and sweet potatoes. Cut the chicken in pieces and stir fry with veggies for a fast, delicious and nutritious meal. Have fruits as dessert.
Supplements for recovery

What you eat is key to muscle recovery. If you want to optimize the recovery process, you can use supplements.

Muscle is made of protein, which is made of amino acids. BCAA’s (Branched Chain Amino Acids) and Glutamine are two examples of amino acids related to muscle repair and growth. BCAA’s are indicated for muscle construction and repair, and Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in skeletal muscle, which gets depleted during a weightlifting workout, and needs to be replenished.

You can get them through a protein shake or by individually supplementing 5 grams of BCAAs and 5 grams of Glutamine. Taken after workout they will speed up muscle repair and reduce muscle soreness and pain, shortening the recovery time.

After an intense training session, you should also take fast-release carbohydrates because the body urgently needs to replenish its glycogen reserves. Dextrose and maltodextrin drinks or shakes are some great options to quickly and easily replenish your glycogen reserves.

Sleep/Rest

Resting and sleeping are perhaps the most important step of the recovery process. Repair occurs while we are asleep. It is during sleep that our organism is rebuilt, our memories consolidated and key-hormones are regulated. The time that you need to sleep depends on your organism, but usually, specialists recommend between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.

The time you need to rest in between exercise sessions ranges between 24h and 72h. It depends on how regularly you train, age, the intensity and duration of the workout.

If you are jogging 30 minutes a day, 24 hours of rest probably should be enough. If you are bodybuilding, and train your legs today, you should let, at least, 72 hours pass before training the same muscle group again. The time needed for recovery depends on many factors, but as a general rule, if the muscle is still sore, the recovery is not finished.

Recovery in a nutshell

Recovery is as essential as exercise itself. If you are not recovered you may be pushing your body over its limit and doing more harm than good, so learning how to recover is fundamental.

Depending on the type of exercise, the focus can change between reducing muscle soreness or restoring lost liquids, minerals and energy, but all these factors have some degree of importance, no matter the type of sports you are doing.

For a faster and more complete recovery you should pay attention to nutrition and rest. We offered some suggestions of foods and supplements that will enhance your post-workout recovery, but remember: the balance between macronutrients is essential. At last, rest and sleep is fundamental and you should not skip it!

Did you find these tips useful or have any other tips to improve the recovery process? Please let us know in the comments below. 😉

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