Post-Workout Recovery

[Wapiti16]

What are some tips for speeding up muscle recovery after a strenuous workout or weight-lifting session?

 

[SpookySpectre308]

For me is quality protein, regular creatine, my homemade jigsaw massager and a post stress ice bath. I sit until numb.

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[Poser]

Sleep is the most important factor. Take a nap if you can or go to bed earlier and sleep later.
Eating is next, but that’s far more cumulative than “post workout science” would have you believe. If your sleep isn’t dialed in, all the minor details are fairly worthless.

 

[V2Pnutrition]

I’m going to +1 @Poser on the eating piece here. Regular and consistent intake of all three of the macros is far more important than timing and supplements. In addition, don’t overlook rest. An untested muscle will have a heck of a time trying to repeat challenging workouts and a heck of time trying to grow.

 

[Peterony]

I’m big on stretching for 10-15 after as well. I always feel less sore the next day if I take the time do stretch some

 

[Poser]

I’m big on stretching for 10-15 after as well. I always feel less sore the next day if I take the time do stretch some

While there’s certainly something to be said for the physiological benefits of “feeling better” after you stretch (I.e. if you think you feel recovered, it probably lends itself to the same as feeling recovered), however, on a biological level, there’s nothing that stretching does that actually improves the recovery or recovery time in your muscles themselves. Sore muscles are inflamed and stretching cannot dissipate inflammation. Don’t get me wrong, when I feel beat you and overworked, I’ll often stre tax has well because it feels good.

Another thing about soreness is that it’s not necessarily a great indicator of recovery or lack thereof. Many a PR has been set in all kinds of sports, disciplines and training sessions when a person shows up sore. On the same token, almost everyone who trains has days where they show up feeling great and can’t muster up much of anything. Soreness is also wildly subjective: some people are used to be a little sore most of the time and it’s fairly normal, other people complain about mild soreness like it’s pure pain and some people judge the quality of the workouts by how sore they are (which doesn’t necessarily have any correlation at all).

Anyway, stretch if it feels good and makes you feel better to stretch and feeling better is always better than feeling worse, but now that it’s not actually accelerating the recovery of inflamed muscles on a biological level.

 

[kjd0323]

Sleep
Food
Hydration
Contrast baths

 

[mtwarden]

I'm big into active recovery. After a 30-ish mile day in the mountains, the worst thing I can do is sit around the next day- instead a 3-4 mile easy hike does wonders for my recovery.

Immediately after a long workout- I typically try to get fully rehydrated, take an ice bath (the first 5 minutes suck, the next 15 are heaven!) and I usually eat like a horse for a day or two (sometimes three! )

 

[Cody_W]

What are some tips for speeding up muscle recovery after a strenuous workout or weight-lifting session?

static or dynamic stretching won’t aid in delayed onset muscle soreness, despite it being something many folks do. Best way to reduce muscle soreness is cryotherapy (ice bath), muscle massage (roll out, theragun) and eating a high quality high bioavailable protein (hydrolized whey isolate is best)around 20-30g and high quality carb together (40-50g) such as fruit, green vegetable, or grains. Adequate water intake is HUGE in recovery and as others have said quality sleep.

 

[Hooverfb]

I'll second sleep and active recovery. I do think stretching is important beyond recovery. I dont think it helps me recover at all, but I do think it can help "tightness" or mobility in general. I used to never stretch but have finally been more diligent about it and it's really helped my ankles/knees and shoulders.

 

[*zap*]

Active recovery heart rate zone, which is a low yet elevated heart rate, makes the blood flow better thus bringing out more waste product and in more nutrition. heat may accomplish the same thing to a degree and if you have the correct nutrition for recovery in your system at that time it may also help..

 

[SpookySpectre308]

Active recovery heart rate zone, which is a low yet elevated heart rate, makes the blood flow better thus bringing out more waste product and in more nutrition. heat may accomplish the same thing to a degree and if you have the correct nutrition for recovery in your system at that time it may also help..

Glad we're getting a little bit deeper into this than just my "quality protein and creatine" comment.

I use a product called my zone for monitoring my heart rate and I have my recovery heart rate in the back of my head at the end of my workouts. My phone will tell me what my heart rate is and I stick to that at the end to flush things out.

I use the Karvonen method for my threshold HR and then trying to stay at 76% or under that for my recovery. I got that number from team USA triathlon athletes. On high lactic days I can tell a difference.

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[Poser]

On this subject, I will propose that there is in fact no such thing as “active recovery”. There is only stress management. Unless you are eating or sleeping, you are inducing stress on the body of some type. Like stretching, moving may make you feel better and there is something significant to be said for that (because, again, if you “feel” better or recovered, then there is a benefit, but I have doubts that “active recovery” does anything on the biological level to expedite recovery. To the contrary, taking a nap would be more productive to recovering from training induced stress, but “active recovery” just sounds more appealing to most people than taking a nap.

 

[alexanderg23]

TRT, gummy bears, meat.

 

[mtwarden]

On this subject, I will propose that there is in fact no such thing as “active recovery”. There is only stress management. Unless you are eating or sleeping, you are inducing stress on the body of some type. Like stretching, moving may make you feel better and there is something significant to be said for that (because, again, if you “feel” better or recovered, then there is a benefit, but I have doubts that “active recovery” does anything on the biological level to expedite recovery. To the contrary, taking a nap would be more productive to recovering from training induced stress, but “active recovery” just sounds more appealing to most people than taking a nap.

I agree a nap/sleeping is definitely a good idea, but my experience is I'm much better off after a strenuous race/workout to get out the next day (and sometimes for a couple of days if it was really strenuous) for a walk low intensity vs sitting around the house. I've done both and the soreness definitely is lessened and goes away quicker with walking.

Someone else may have better luck just laying around?

In regards to eating, after a long, tough race (some multi-day) I eat like a horse for a couple of days straight. It's not part of any plan, it just happens.

 

[Brendan]

For me: Good diet, sleep, sleep, and more sleep, foam rolling, stretching, and don't overdo it. I find I need to take an extra day off between harder workouts now that I'm in my 40's. Work hard, but recover longer.

I do find the foam rolling and stretching helps (as well as stuff like ART and graston), but that's as much retaining mobility, and keeping aches and pains away as it is "recovery". My active recovery is things like walking the dog on my days off.

I supplement with Protein powder, EAA's, creatine and then Fish Oil, Glucosamine, Multi-vitamin daily and have been trying the Kion Flex to see if I feel like I buy in for helping with inflammation.

Been cutting out beer, limiting myself to a glass of bourbon here and there. Glass or two of red wine and dark chocolate at night are my daily rewards. Been finding a HUGE difference in my sleep quality with no beer, and to a lesser extent bourbon.

 

[*zap*]

As I understand it increasing your heart rate to a lower level for a decent amount of time will increase blood flow. Increased blood flow will take away more waste products from your cells and bring in more nutrition to them so they 'heal' faster.

 

[Poser]

I agree a nap/sleeping is definitely a good idea, but my experience is I'm much better off after a strenuous race/workout to get out the next day (and sometimes for a couple of days if it was really strenuous) for a walk low intensity vs sitting around the house. I've done both and the soreness definitely is lessened and goes away quicker with walking.

Someone else may have better luck just laying around?

In regards to eating, after a long, tough race (some multi-day) I eat like a horse for a couple of days straight. It's not part of any plan, it just happens.

I think the thing here is that you are equating soreness, or rather the dissipation of soreness, with recovery. Just because you no longer feel sore does not mean that you are recovered and not being sore is not necessarily an indication that you don’t need to recover. I’m going to say that going for a walk makes you feel better, may even dissipate some soreness, but it’s not actually expediting your recovery timeline.

 

[mtwarden]

so how does one know exactly when you need to recover and when you are recovered?

I’ve been going by what my body tells me; it’s about 10 years of trial and error of feedback. I can say at this juncture it appears to be working for rather well for me.

 

[*zap*]

Learning how to listen to your body and understand the 'data' is #1.