However recent research has demonstrated that there may in fact be an independent conditioning process related to exercise. These findings also suggest that the increased stress tolerance adaptation to exercise is not limited to athletic endeavours and likely impacts general stressors as well ie.

life, work, financial etc. Therefore, addressing lifestyle stress is not based on a single assessment but rather an ongoing conversation that influences decisions on program design and lifestyle management. This brings us to the subject of adherence. Since the success of any athletic or dietary intervention is predicated on the adherence rate of the athlete, the athletes lifestyle must be considered prior to program development.

This bottom up approach to training may offer some additional insights to the athletes level of physical preparedness. For instance it has been observed that athletic performance declines when under psychological stress Thus if an athlete is entering a period of important examinations at school, it may be necessary to temporarily decrease intensity or workload.

In this case theoretical optimization may be trumped by a reactive approach to training which can account for such lifestyle adjustments and thus manage stress effectively to preserve performance. T others program design is the last place I look when addressing an athletes inability to recover.

The rationale for this approach however is simple, I want to identify the causal factor s of their inability to recover. In most cases I have found lifestyle to be the primary causes.

And once addressed, their recovery is sufficient to continue progressing without altering the program. However, if an athlete is not recovering due to lifestyle factors their adaptive threshold has not changed.

For example, hypothetically speaking if an athlete requires 12 sets of squats per week in order to create a sufficient stimulus for progression, reducing volume will reduce fatigue but they will see no positive adaptations from the change.

However, if we improve the lifestyle factors that are impeding their recovery we can maintain the 12 weekly set volume while allowing the athlete to recover for subsequent training sessions.

General Adaptation Syndrome GAS is a principle that provides a framework for understanding the relationship between stress, adaptation and fatigue It has had a large influence on the concept of periodization in general and has been depicted in various ways.

One such way is the Stimulus Recovery Adaptation curve SRA as depicted below. The above diagram offers a visual representation of the general process of adaptation to training. The athlete introduces a stimulus training session which generates fatigue, and temporarily masks their physical fitness.

Then as the athlete recovers their athletic ability exceeds their previous capabilities. However, if the athlete does not introduce a stimulus often enough ie. working out once per month we see degradation and eventually a return to baseline or below. Conversely if the stimulus is too large or too frequent it may not allow for sufficient recovery in time for the next training session stimulus Therefore if this trend were to continue unchecked it may lead to overreaching.

This is a simplistic overview of how training stress impacts recovery and subsequent performance. The primary drivers of adaptation and simultaneously fatigue are volume and intensity, and the intentional manipulation of these variables is necessary to maintain a balance between fatigue and fitness This is the primary reason coaches use deloads in their program design.

During a deload a reduction of volume or intensity or both is implemented to decay fatigue and allow for maximal expression of strength.

This period may be programmed, or it can be implemented reactively based on the athletes response to training. The relationship between volume and intensity is also vitally important, since too much of either or both can lead to performance degradation and possible injury.

Volume and intensity have an inverse relationship and is depicted in the image below. As intensity increases, volume must be down regulated or eventually the athletes recovery capacity will be exceeded. The challenging issue with regard to practical recommendations for program design are the significant inter-individual differences present.

Volume, intensity, variation, time to peak, lifestyle etc all impact the structure and progression of the program. However, one piece of advice that comes from my own approach to training is determining the length of each training block.

My approach to coaching is simplistic and has a relative amount of overlap with the reactive training systems approach of Mike Tuscher. I design a single week of training and then repeat it with weekly predetermined load progressions until my progress stalls.

The time point where performance drops determines the length of a training cycle. So if I get a decrease in performance on week six, my training blocks will run five weeks long and on the sixth week I will deload. But regardless of which training approach you use, the implementation of deloads or periods of reduced volume and intensity are critical for long term athletic development and injury prevention.

One of the common themes in strength training is selecting volumes and intensities that are well beyond the capability of the athletes.

In some cases this is seen in training to muscular failure. Although this method has a valuable place in bodybuilding, its utility in strength training is questionable. The reason is due to the fatigue cost associated true failure training.

A meta analysis found a dose response relationship between volume, intensity and strength progression by which a spectrum of possible intensities and volumes exist to progress in strength. Anecdotally it is very rare to hear of top tier athletes training to muscular failure.

Since one of the mechanisms of injury is loading a tissue beyond its functional capacity, the implementation of failure training for strength development unnecessarily risk the athletes health Additionally the high neurophysiological cost of training to failure with heavy loads substantially increases the fatigue cost which may overshadow any potential benefits.

Therefore as a regular strategy, failure training is not recommended if maximizing strength is the goal. NSAID stands for non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. Some examples of which are aspirin, ibuprofen, Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren-XR, Zipsor, Zorvolex etc. They are often used in athletic performance for analgesic or recovery purposes.

However, the research demonstrating these benefits is scant and often conflicting. This system plays a role in mediating inflammation and researchers have observed in both animal and human models that NSAID consumption blunts protein metabolism 99 This could at least in part be due to a lack of standardization of dosages across studies lactate and associated hydrogen ions etc , and improved subjective sense of recovery.

However, recently many of the purported benefits have been called into question. In spite of this, many individuals still seek out massage therapists to support their athletic recovery.

A paper examined the effects of sports massage on various metrics of athletic performance and recovery. The researchers found elevated blood lactate concentrations in the massage group, with no observable differences between the passive rest condition on blood glucose and heart rate This runs contrary to the common attribution of increased clearing of metabolic byproducts resulting from massage.

However several studies have shown massage does not in fact affect either arterial or venus blood flow And while some papers have found reductions in lactate concentration post massage, a simple active cool down has been shown to outperform massage in this regard This same study measured punching force of boxers and found during subsequent rounds punching force decreased in both groups demonstrating the massage intervention was unsuccessful at preventing performance decrements during repeated bouts of training This is not a stand alone finding either with other research demonstrating reductions in muscular strength following a pre-workout massage It should be mentioned that reductions in strength are transient and may result from close proximity prior to training.

However, outside of this specific circumstance massage would yield no detrimental effects on force output but would also have no positive impact.

While some research shows marked improvements, others show no change at all The very act of seeing a therapist and receiving treatment can trigger a cascade of psychophysiological effects including an up regulation of parasympathetic activity following treatment Cupping is another therapeutic technique that is often treated as a primary rather than an adjunctive therapy.

However the research on cupping and various other eastern therapeutic practices are highly questionable. Four of the seven included trials [7—9, 13] had a high risk of bias. Low-quality trials are more likely to overestimate the effect size [14].

Three trials employed allocation concealment [10—12]…. None of the studies used a power calculation, and sample sizes were usually small. In addition, four of the RCTs [7—9, 13] failed to report details about ethical approval.

Details of drop-outs and withdrawals were described in two trials [10, 11] and the other RCTs did not report this information which can lead to exclusion or attrition bias.

Interestingly enough a substantial portion of the research supporting the efficacy of cupping and acupuncture come from Russia and China. Additionally no trial published in China or Russia has ever found a treatment to be ineffective The sheer statistical improbability of such uniform findings for a therapeutic modality in which the potential mechanisms of benefit are not even well understood is staggering.

Several studies have been found to create design features that are highly likely to generate false positives in their outcomes Much like massage, foam rolling or self myofascial release techniques SMR are widespread.

Due to their low cost and relative ease of access several athletes and coaches implement their use for various intended purposes. The majority of the research has found that extended periods of foam rolling pre-exercise may inhibit certain athletic qualities such as maximal strength and jump performance five minutes or more While improvements in sprint performance have been documented results were shown to be at the lowest level of significance and remain questionable Other research still shows no significant effects on sprint performance with pre-performance foam rolling It has been proposed that any benefits to performance or recovery result from placebo effects and not foam rolling Therefore foam rolling has not demonstrated positive results in relation to recovery and subsequent athletic performance.

Heat and cold exposure has a wide range of outcome depending on the grade of the exposure. Internal body temperature correlates quite closely with exercise tolerance, with exhaustion typically occurring at During elevated internal body temperature researchers have observed increased cardiac output, decreased ability to buffer lactate and other metabolic byproducts, and compromised oxygen transport to muscles etc The utilization of saunas can be effective, however if implemented directly after training can potentially carry some downsides.

Elevated internal body temperature has been shown to increase cell swelling and sympathetic activity, prolonging your stress state and blunting recovery and increasing fatigue Additionally, heat exposure should remain between minutes in duration to prevent dehydration, heat exhaustion and excessive fatigue The physical benefits of heat exposure in general are several.

Vasodilation increases blood flow and nutrient transport including amino acids for protein synthesis into the muscles. Increased blood flow also helps clear out metabolic byproducts generated from hard training to aid in recovery. However, the buildup of metabolites in the body is an independent stimulus for hypertrophy and other physiological adaptations.

Therefore, removal of these byproducts diminishes the adaptive potential of the training session. With the primary difference being access and the ability to treat globally vs locally ie.

ice packs vs full body cold water emersion. Cold water therapy has been demonstrated to reduce efflux of creatine kinase a metabolic byproduct of rigorous exercise , improve muscle power and decrease inflammation The hydrostatic pressure of cold water emersion has analgesic effects in reducing delayed onset muscle soreness likely through its interaction with nociceptor signalling This approach would ideally be implemented immediately after training for bouts of minutes when inflammatory makers are at their highest.

Contrast baths are also used to extract the benefits of both hot and cold exposure. Exposures of minutes of total time in hot and cold at minutes post training are recommended. However because heat increases fatigue and cold decreases fatigue exact recommendations are still unclear.

hot or cold. Hydrotherapy involves using water in various forms, such as hot tubs, whirlpools, or contrast baths, to promote recovery and well-being. This technique can help improve circulation, reduce muscle soreness, and promote relaxation. Athletes can incorporate hydrotherapy into their recovery routine as needed, based on individual preferences and recovery goals.

Recovery techniques support sports performance by allowing the body to heal and adapt to the physical demands of training. Proper recovery ensures that athletes can maintain optimal performance levels, reduce the risk of injury, and achieve their full potential in their chosen sport.

While recovery is often associated with physical well being, there are other components of recovery such as mental and spiritual recovery. All of which can be achieved through various recovery techniques, leading to better overall sports performance.

The frequency of utilizing recovery techniques depends on the individual athlete, their training intensity, and their specific recovery needs. Some techniques may be employed daily, such as stretching and hydration, while others may be used less frequently, like massage or cold water immersion.

Athletes should consult with coaches or healthcare professionals to determine the appropriate frequency of recovery techniques for their unique circumstances.

Recovery techniques specifically targeted at muscle recovery include massage, stretching, foam rolling, and heat therapy. These methods help alleviate muscle soreness, reduce inflammation, and promote tissue repair, ultimately supporting athletic performance and preventing injury.

Many recovery techniques can be easily performed at home, including stretching, foam rolling, heat therapy, and hydration. Athletes can also practice yoga, meditation, and active recovery exercises to support their recovery efforts from the comfort of their own homes. Recovery techniques for injuries vary depending on the type and severity of the injury.

Some common techniques include rest, ice, compression, elevation RICE , physical therapy, and controlled exercise. Injured athletes should consult with healthcare professionals to determine the most appropriate recovery techniques for their specific injuries and receive guidance on rehabilitation and return-to-play protocols.

Proper recovery allows the body to heal and adapt to the demands of training, reducing the risk of overuse injuries and optimizing performance. Techniques such as stretching, strength training, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can contribute to injury prevention efforts.

Utilizing a combination of recovery techniques can offer various benefits for athletes, including enhanced muscle repair and growth, reduced inflammation and muscle soreness, improved flexibility and mobility, faster recovery time between training sessions, improved overall well-being and mental focus.

Recovery in sports refers to the process of allowing the body to heal, repair, and adapt to the physical and mental demands of training and competition. Adequate recovery is essential for preventing overtraining, reducing the risk of injury, and supporting overall physical and mental well-being.

By prioritizing recovery, athletes can enhance their performance and longevity in their chosen sport. ABOUT THE AUTHORS. The Athletic Insight Research team consists of a dedicated team of researchers, Doctors, Registered Dieticians, nationally certified nutritionists and personal trainers.

Our team members hold prestigious accolades within their discipline s of expertise, as well as nationally recognized certifications.

These include; National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer NASM-CPT , American College of Sports Medicine ACSM , National Strength and Conditioning Association NSCA-CPT , National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach NASM-CNC , International Sports Sciences Association Nutritionist Certification.

Many people believe they need expensive supplements to achieve results from their workouts. In this article, we give you 15 proven tips to maximize your muscle recovery and help you build a more consistent fitness program.

Your body type, fitness goals , and current level of fitness all play a role in determining the best way to recover.

When you exercise, the proteins that make up your muscle fibers become damaged. Consuming protein after your workout can help give your body the raw material it needs to repair this muscle damage. Research has found that 20 to 40 grams of protein, or roughly 0.

Eating protein before your workout may help increase muscle protein synthesis. As with post-workout recommendations, research has found 0. Your muscles store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen for energy. During short-duration and intense exercise, your muscles use this glycogen as their primary form of energy.

If you need to rapidly restore glycogen levels in less than four hours, such as when performing back-to-back workouts, the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends consuming 1.

White rice , potatoes , and sugar are three examples of carbs in this GI range. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 16 to 24 ounces of fluid for every pound you lose while exercising.

Research has found that drinking tart cherry juice after exercise may reduce inflammation , muscle damage, and muscle soreness from exercise. More research is needed to fully understand its effects, but many studies published to date look promising.

A typical dose used in research is milliliters per day about 1. Creatine is one of the most widely studied supplements. Research consistently shows it can help improve muscular strength when combined with resistance training.

Protein powder is a convenient way to add more protein to your diet. Many types of protein powders contain a complete spectrum of essential amino acids. Whey and collagen powders are two popular choices. Sleep gives your muscles time to recover from exercise. People who exercise intensely need even more rest than the average person.

Some professional athletes allegedly sleep 10 hours or more per night. Many athletes incorporate massage in their training to reduce muscle soreness. A review of studies found that massage has a small but significant effect on improving flexibility and decreasing delayed onset muscle soreness after exercise.

Wearing compression garments has become common among athletes over the past several decades. But a small study found that they lowered time for body muscle recovery in German handball players. In the study, the athletes wore the garments for 24 hours and then alternated between hour breaks and hour periods of wearing them for a total of 96 hours.

Contrast bath therapy involves alternating periods of submerging in very warm water and very cold water. This change in temperature stimulates the contraction and dilation of your blood vessels and changes your heart rate.

Research has found that contrast bath therapy may help reduce muscle soreness post-workout. The results are limited and may only be relevant for athletes. Cryotherapy is the technique of exposing your body to an extremely cold temperature for a few minutes. Research has found that it may be able to speed up recovery by reducing pain, inflammation, and muscle tiredness after strenuous activity.

Consuming alcohol is damaging to many aspects of your health. Alcohol also impairs protein synthesis in your muscles.

Foam rolling is an important part of muscle recovery every day. This can and should be done as both part of the warm-up and cool-down, especially before jumping into weight training.

The areas are dependent on how the client feels and what they have coming up that day in the workout. Foam rolling is also helpful on rest days to work on tight muscles and mobility. One of the newer ways to help your muscles recover is the infrared sauna.

This is becoming popular among athletes as part of their regular training program. Especially with the endurance athletes, the sauna has become an important part of keeping their bodies healthy by reducing muscle soreness. The infrared sauna is different than the normal dry sauna or even steam room in that it uses infrared lamps to warm you.

The infrared heat from the lamps can be absorbed by the body much deeper than just skin level. This promotes blood flow throughout the body, reducing inflammation. Also, the infrared sauna is not as hot as a typical sauna, usually staying between degrees.

The cold tub, also called an ice bath , is not for everyone, but it can help with muscle recovery, especially after tough workouts. This is another recovery method rising in popularity. Typically, a cold tub is kept between 44 and 58 degrees and you can stay in up to 15 minutes.

For your first visit, you'll start with just a minute or two and work up to longer periods of time. Utilizing a cold tub can help flush the toxins from the body and reduce inflammation, fatigue, and muscle soreness. Another recently popular method for muscle recovery is compression therapy.

The compression facilitates blood flow through the area being compressed and helps to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. This can not only be a relaxing activity which is great for rest days but has many benefits that go along with the relaxation.

There are so many ways to help your clients with recovery from strength training, but these are some of the most common ways to educate them to get started.

If you are interested in learning more about working with athletes and fine-tuning their training techniques, check out our Exercise Recovery Specialist program.

Personal trainers who use exercise recovery techniques in their sessions build the most holistic health and fitness programs available. ISSA's Exercise Recovery Specialization unlocks the science behind recovery techniques. As a Certified Exercise Recovery Specialist, personal trainers can apply this information to their exercise prescription and programs, helping athletes and general fitness clients alike.

All Categories Anatomy Audio Blogs Behavior Change Business More. BY: ISSA DATE: Symptoms of Overtraining First, let's talk overtraining.

Common symptoms of overtraining include: Fatigue Excessive soreness Unexpected weight loss or gain Excessive sweating Loss of appetite Increased thirst Irritability Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep Best Ways to Help Your Body Recover Just as hard as our bodies work during exercises in the gym, they need to work equally as hard to help our muscles recover.

Proper Cool-Down The first step you should take with a client is to ensure they are performing a proper cool-down after each session. Nutrition for Strength Training Recovery As a personal trainer, it is helpful to educate your clients on nutrition. Sleep If your client is putting in hours at the gym and eating right but only sleeping 4 or 5 hours a night, they are not going to see results.

Here are some examples to help clients improve sleep: Shutting off the lights 1 hour before bed Limiting screens 1 hour before bed Sleeping in a cool dark room Go to sleep and wake up at the same times each day Aim to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night Rest Days and Active Recovery Rest days are important to maximize a training program.

Foam Roll Foam rolling is an important part of muscle recovery every day. Infrared Sauna One of the newer ways to help your muscles recover is the infrared sauna. Major benefits of the infrared sauna can include: Decrease muscle soreness Increase in sleep quality Detoxification Improved blood circulation Increased metabolism Increase in the immune system Lessen joint pain Reduces stress Cold Tub The cold tub, also called an ice bath , is not for everyone, but it can help with muscle recovery, especially after tough workouts.

Compression Therapy Another recently popular method for muscle recovery is compression therapy. Some of the benefits are: Decreasing swelling and inflammation Increase in muscle recovery Reducing muscle soreness Improving with range of motion and flexibility Decreasing muscular fatigue How to Become an Exercise Recovery Specialist There are so many ways to help your clients with recovery from strength training, but these are some of the most common ways to educate them to get started.

Featured Course. First Name. The mode of cold immersion was cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is a new-age recovery technique popular among pro athletes. A cryotherapy session is three minutes in duration consisting of three minutes of exposure to very extreme temperatures. The physiological reaction is a survival response resulting in immediate shunting of blood to organs and muscles.

Thus, after three minutes of cold exposure, overall blood flow is immediately augmented to naturally re-warm the body. This results in overall muscle recovery. A last effective recovery strategy involves nutritional supplementation.

The golden rule is that nutritional supplementation should come first and foremost through natural foods. Powders should never be the primary means of obtaining essential nutrients and minerals.

But if daily life demands and challenges require additional supplementation, there are two effective options:. Creatine: Creatine is an essential source of energy produced by our cells. Creatine is necessary for all-out high-intensity exercise. Natural creatine reserves are depleted within a minute of high-intensity exercise.

However, creatine is also the rate-limiting and backbone of providing cellular energy in general in the form of ATP. ATP as discussed earlier drives waking performance and the rapid replenishment of ATP reserves is a natural biological recovery process.

Creatine supplementation has been shown to sustain waking performance during the day and in some cases may facilitate better recovery sleep at night. In general, dosing is 10 g daily for two weeks "loading" phase followed by 5 g daily afterward for maintenance.

Magnesium: Magnesium is also an essential biological factor. Athletes and high-performers are also oftentimes magnesium-deficient due to daily work demands. Magnesium supplementation at night ranging from - mg has been shown to alter sleep architecture possibly promoting sleep consolidation and more recovery sleep.

But again, always aim to get magnesium first through food before resorting to powder. There is a wealth of recovery options out there. Recovery is far from being a one-size-fits-all.

Depending on daily demands, needs, and even financial restrictions, there are options for everyone. Schmidt, T. Swang, Hamilton, J. Best, State-dependent metabolic partitioning and energy conservation: A theoretical framework for understanding the function of sleep, PLoS One e Freitas, L.

Sleep Debt Favor Skeletal Muscle Injuries In Athletes: A Promising Hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses, Spiegel, R. Leproult, E.

Colecchia, M. L'Hermite-Baleriaux, Z. Nie, G. Copinschi, et al. Knutson, K. Spiegel, P. Penev, E. Van Cauter, The metabolomics consequences of sleep deprivation, Sleep Med. Plante, G. Trksak, E.

Jensen, D. Penetar, C. Ravichandran, B. Riedner, et al. Leproult, R. Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men. JAMA, 21 , Scott, J. Effects of sleep deprivation and exercise on cognitive, motor performance, and mood.

Kox, M. Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Brager is a subject matter expert in behavioral genetics, sleep, and biological rhythms research. She is passionate about discovering new factors that promote resiliency in extreme environments.

She also serves on the NCAA task force for mental health and sleep , contributing to the first edition of the NCAA student-athlete mental health handbook.

She is author of Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain , which debunks the myth of the 'dumb jock' and serves as a performance manual for functional athletes. Outside of the laboratory, Allison was a two-time CrossFit Games team athlete, a two-time CrossFit Regionals individual athlete, and a four-year varsity NCAA Division I athlete in track and field.

Brager has an Sc. in Psychology from Brown University and a Ph. in Physiology from Kent State University. org Fitness CPT Nutrition CES Sports Performance Workout Plans Wellness. spotlight Recovery Athlete Recovery Techniques to Achieve Peak Performance.

The Author. Allison Brager Dr. Related Posts. spotlight Recovery The Kinetic Chain and How to Apply It. spotlight Recovery Sipping with Intention: The Mindful Drinking Guide.

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