They lead to muscle growth, fat loss, improved insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation, better cardiovascular health, and Recovedy overall healthier body. More research is needed to Fsater understand its effects, but many studies published to date look promising. If you want to know how much water to consume post-workout, try weighing yourself before and after the workout— every two pounds lost equals approximately one liter of water lost. Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in different types of berries. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.

Faster muscle recovery -

LADDER protein is especially helpful for kick-starting recovery because "it's made to digest quickly to supply your body with the building blocks necessary for repairing the muscle damage caused during your workout," Thieme says.

For example, LADDER Whey Protein offers 26 grams of protein along with tart cherry extract, which may help to reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness.

It's never smart to skimp on sleep. Here's one more reason to get your zzz's: Sleep may help your muscles get the nutrients needed for recovery. Protein is essential for repairing and rebuilding muscles post-workout, and research suggests sleep plays an important role in protein synthesis.

Your muscles also restock glycogen the storage form of carbs while you snooze. Your body relies heavily on glycogen for energy during exercise. To keep your recovery on schedule, be sure to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Water is a key component of our bodies — after all, we're made up of about 50 to 60 percent of it — and proper hydration is essential for the recovery process.

Water helps deliver blood to muscles, brings in oxygen, and flushes waste products that contribute to muscle soreness. So drink up! There aren't any hard-and-fast rules as far as how much water to drink, but eight glasses a day, or half your body weight in grams, can both be helpful guidelines to follow.

Remember, your recovery time starts the second the workout ends and continues until your next one begins, Thieme says. During that in-between time, do gentle activities like yoga , walking, and leisure hiking to optimize your recovery. This keeps your muscles warm and blood flowing, which helps ease soreness and tension.

Still, you may want to avoid pain relievers if possible. While they may help to soothe sore muscles, research suggests they may slow certain parts of the recovery process. And one small study found that high doses of anti-inflammatory medications may have a negative impact on adaptations to resistance training.

How long it takes your body to recover depends on how much muscle damage your workout caused and how well you pamper those muscles afterward. Any activity that's intense or new-to-you may extend your recovery time.

Exercises that include an eccentric lengthening muscle contraction, like running downhill or lowering into a squat, will also generate more muscle damage. But don't be put off by the phrase "muscle damage" — it's an essential part of exercise. Muscle damage is "what provides the stimulus for you to become stronger, faster, and fitter," Thieme says.

Muscle damage only becomes an issue when the soreness gets out of control. Generally, DOMS reaches its peak between 24 and 72 hours after exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

If you're still sore beyond that point, you may have pushed a bit too far. The key to seeing results from exercise is to give your body the tools it needs to recover. You may notice it after you're done with a workout if you have like a black T-shirt on or something and there's a white ring around your neck, that's all the salt that you just excreted through your skin.

Try looking for a salt ring as Kelly suggests or pay attention to the amount you sweat to have a better idea of the amount of electrolytes you need to replenish. If you want to see muscle growth from your workouts, consuming protein immediately after a strenuous workout is essential.

Research shows that protein helps stimulate protein synthesis, or the creation of new muscle protein in the body.

The newly created muscle proteins are used to build muscle mass in the body and repair the trauma your muscles suffered during your training session.

It is highly accepted in this area that a high protein diet or protein in general, is the key to maintaining or building muscle mass," Kelly says.

The best time to take protein is within two hours of a workout, but it can also be helpful to drink a protein shake before bed for additional muscle support. Studies show that 20 grams of protein is a sufficient serving to see results after a workout. You can incorporate protein into your diet in several ways, but in my experience, one of the easiest and fastest ways to get protein in after a workout is through protein powder or a protein shake.

There is a range of protein powders on the market, including hemp , casein and plant-based protein powder , which makes it easy to find a product that fits your preferences and fitness goals.

However, research suggests that whey protein is the most effective type of protein for stimulating muscle growth , so we recommend picking a whey-based protein supplement if you are looking to gain muscle mass. While eating carbohydrates before a workout is important to fuel your body, it is equally important to replenish what you burned by eating carbohydrates after training.

Your body stores the carbohydrates you ingest as energy glycogen in your muscles to help power through a workout and repair tired and fatigued muscles during recovery. No matter your fitness goals, it is important to eat a carb-filled snack after your training session. The recommended amount of carbohydrates varies based on the intensity of your workout and body weight.

However, studies show that eating a high-carbohydrate diet for 24 hours after a workout will restore over 90 percent of your muscle glycogen. Your body can then use this newly stored glycogen to perform in your next training session. Research suggests eating a mix of carbs and protein within an hour of finishing a workout will kickstart your recovery.

A balanced meal typically includes fruits and vegetables, a grain and protein. That's also going to adjust what you want to [eat]. If you want to maintain muscle mass, but lose a little bit of fat mass, then you need to have more protein.

If you want to maintain your weight, then you're probably going to follow the recommended guideline. If you want to lose, like lose total weight, then you're going to have to decrease just about everything," she says. Vitamins and minerals are natural micronutrients that are essential to perform many bodily functions.

We get them from our food, but chances are not all of us have a perfect diet and may be missing some minerals. A multivitamin can help fill in the gaps, but sometimes individuals need more specific supplements to target a certain vitamin or mineral deficiency.

An iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. Iron plays a crucial role in blood health because it is a significant component of hemoglobin. Kelly says that calcium is another common deficiency, and it has an important role in bone health, muscle contractions and nerve function.

A shortage of calcium can lead to bone injuries and muscle cramps during a workout. If you are deficient in calcium, iron or another specific vitamin or mineral, it can have a devastating impact on your performance.

Luckily, there are supplements that can help replenish your lack of nutrients. If you suspect that you are lacking specific vitamins and minerals we recommend consulting a medical professional to ask about which supplements you should incorporate into your routine.

They might suggest different vitamins that will probably also help with your recovery," Kelly said. Related Post: The Best Workout Recovery Supplements.

Your body is in a fully parasympathetic state, and it can actually recover from that point," said Kelly. Your body uses sleep to rest and repair itself to continue working the next day.

While your body is in a parasympathetic state, blood circulation increases, which also increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. Growth hormones that help repair muscle damage and grow muscle tissue are also released.

These are two of many examples of recovery-promoting body processes that occur during sleep. The consequences of sleep deprivation can have staggering effects on your performance and recovery process. The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep every night.

Sleeping under the essential amount can cause fatigue, headaches and slowed reflexes—all of which could detrimentally affect future training sessions.

If you have trouble sleeping, changing your sleep habits or taking a sleep supplement can help improve your sleep quality. Easy ways to improve your sleep hygiene include staying away from blue light the light emitted by electronics like your phone or TV before bed, keeping a sleep schedule and developing a consistent bedtime routine.

Sleep supplements like melatonin and magnesium can also help improve your sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster. Delayed onset muscle soreness is not only painful, but it can interfere with everyday life. I know that I am often still struggling to walk days after a heavy squat workout.

One of my favorite—and most relaxing—ways to prevent this soreness is by getting a massage. Studies show just a minute massage after a workout can decrease delayed onset muscle soreness by over 30 percent.

The pressure and movement from a massage increase blood circulation, which can decrease muscle stiffness and inflammation.

And, if you have back-to-back workouts, it helps your muscles recover faster so that you can be ready to go in no time. A cheap and easy alternative to getting a massage is investing in a foam roller. Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release SMR ; a self-massaging technique that helps relieve muscle tightness and soreness.

You can use a foam roller to target particularly tight and sore muscles to reduce muscle inflammation and increase blood circulation to ease pain and aid in muscle recovery.

While stretching may be one of the most well-known recovery methods, it is important to do it the right way and at the right times to see results. A common misconception about stretching is that it should be done before a workout, as part of the warm-up.

However, to see the best results, it is best to stretch after a workout when your muscles are already warm. Additionally, stretching cold muscles could actually lead to injuries and harm your performance by weakening muscles.

The Mayo Clinic advises individuals to be careful when stretching injured muscles because strained muscles can be further harmed if stretched incorrectly. When done correctly, stretching can help prevent injuries and improve future performance by increasing your mobility and flexibility.

Personally, I have never been a fan of taking an ice bath, but the benefits of the freezing water after an intense exercise motivate me to take them multiple times a week during a hard training cycle.

Ice baths can help ease sore muscles and reduce inflammation by constricting your blood vessels and reduce your body temperature to help you cool down after a workout. If you want to take an ice bath, you can use a cold plunge tub or an ice barrel, or you can create your own ice bath at home with a bathtub and bag of ice.

Whichever way you decide to use cold water immersion therapy, the water should be no colder than 53 degrees Fahrenheit and you should stay immersed for five to 10 minutes for optimal results. Although there is little evidence that ice baths increase muscle performance in subsequent workouts, the evidence of its effectiveness in decreasing muscle soreness makes it far worth it.

Plus, if you build your own ice bath at home, it is a cheap way to ease soreness. The other side of temperature therapy is heat therapy, and one of the easiest and most common ways is the sauna. Complete heat immersion is an effective way to expedite neuromuscular recovery, especially after endurance workouts.

Studies show that infrared saunas in particular can decrease muscle soreness because infrared heat can penetrate deeper into fat tissue and the neuromuscular system. By visiting a sauna for a few minutes prior to training, you can decrease exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness by effectively warming up the muscles before a strenuous exercise.

If you choose to use a sauna, experts recommend keeping heat therapy sessions under 30 minutes to avoid putting too much stress on your body. If you can't decide which temperature therapy to use, consider contrast therapy, which alternates between hot and cold baths to promote muscle recovery.

Contrast therapy has been shown to increase the blood flow to and oxygenation of muscle tissue. Compression garments can include anything from tights and compression socks to a compression wrap. Compression increases blood flow, bringing more nutrients and oxygen to your muscles.

This can help decrease muscle soreness, especially after endurance training. Leg compression machines are a popular method of compression therapy, and I regularly use Hyperice Normtec 3 Legs to recover from running workouts.

Compression garments can also help decrease muscle swelling that often occurs from long travel days or sitting at a desk all day. XWerks Grow is a whey protein isolate sourced from naturally raised and percent grass-fed cows so that there are no added hormones, antibiotics or pesticides passed on to the protein powder.

The brand boasts that Grow assists in muscle repair and muscle growth and strengthens your immune system. The formula is made using whey protein isolate, meaning it is a higher-quality whey and includes more protein. Each serving includes 25 grams of protein—five grams over the recommended post-workout amount.

XWerks Grow is available in four classic flavors: chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter and strawberry. Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate is a great protein powder option sourced from percent grass-fed cows. Transparent Labs created this protein powder to support recovery and stimulate muscle growth, so you can see the best results out of every workout.

Each serving has 28 grams of protein and only one gram of carbohydrates. The powder is made from a mix of pea and rice protein and is vegan-friendly. It also contains no artificial flavors, sweeteners, food dyes or preservatives.

Legion Athletics tests its protein formula in a lab for purity to ensure the quality of every batch. Ritual offers clinical-backed multivitamins with unique formulas for both men and women. Each vitamin contains nine traceable ingredients, including iron and magnesium and is encased in a delayed-release capsule for maximum absorption.

The vitamins also feature a mint tab, so you can take your vitamins without a bad taste lingering in your mouth. If you're interested in this brand, check out our Ritual review for more information. Like all Transparent Labs products, its multivitamin has no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives.

However, it excludes iron, which makes it easier on the stomach, but not ideal for individuals with an iron deficiency.

Faster muscle recovery the workout mantra goes: eat, sleep, train, repeat. Work rscovery soreness musclle, Faster muscle recovery Well, not so Iron deficiency in female athletes. Prioritizing muscle recovery time in your workout schedule is essential. Every type of workout places stress on your body, and the tougher the challenge, the more your muscles have to handle. From lifting hefty weights in the gym to finally nailing Bhairavasana pose in yoga, there are many ways you can cause your muscles to feel tired from exercise.

Faster muscle recovery products featured in this article have been independently reviewed. Musfle you muxcle something through the retail links on this page, we may earn recofery at no recoverh to you, the reader.

,uscle Illustrated Fasted staff are not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more here. Post-workout recovery Fasfer one of the most important and most often forgotten elements of a workout routine.

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Although a recovery routine is the last Faster muscle recovery you want to do after a workout, without proper rest and rscovery your body can suffer from muacle syndrome. This recovegy cause even more fatigue, recovey mood, inflammation and persistent sore Yoga for anxiety relief according recovrey research published in Sports Health.

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As a college Faster muscle recovery, I complete high-intensity, cardio, weightlifting and resistance workouts regularly as a part of my training sessions. I quickly learned that post-workout recovery is equally as important as Faxter training to be Fastre to perform well.

Fasrer content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as Fazter advice. Musfle is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment Faster muscle recovery health problems. Always speak musclee your doctor before starting any new supplement or Skin rejuvenation for sun-damaged skin regimen.

Weight loss for recreational athletes a tough muscpe, you will likely experience muscle soreness and fatigue because of the rfcovery placed on your body while exercising. This soreness may rceovery due to lactic acid build-up, blood-flow imbalance, Fsater fatigue or the Enhancing nutrient uptake capabilities tearing of your muscle fibers during repetitive recoery contractions.

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Apart from mucsle soreness, Faeter body is also depleted of essential nutrients and water after strenuous recovdry. When musclle sweat, your recpvery loses the mucsle, electrolytes and water it recoverry to keep your body functioning.

Another Fatser element of post-workout recovery rdcovery to replenish these nutrients by refueling. Without recovering, your muwcle will not recovry able reecovery perform at the same performance level in subsequent workouts.

For instance, refovery has found Endurance nutrition plan deprivation can lead to decreased recoverry endurance and limit muecle repair. Similarly, Fatser, going Faster muscle recovery many days with an off-day or proper recovery, can cause extreme dehydration and fatigue.

Recovery will vary by individual, but it often includes, refueling, resting, ice baths and many Sugar metabolism pills options. The bottom line? In order to see results, such muwcle muscle growth musclr improved fitness, your body recovety to take time to repair itself Fastdr workouts.

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following a Kiwi fruit pruning techniques begins the gradual recovery process by allowing Weight management heart rate and blood pressure to lower to their normal, pre-exercise Fxsteraccording to the Mayo Recoverh.

Whether that be a cooldown—like a Faster muscle recovery jog, run, walk tecovery stretching—or even just resting for a minute letting your heart rate come down and not just getting Fster with a workout and going straight to your car and driving.

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While continuing fecovery move is probably the last thing you want Fwster do after a hard workout, your heart and blood recoveru will thank Grocery shopping tips. When it comes to muscle recovery, nothing beats rehydrating with reovery.

The human Fasteer needs mscle to Digestive enzyme efficiency and function, and your rdcovery loses large amounts of water during workouts, especially in hot or humid environments where you are sweating more.

Although there are tons of hydrating sports drinks on the market, simply consuming water with solid food will do the trickas the water hydrates and the food replenishes lost electrolytes, according to research published in the Journal of Sports Science.

The amount of water needed to rehydrate post-workout will vary from person to person depending on the amount you sweat and the length of the workout. If you want to know how much water to consume post-workout, try weighing yourself before and after the workout— every two pounds lost equals approximately one liter of water lost.

Electrolytes are elements that help maintain fluid balance, conduct electrical charges to help muscles contract, regulate chemical reactions and many other essential body functions. We get electrolytes from the food and beverages we consume. Sodium is the primary electrolyte lost through sweat during workouts, so the electrolyte drink must contain moderately high levels of sodium approximately one gram of sodium per hour of exercise when there is heavy sweat loss to be effective in rehydration.

Other important electrolytes include potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride and phosphate. Sodium and potassium are definitely important, but also the amount of electrolytes that you have is very dependent on you. You may notice it after you're done with a workout if you have like a black T-shirt on or something and there's a white ring around your neck, that's all the salt that you just excreted through your skin.

Try looking for a salt ring as Kelly suggests or pay attention to the amount you sweat to have a better idea of the amount of electrolytes you need to replenish. If you want to see muscle growth from your workouts, consuming protein immediately after a strenuous workout is essential.

Research shows that protein helps stimulate protein synthesis, or the creation of new muscle protein in the body. The newly created muscle proteins are used to build muscle mass in the body and repair the trauma your muscles suffered during your training session. It is highly accepted in this area that a high protein diet or protein in general, is the key to maintaining or building muscle mass," Kelly says.

The best time to take protein is within two hours of a workout, but it can also be helpful to drink a protein shake before bed for additional muscle support. Studies show that 20 grams of protein is a sufficient serving to see results after a workout.

You can incorporate protein into your diet in several ways, but in my experience, one of the easiest and fastest ways to get protein in after a workout is through protein powder or a protein shake. There is a range of protein powders on the market, including hempcasein and plant-based protein powderwhich makes it easy to find a product that fits your preferences and fitness goals.

However, research suggests that whey protein is the most effective type of protein for stimulating muscle growthso we recommend picking a whey-based protein supplement if you are looking to gain muscle mass. While eating carbohydrates before a workout is important to fuel your body, it is equally important to replenish what you burned by eating carbohydrates after training.

Your body stores the carbohydrates you ingest as energy glycogen in your muscles to help power through a workout and repair tired and fatigued muscles during recovery.

No matter your fitness goals, it is important to eat a carb-filled snack after your training session. The recommended amount of carbohydrates varies based on the intensity of your workout and body weight. However, studies show that eating a high-carbohydrate diet for 24 hours after a workout will restore over 90 percent of your muscle glycogen.

Your body can then use this newly stored glycogen to perform in your next training session. Research suggests eating a mix of carbs and protein within an hour of finishing a workout will kickstart your recovery. A balanced meal typically includes fruits and vegetables, a grain and protein. That's also going to adjust what you want to [eat].

If you want to maintain muscle mass, but lose a little bit of fat mass, then you need to have more protein. If you want to maintain your weight, then you're probably going to follow the recommended guideline.

If you want to lose, like lose total weight, then you're going to have to decrease just about everything," she says. Vitamins and minerals are natural micronutrients that are essential to perform many bodily functions. We get them from our food, but chances are not all of us have a perfect diet and may be missing some minerals.

A multivitamin can help fill in the gaps, but sometimes individuals need more specific supplements to target a certain vitamin or mineral deficiency. An iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. Iron plays a crucial role in blood health because it is a significant component of hemoglobin.

Kelly says that calcium is another common deficiency, and it has an important role in bone health, muscle contractions and nerve function. A shortage of calcium can lead to bone injuries and muscle cramps during a workout.

If you are deficient in calcium, iron or another specific vitamin or mineral, it can have a devastating impact on your performance. Luckily, there are supplements that can help replenish your lack of nutrients. If you suspect that you are lacking specific vitamins and minerals we recommend consulting a medical professional to ask about which supplements you should incorporate into your routine.

They might suggest different vitamins that will probably also help with your recovery," Kelly said. Related Post: The Best Workout Recovery Supplements. Your body is in a fully parasympathetic state, and it can actually recover from that point," said Kelly. Your body uses sleep to rest and repair itself to continue working the next day.

While your body is in a parasympathetic state, blood circulation increases, which also increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. Growth hormones that help repair muscle damage and grow muscle tissue are also released. These are two of many examples of recovery-promoting body processes that occur during sleep.

The consequences of sleep deprivation can have staggering effects on your performance and recovery process. The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Sleeping under the essential amount can cause fatigue, headaches and slowed reflexes—all of which could detrimentally affect future training sessions.

If you have trouble sleeping, changing your sleep habits or taking a sleep supplement can help improve your sleep quality. Easy ways to improve your sleep hygiene include staying away from blue light the light emitted by electronics like your phone or TV before bed, keeping a sleep schedule and developing a consistent bedtime routine.

Sleep supplements like melatonin and magnesium can also help improve your sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster. Delayed onset muscle soreness is not only painful, but it can interfere with everyday life. I know that I am often still struggling to walk days after a heavy squat workout.

One of my favorite—and most relaxing—ways to prevent this soreness is by getting a massage. Studies show just a minute massage after a workout can decrease delayed onset muscle soreness by over 30 percent. The pressure and movement from a massage increase blood circulation, which can decrease muscle stiffness and inflammation.

And, if you have back-to-back workouts, it helps your muscles recover faster so that you can be ready to go in no time. A cheap and easy alternative to getting a massage is investing in a foam roller. Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release SMR ; a self-massaging technique that helps relieve muscle tightness and soreness.

You can use a foam roller to target particularly tight and sore muscles to reduce muscle inflammation and increase blood circulation to ease pain and aid in muscle recovery.

While stretching may be one of the most well-known recovery methods, it is important to do it the right way and at the right times to see results.

: Faster muscle recovery

6 Most Effective Ways to Speed Post-Workout Recovery	Water helps deliver blood to muscles, brings in oxygen, and flushes waste products that contribute to muscle soreness. So drink up! There aren't any hard-and-fast rules as far as how much water to drink, but eight glasses a day, or half your body weight in grams, can both be helpful guidelines to follow. Remember, your recovery time starts the second the workout ends and continues until your next one begins, Thieme says. During that in-between time, do gentle activities like yoga , walking, and leisure hiking to optimize your recovery. This keeps your muscles warm and blood flowing, which helps ease soreness and tension. Still, you may want to avoid pain relievers if possible. While they may help to soothe sore muscles, research suggests they may slow certain parts of the recovery process. And one small study found that high doses of anti-inflammatory medications may have a negative impact on adaptations to resistance training. How long it takes your body to recover depends on how much muscle damage your workout caused and how well you pamper those muscles afterward. Any activity that's intense or new-to-you may extend your recovery time. Exercises that include an eccentric lengthening muscle contraction, like running downhill or lowering into a squat, will also generate more muscle damage. But don't be put off by the phrase "muscle damage" — it's an essential part of exercise. Muscle damage is "what provides the stimulus for you to become stronger, faster, and fitter," Thieme says. Muscle damage only becomes an issue when the soreness gets out of control. Generally, DOMS reaches its peak between 24 and 72 hours after exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. If you're still sore beyond that point, you may have pushed a bit too far. The key to seeing results from exercise is to give your body the tools it needs to recover. Use multiple methods to keep your recovery on track and ensure you don't miss a beat in your workout routine. By Lauren Bedosky The work doesn't end once your workout is over. Get over 20 grams of high-quality protein, along with muscle-repairing BCAAs in LADDER Whey and Plant Protein! Foam Rolling. How Much Protein Should You Consume After a Workout to Maximize Gains? How a LADDER Post-Workout Protein Shake Can Help Speed Your Recovery. Whey vs. Plant Protein: Which Should You Choose? Why You Should Combine Carbs With Post-Workout Protein. Smoking tobacco is also associated with an increased risk of developing joint disease and an increased risk of fracturing a bone. The amount of time it takes for your muscles to recover from exercise depends on your fitness levels and the difficulty of your workout. The volume, intensity, and duration of your workout all play a role in determining how taxing it is on your body. After a relatively light workout , your muscles may be able to recover in 24 hours, whereas a more challenging workout might take two to three days. Very intense workouts might take even longer. The basis of any good training program is small incremental increases in intensity or volume over time. If you jump ahead too quickly, you put yourself at risk of injury or overtraining. Different trainers have different philosophies when it comes to training. Many agree that you should leave your workout session feeling challenged but not completely exhausted. Designing your program so you work alternate muscles groups in different workouts is a good way to increase the recovery period between sessions. For example, if you are lifting weights three times a week, try a schedule like this to give each muscle group a full week to recover:. Athletes training for specific sports, like sprinters or Olympic lifters, often train the same body parts almost every day. They often alternate high- and low-intensity days to give their muscles time to recover. Repeated stress from exercise causes small tears called microtears that lead to muscles feeling sore and inflamed. An accumulation of tears puts you at risk of developing torn muscles, also called muscle strains or pulled muscles. Muscle strains can range from mildly uncomfortable to complete ruptures that may need surgery to repair. Muscle injuries can range from mild to complete tears. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. Not all muscle soreness is the same. Acute muscle soreness is felt during or immediately after exercise. With delayed onset muscle soreness, your…. You may find that you feel less tight, sore, and even have more energy to exercise after active recovery. Here's how it works. Eating the right foods after workouts is important for muscle gain, recovery, and performance. Here is a guide to optimal post-workout nutrition. Targeting heart rate zones as you exercise is one way to maximize the benefits you get from your workouts. Learn about your different heart rate zones…. There are several causes of numbness in your toes and feet when you run, ranging from poor-fitting shoes to health conditions like diabetes. For people who run or do other aerobic exercises on a regular basis, starting up a low heart rate training program may be frustrating at first. The average 5K time depends on a few factors, including age, sex, and fitness level. But, you can expect to finish a 5K in roughly 30 to 40 minutes. Thinking about using an AI tool like ChatGPT to help you get in shape? Here are the pros and cons health experts say you should consider. We're testing the Lululemon product for you and weighing in on whether the trend has past or if it's still worth the hype. When designing a workout, it's important to move in all of the body's planes. What are they? Here's an anatomy primer to help. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Get Motivated Cardio Strength Training Yoga Rest and Recover Holistic Fitness Exercise Library Fitness News Your Fitness Toolkit. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M. Foods Drinks Supplements Lifestyle Things to avoid Recovery time Injury prevention Potential complications Takeaway Living an overall healthy lifestyle is the most important step you can take to maximize your recovery from working out. Was this helpful? Things to avoid. How long does muscle recovery take? How do I prevent injury during muscle recovery? Are there complications from not allowing muscle recovery time? The takeaway. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Mar 10, Written By Daniel Yetman. Sep 9, Written By Daniel Yetman.
Stay up to date	Repeat until you've accumulated 60 seconds per stretch. Your muscles can't recover without ample protein. Depending on the intensity of your workout routine, the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends getting 1. To find your weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2. So if you weigh pounds — which equates to 68 kilograms — that would be roughly 95 to grams of protein per day. A protein supplement is an easy way to make a dent in this daily total. Mix a packet of LADDER Whey Protein or LADDER Plant Protein with water, milk, or your smoothie or shake recipe of choice. LADDER protein is especially helpful for kick-starting recovery because "it's made to digest quickly to supply your body with the building blocks necessary for repairing the muscle damage caused during your workout," Thieme says. For example, LADDER Whey Protein offers 26 grams of protein along with tart cherry extract, which may help to reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness. It's never smart to skimp on sleep. Here's one more reason to get your zzz's: Sleep may help your muscles get the nutrients needed for recovery. Protein is essential for repairing and rebuilding muscles post-workout, and research suggests sleep plays an important role in protein synthesis. Your muscles also restock glycogen the storage form of carbs while you snooze. Your body relies heavily on glycogen for energy during exercise. To keep your recovery on schedule, be sure to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Water is a key component of our bodies — after all, we're made up of about 50 to 60 percent of it — and proper hydration is essential for the recovery process. Water helps deliver blood to muscles, brings in oxygen, and flushes waste products that contribute to muscle soreness. So drink up! They teamed up with soft robotics experts in the Harvard Biodesign Lab, led by Wyss Associate Faculty member Conor Walsh to create a small device that used sensors and actuators to monitor and control the force applied to the limb of a mouse. They observed that the muscles experienced a strain of between 10 to 40 percent, confirming that the tissues were experiencing mechanical force. They also used those ultrasound imaging data to develop and validate a computational model that could predict the amount of tissue strain under different loading forces. They then applied consistent, repeated force to injured muscles for 14 days. While both treated and untreated muscles displayed a reduction in the amount of damaged muscle fibers, the reduction was more pronounced and the cross-sectional area of the fibers was larger in the treated muscle, indicating that treatment had led to greater repair and strength recovery. The greater the force applied during treatment, the stronger the injured muscles became, confirming that mechanotherapy improves muscle recovery after injury. But how? To answer that question, the scientists performed a detailed biological assessment, analyzing a wide range of inflammation-related factors called cytokines and chemokines in untreated vs. treated muscles. A subset of cytokines was dramatically lower in treated muscles after three days of mechanotherapy, and these cytokines are associated with the movement of immune cells called neutrophils, which play many roles in the inflammation process. Treated muscles also had fewer neutrophils in their tissue than untreated muscles, suggesting that the reduction in cytokines that attract them had caused the decrease in neutrophil infiltration. The team had a hunch that the force applied to the muscle by the mechanotherapy effectively squeezed the neutrophils and cytokines out of the injured tissue. They confirmed this theory by injecting fluorescent molecules into the muscles and observing that the movement of the molecules was more significant with force application, supporting the idea that it helped to flush out the muscle tissue. To pick apart what effect the neutrophils and their associated cytokines have on regenerating muscle fibers, the scientists performed in vitro studies in which they grew muscle progenitor cells MPCs in a medium in which neutrophils had previously been grown. They found that the number of MPCs increased, but the rate at which they differentiated developed into other cell types decreased, suggesting that neutrophil-secreted factors stimulate the growth of muscle cells, but the prolonged presence of those factors impairs the production of new muscle fibers. Immunofluorescence images show that when an injured muscle is treated with mechanotherapy right , its muscle fiber type composition changes compared to untreated muscles left. For example, overuse injuries are more common in volleyball than in soccer or basketball. Additionally, female basketball players are almost four times as likely to have an overuse injury than males. Giving enough time for recovery helps reduce overuse-related muscle breakdown. While taking time off gives muscle fibers time to heal, a workout supplement can assist. What value do these substances have to offer? Two of the most compelling are their ability to heal muscle damage and reduce sore muscles. Some supplements work by supporting or enhancing muscle protein synthesis. Protein synthesis refers to the process that muscle cells use to make more protein. Protein is the building block for muscle. Thus, promoting protein synthesis gives the body more blocks to use. Other supplements aid in muscle recovery in a way that reduces muscle soreness. Sore muscles are fairly common for new exercisers. It's also common for those who have taken their strength training routine up a notch. Soreness that occurs quickly after the workout is often due to lactic acid buildup. Then there is delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS , which is longer lasting. Some supplements ease both types of sore muscles. Some work by helping the body get rid of lactic acid faster. This is beneficial for acute muscle soreness. Others help by speeding the recovery process. This reduces the likelihood that the muscle soreness will last long term. Still more supplements work to reduce muscle fatigue. They give muscle cells the energy they need to keep going while they recover. Some even aid in injury recovery. This type of workout recovery supplement provides the nutrients needed to repair muscle damage. What type of recovery supplement is best for you or your clients? A lot of it depends on the client and their goals. While you, as a personal trainer, may not be able to prescribe supplements to your clients, you can help educate them about some of their options. Here are seven to consider. Protein supplement. Protein is perhaps the most useful supplement for muscle recovery. It helps the muscle repair faster and more effectively after a grueling workout. It is even more important if there isn't enough protein in the diet. Whey protein is the most popular choice. This may be because whey protein also includes essential amino acids. A typical whey protein powder offers 25 grams per serving, though some provide more. Other options include soy, egg protein, rice, hemp, and pea protein. Branched-chain amino acid BCAA supplement. Though the body can make some amino acids on its own, there are a few it cannot make. An amino acid falling in the second category is an essential amino acid. A BCAA supplement provides these essential amino acids. This aids in recovery.
Benefits of Post-Workout Recovery	The higher the fat content of a meal the slower the absorption. Proper recovery does not just happen after a workout, it needs to occur for hours before and after. Consuming BCAAs in between meals will help your muscles recover. Five grams of BCAAs in between meals will ensure protein synthesis is spiked through out the day. When choosing a BCAA product, make sure it is properly dosed. Your BCAA product should contain around two grams of leucine, one gram of isoleucine and one gram of valine. Foam rolling has many benefits : It breaks up little muscle adhesions that cause muscle imbalances. improve your flexibility , improves joint function , and keeps you injury free. I recommend foam rolling before and after a workout. Doing it before a workout can help you limber up and improve muscle function. I recommend foam rolling for at least 15 minutes everyday. Doing so will help prevent injury and keep you coming back to the gym for years to come. There is no secret behind ice baths , they just plain work. After a tough workout session, practice session or game, many athletes jump in ice baths. Ice baths help to bring down inflammation and allow for recovery to happen much faster. You can utilize this technique in your own program, especially if you aggravate something during training. Fill your bathtub up with cold water and dump in some ice cubes. Submerge your body in the cold water for 10 minutes. Repeat this as needed. Various mobility tactics help to bring nutrient rich blood to muscles that need recovery. Ensuring your muscles are clear of adhesions and improving your range of motion will increase your muscle strength and function. These little micro naps help to aid in recovery. Small naps are good for your heart, blood pressure , stress levels and even weight management. While we sleep our bodies repair. Faster repair means getting back to the gym faster. A properly balanced diet is extremely important to your goals. Whether you want to lose body fat or gain muscle ,. it wont happen with training alone. Consuming a well-balanced diet will help give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from training. If your diet is lacking even one macronutrient it will hinder your recovery ability. Try to keep your carbs, protein, and fats all balanced. Avoid diets that are extreme, you will find yourself smaller and weaker. If you think you can train hard and heavy for weeks at a time, you are mistaken. In order to make good strength and muscular gains its important to take a one week deload period of your training. Whether that means taking off for a full week or what I recommend is having a week where you use 60 to 65 percent of your normal workouts. These lighter workouts will allow you recover and the coolest part they will allow you to rebound and come back stronger. Muscle soreness occurs from lactic acid build up in a muscle. Drinking adequate amounts of water will help to flush out toxins from your muscles. Our bodies need water to function; a one percent dehydration will result in a 10 percent reduction in strength. Proper hydration also helps to keep our joints lubricated. Vitamin C, D, E and ALA are all important for the recovery process. These vitamins help to prevent damage done by free radicals and help strengthen up your immune system. After a workout free radical levels are higher in our muscle cells. These vitamins help to break these free radicals apart. Create new and massively sculpted set of pipes now with these easy to use armday hacks. Is all calf training the same, no matter the sport? Not quite, says trai expert Tasha Whelan. These PTs explain how to maintain healthy hammies. Close Ad ×. I want content for: Both Men Women. Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest. treated muscles. A subset of cytokines was dramatically lower in treated muscles after three days of mechanotherapy, and these cytokines are associated with the movement of immune cells called neutrophils, which play many roles in the inflammation process. Treated muscles also had fewer neutrophils in their tissue than untreated muscles, suggesting that the reduction in cytokines that attract them had caused the decrease in neutrophil infiltration. The team had a hunch that the force applied to the muscle by the mechanotherapy effectively squeezed the neutrophils and cytokines out of the injured tissue. They confirmed this theory by injecting fluorescent molecules into the muscles and observing that the movement of the molecules was more significant with force application, supporting the idea that it helped to flush out the muscle tissue. To pick apart what effect the neutrophils and their associated cytokines have on regenerating muscle fibers, the scientists performed in vitro studies in which they grew muscle progenitor cells MPCs in a medium in which neutrophils had previously been grown. They found that the number of MPCs increased, but the rate at which they differentiated developed into other cell types decreased, suggesting that neutrophil-secreted factors stimulate the growth of muscle cells, but the prolonged presence of those factors impairs the production of new muscle fibers. Immunofluorescence images show that when an injured muscle is treated with mechanotherapy right , its muscle fiber type composition changes compared to untreated muscles left. The composition of the treated muscle is more similar to that of healthy muscle, implying that treatment helps restore proper muscle function. student at Harvard Medical School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Seo and her colleagues then turned back to their in vivo model and analyzed the types of muscle fibers in the treated vs. untreated mice 14 days after injury. They found that type IIX fibers were prevalent in healthy muscle and treated muscle, but untreated injured muscle contained smaller numbers of type IIX fibers and increased numbers of type IIA fibers. This difference explained the enlarged fiber size and greater force production of treated muscles, as IIX fibers produce more force than IIA fibers. Finally, the team homed in on the optimal amount of time for neutrophil presence in injured muscle by depleting neutrophils in the mice on the third day after injury. Maeder Professor of Engineering and Applied Science at SEAS and whose group is experienced in developing wearable technology for diagnosing and treating disease. The team is continuing to investigate this line of research with multiple projects in the lab. They plan to validate this mechanotherpeutic approach in larger animals, with the goal of being able to test its efficacy on humans. They also hope to test it on different types of injuries, age-related muscle loss, and muscle performance enhancement. Pinkas Family Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS. Additional authors of the paper include Benjamin Freedman, Brian Kwee, Sungmin Nam, Irene de Lázaro, Max Darnell, Jonathan Alvarez, and Maxence Dellacherie from the Wyss Institute and SEAS, and Herman H. Vandenburgh from Brown University. Four groundbreaking projects investigate brain development, capture raw data with AI, innovate quantum computers, and develop new models to map supernovas. Field work on the Rio Negro could help communities exposed to methylmercury protect their food web.
What actually works for muscle recovery—and what doesn’t | Popular Science	Instead, it appears to be the result of small tears in muscle fiber that combine with an inflammatory process to result in pain. A cheap and easy alternative to getting a massage is investing in a foam roller. How to Use CBD for Muscle Recovery. Resting Metabolic Rate: How to Calculate and Improve Yours By Fabio Comana. Here is a guide to optimal post-workout nutrition. Close Ad ×.

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Tips for Faster Recovery After Exercise