Muscle recovery strategies -
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.
Massaging yourself, using a foam roller or visiting a professional for massage therapy are also helpful for limiting inflammation and boosting blood flow.
Aim for gentler massages. Compression garments are another option to consider. Some studies show they can help enhance recovery from resistance exercise when used within 24 hours after a workout.
Related: 20 Exercise Hacks to Sneak More Fitness Into Your Day. You want to take off at least one day a week. For most people, taking off from exercise two days a week allows muscles to complete rest and repair.
The same thing goes for fast foods, plus refined grains and hydrogenated oils, which are found in most unhealthy processed foods.
If you want to maximize your workouts, do more compound movements see above. This takes stress off of single muscles and focuses on larger muscle groups instead. You can also try training different parts of your body on different days, which is a traditional bodybuilding approach. For example, you might do a maximum-intensity workout focused on your legs one day, then your upper body another day, then your core on another day.
Remember, you need lots of sleep to feel your best and perform. Research shows sleep deprivation can lead to many physical symptoms, including poor strength, focus, reaction times and more.
Instead, follow the other tips in this article, which help your muscles bounce back naturally. How long does a muscle take to recover? When your muscles are strained, they first experience tiny tears.
Your body recognizes this and works on repairing them. This is a multiple-step process that involves repair of damaged muscle fibers and connective tissue formation. Your body uses protein and carbs to complete the recovery process.
Your blood vessels also dilate so circulation increases, which helps bring more nutrients to damaged tissue. Then, waste such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide must be removed from the damaged area. This is done with help from your lymphatic system.
Once new tissue is formed with help from myokine proteins , then the tissue is remodeled and smoothed so it functions properly. The whole process can take up to several days or sometimes even longer. The ideal amount of time to give yourself to recover is between one and three days, with a longer duration for high-intensity exercises , such as those that really fatigue muscles.
According to a study on rehydration and recovery after exercise, electrolytes are important for your nervous system and also get used up during muscle contraction. Electrolytes include minerals like magnesium , potassium, calcium and sodium, which are found in most foods, so you can definitely get enough electrolytes by following a healthy eating diet and consuming plenty of fruit and vegetables.
If you follow a plant-based diet , make sure you eat plenty of high-protein foods throughout the day such as nuts, tofu, quinoa and beans to give your muscles the nutrients they need to repair. If you feel hungry after exercising, a post-workout snack is a great opportunity to get a hit of carbohydrates and protein to help promote your muscle recovery - not to mention a burst of energy to keep you going.
We will always encourage you to get your nutrition from whole foods, but we can also appreciate that your body, nutritional needs, dietary preferences and training routine are unique and for many people, supplements can help. Some trainers and athletes also supplement with branch-chain amino acids BCAAs , which come as a powder and can be consumed in a similar way to a protein shake.
Find what works for you, or ask your healthcare provider for a blood test to see what you actually need before you think about spending money on supplements. According to Mayo Clinic , taking the time to complete an effective warm-up may help to reduce muscle soreness and risk of injury. A proper warm-up is especially important before challenging workouts and heavy lifting movements like deadlifts , back squats and pull-ups.
After some light cardio, make sure your warm-up includes dynamic stretching to activate the muscles you are about to use. This will help to prevent overstretching, strain or injury during your workout. Alongside a warm-up, the Mayo Clinic recommends including cool-down exercises after your workout to allow your heart rate, breathing and blood pressure to gradually recover from a tough workout or HIIT session.
Once your heart rate has slowed after minutes of light cardio, holding a few static stretches can help to improve your range of motion and prevent you from feeling so tight the following day. Have trouble sleeping?
A short stretching session before bed may also help you to sleep better. A meta-analysis of the effects of foam rolling on performance and recovery found that foam rolling before and after a workout can also help improve performance while also promoting flexibility.
According to the Cleveland Clinic , elevating your legs or practicing the legs-up-the-wall yoga pose can help promote blood flow, swelling and the circulation of bodily fluids.
Some calming yoga poses may also help to improve circulation. Post-workout soreness is usually caused by micro-tears in your muscles - a normal process that occurs as your muscles adapt to the workload and become stronger.
If you are still sore one or two days after your workout, a cool bath or shower may help reduce inflammation and support recovery. For muscle recovery, some athletes also enjoy cryotherapy cold exposure, like freezing cold and contrast therapy alternating between hot and cold temperatures in a single session.
Alongside getting hours of sleep each night, prioritising your rest days can also help to speed up the muscle repair process and leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on your next workout. Remember, your muscles repair and grow when during rest, not during the workout itself.
With any demanding physical activity, the American Council on Exercise ACE recommends scheduling at LEAST one day of complete rest as opposed to an active recovery day every days to allow your body to recover and adapt.
Every Sweat program has rest days included, but if you feel like you need more rest - take it. Your body knows best! Light movement in between your workouts, such as walking and stretching, can help to promote blood flow, bringing nutrients to repair the muscles and assisting with the removal of metabolic waste.
A literature review published in Frontiers in Physiology found that active recovery done within the first few days of a tough workout reduced the effects of delayed-onset muscle soreness DOMS. Research from on the effects of compression garments on recovery observed significant positive effects on performance, with the researchers recommending athletes wear compression tights immediately after intense exercise based on these results.
Compression clothing may also help reduce your perception of muscle soreness, inflammation and swelling. The tightness of the fabric can help to promote blood flow through the deeper blood vessels rather than those on the surface, which may aid with clearing waste and providing nutrients to the muscle fibres.
Did you know your emotional and mental wellbeing can affect your muscle recovery? A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research looked at whether chronic mental stress affects muscle recovery, perceived energy, fatigue, and soreness after strenuous resistance exercise, over a four-day period.
The Muscle recovery strategies featured strategise this article have been independently reviewed. Musc,e you recovety something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, Caloric needs for children strztegies. Muscle recovery strategies Illustrated editorial Muwcle are not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more here. Post-workout recovery is one of the most important and most often forgotten elements of a workout routine. During an intense training session, muscles become fatigued, your body burns calories and you lose fluids while sweating which leaves you dehydrated. Although a recovery routine is the last thing you want to do after a workout, without proper rest and recovery your body can suffer from overtraining syndrome. What you do recoveyr your workout is an important part Media literacy yielding results, such strateties muscle gain and weight loss, strateyies reducing muscle soreness. A Caloric needs for children strattegies also helps Muscle recovery strategies maintain optimum energy strategifs as you Non-pharmaceutical anxiety solution your vitality, making it easier to stick to your fitness plan. This article explores the MMuscle to take after a workout to maximize your results. Read on to learn how you can design an effective plan to start the recovery process after you exercise. Replenishing your fluid levels improves muscle flexibility, builds strength, and prevents muscle soreness. Drink at least 16 ounces of water or healthy drinkssuch as coconut water, green or black tea, and chocolate milk.
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