The Road To Muscle Recovery
| Time for some R&R. Several people focus on the concept of overtraining your body but it’s more a matter of under-recovery. Our bodies can handle some amazingly intense activities – it’s when we do not recuperate sufficiently before round two that we’re going to find ourselves on a path leading to illness and injury. Aside from a quality meal plan here are four key actions that will have you back up and at ‘em as soon as possible. |  |
The Post-Workout Shake - There is an hour long period after you workout when your body is much more receptive to nutrients. The sooner you have your shake the better since your body is craving fast nutrients. The perfect recovery mix would be about forty grams of whey protein along with seventy grams of fast acting carbs. Two scoops of your favorite whey protein would be best but studies have shown that beginners can refuel with a tall glass of chocolate milk and still see great gains. This is also one of the few times that your body actually requires some sugar intake. A glass of pineapple juice with some white bread and jelly would be excellent. You could also down a Gatorade or even some Haribo gummi bears to lead the rebuilding process. Yes, The Intelligent Workout advocates drinking chocolate milk and eating gummi bears to reach your fitness goals.
Alternating or Contrast Shower - This is a simple method to help wring the lactic acid out of your muscles. For your post-workout shower begin with one minute of cold water and alternate it with two minutes of hot water. Repeat this method for at least for three cycles and make sure to end right after a cold cycle. By alternating the temperature your blood is forced to rush away from your skin and then right back to it. This promotes healthy blood flow and facilitates your recovery efforts.
Foam Rolling -A professional massage after all of your workouts would be heavenly. However, the cost benefit of that would probably stretch your wallet much more than it would alleviate your muscle aches. A foam roller is an inexpensive alternative that you simply roll over your muscles post-workout. This will relax your nerves and continue to promote a healthy blood flow.
A Good Night’s Sleep - Most people take a good night’s sleep for granted even though it is one of the most important things for keeping you chipper and your fat hormones in check. Sleep requirements vary for every individual. Most Olympic athletes sleep upwards of ten hours a day. While you may not have that kind of REM requirement if you find yourself wanting to take a sledgehammer to your alarm clock you’re probably doing it wrong. Being consistent with your bedtime schedule will promote deeper and more restful REM sleep. Sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees will keep your spinal alignment correct while taking tension off your joints. Blocking out ambient light and noise will provide the final steps for a great night’s sleep.