Proper workout recovery should never be an afterthought. Not taking time to recover after a workout has significant adverse effects, including delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), achy joints, excessive fatigue, restlessness, sleeplessness, oversleeping, negative mood, lack of motivation in the gym, or a weakened immune system.
Here are ways to improve workout recovery at the gym or later.
Improve Sleep Hygiene
Essential for muscle recovery, memory recall, and improving short-term alertness, good sleep hygiene can take several different forms:
Limit caffeine: While caffeine can increase power output, anaerobic running capacity, and short-term alertness in healthy people, it also tends to increase blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol- the stress hormone levels.
Limit caffeine intake before physical activity and ideally consume the last caffeinated product 6 hours before bedtime to maximize its performance-enhancing benefits and minimize side effects such as increased sleeplessness. Start with caffeine quantity and timing, and reduce based on your body’s response.
Don’t look at a digital screen 1-2 hours before bedtime: Artificial light interferes with your natural circadian rhythm and melatonin release. If screen time is unavoidable, consider using free software to adapt the screen to the time of day.
Create a pre-bedtime ritual: Using a bed exclusively for sleep and sex helps to establish a positive association with your sleep environment, helping you relax and fall asleep faster. Before bed, read a book (ideally non-digital), meditate for 5 to 30 minutes to clear your mind and slow down your heart rate, or take a warm shower to activate your body’s cooling mechanism.
Keep the room temperature between 54 and 75 F and turn off all possible lighting to encourage natural melatonin release.
Hang black-out curtains and use a sleep mask if necessary. Ear plugs or a white noise machine help with noise minimization. The mattress should be optimally firm according to your personal preference.
Aim for at least 7 to 9 hours of non-interrupted, quality sleep every night. Nap for 15-30 minutes at midday if your schedule has space for it, even if it’s only possible on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Importance of Nutrition
While it may seem simple to work off a bad diet, if your nutrition is subpar, there will be diminished recovery and progress in the fitness activity of your choice.
Four grams of protein is often quoted as ideal. Protein is made up of amino acids used for protein synthesis and muscle recovery.
Athletes or highly active people should eat 0.68-1 gram per pound or 1.5-2.2 grams per kilogram. Over 1 gram per pound of body weight, the excess protein is generally converted to glucose to use for energy, while protein provides the highest satiety of all three macronutrients.
Nine calories of fat intake per gram is important for optimal hormonal production. Prolonged low-fat diets could decrease serum testosterone and 4-androstenedione levels, which can decrease libido, mood, and muscle recovery for men and can also negatively affect female trainees’ menstrual cycles. A minimum of 0.4 to 0.5 grams per pound of body weight is recommended to ensure proper hormonal function.
Four calories per gram of carbohydrates deliver short-term energy and help replenish glycogen stores after an intense workout.
Carbs also enhance or restore endurance capacity, but optimal input depends on age, gender, training history, activity level, and goals. Start at a conservative intake and adjust upwards as you increase the volume in your routine.
Seven calories per gram of alcohol is contentious. In its purest form, alcohol has no macronutrients, vitamins, or minerals. Regarded as empty calories, alcohol can affect performance, although lifting a hangover may have benefits.
Acute alcohol ingestion suppresses mTOR pathways, decreasing muscular protein synthesis but minimizing or eliminating binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption, especially before going to bed, and choosing low or no-carb alcoholic beverages may help to avoid diminishing recovery and gym performance through decreased REM sleep and overall sleep quality.
Meditation: The Forgotten Recovery Tool
Meditation aids physical and psychological recovery. Research indicates that meditation can help to reduce blood pressure, improve immune system function, decrease perceived stress, and decrease cortisol levels.
Meditation sessions are designed to de-clutter your thoughts, clear your mind, and bring focus to the present.
Techniques include guided meditation, yoga, mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, transcendental meditation, Tai chi, and Qi gong. Sessions should last 5 to 60 minutes once or twice a day. Start conservatively and increase the duration over time.
If you don’t want to get so lost that you miss appointments, set a 15-minute timer on your phone or computer in a different room.
Supplementation and Recovery
Supplements are designed to complement a good training, nutrition, and rest protocol. Unless you have a pre-existing condition such as insomnia, avoid prescription sleep medication as it can cause a dependency or addiction.
As an alternative, try natural OTC sleep enhancers such as melatonin, ZMA, 5-HTP, valerian root, or L-Theanine.
Suggestions have been made that HMB, Citrulline, and L-Carnitine aid in muscle recovery, and supplements with anti-inflammatory properties, including fish oil, curcumin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can also help.
Other Recovery Factors
Contrast showers, for example, 1 minute of exposure to 38°C water followed by 1 minute of exposure to 15 °C, don’t necessarily affect physical recovery but improve the psychological perception of physical recovery.
Ice bath advocates say 5 to 10 minutes of exposure to 12-15°C water can improve recovery through blood vessel constriction, but this is not scientifically proven. It’s worth a try but set a timer to ensure you don’t stay in for too long. Stop immediately if you experience hypothermia-like symptoms.
Compared with ice-only, menthol-based analgesics can help decrease perceived discomfort, decrease DOMS, and improve muscular recovery. Menthol-based and capsaicin-based analgesics can be found at local pharmacies.
Epsom salt baths contain magnesium sulfate, which helps reduce DOMS and achy muscles. Dissolve 2 cups in warm bath water and soak for 20 minutes. The magnesium is absorbed through the skin, which could help decrease involuntary muscle contractions, spasms, and cramps.
Soft tissue massages on and around stiff, knotted muscles can decrease pain, improve muscular function, and improve motion range. They can also decrease anxiety, stress, and cortisol levels. At least one 60-minute deep tissue massage a month would be beneficial.
Self Myofascial Release uses foam rollers and small sports balls to improve blood flow, decrease post-exercise fatigue, decrease pain sensitivity, increase joint motion range, decrease anxiety, and improve sleep quality through decreased muscular discomfort. Start with a soft foam roller and tennis ball with more flexibility before moving to more rigid implements like a PVC pipe and field hockey ball.
Personal trainer - Evan helped hundreds of clients simply 'build muscle and burn fat'.
