Recovery Options
In our latest Instagram post, we discussed 4 tips to improve your PT outcome which all tie into recovery. In this blog we want to dive a little deeper into why recovery is such a hot topic right now, and why it is so important. In both posts, we are referring to what Bishop (2008) calls training recovery, or the period between workouts or competitions.
“An intense, acute bout of physiological stress followed by adequate recovery, which enables adaptation and restores homeostasis, is generally considered healthy” (Sapolsky 2004). The key words in that quote have to be ‘followed by adequate recovery.’ In general, we train or rehab to stimulate a desired adaptation to increase speed, strength, performance or simply quality of life. When we do not allow our bodies the appropriate recovery time between these events, we don’t realize those adaptations (gains if you will) and increase our likelihood for overtraining or even injury.
Before we get into recovery methods though, let’s talk briefly about the basics of why we need recovery. Our body typically functions in a state of homeostasis and different forms of stress can affect this balance, leading to the need for recovery.
· Homeostasis is the state of balance between our body’s internal systems to maintain relatively stable, constant conditions. This includes temperature, pH, fluid balance, and even blood sugar.
· Stress can be considered any stimulus that attempts to change the body’s current state of homeostasis. Stress can take many forms, with exercise leading to physiological and chemical stress responses particularly. While we typically think of stress negatively, the right amount of stress can help improve our performance and health.
When we give our body time to recover, that is simply the body’s process to try and restore homeostasis and adapt to change.
Now that you know why our body needs to recover, let’s touch briefly on a few options that are out there for you to try. Every option mentioned here will not be for everybody. Lebron James is rumored to spend between $1million to $1.5million on his body each year. While that’s not all on recovery, I’d be willing to bet it’s a good chunk based on some of the devices he uses and I don’t know about you, but I need a few cheaper options when it comes to my recovery. So we will mention a bit of everything, but your best recovery routine may need some tweaks along the way as I’m sure Lebron’s did.
Active Recovery
As simple as a 10-minute cool down on the bike, or a walk outside on an off day. Peake and colleagues showed that active recovery is at least as effective as cold-water immersion for reducing inflammation or cellular stress after a workout (2017), while Ahmaidi (1996) demonstrated that active recovery decreased lactic acid buildup at higher intensities compared to passive recovery. Take these with a grain of salt though, since they tested shorter recovery intervals between exercise.
Massage or Foam Rolling
There is a lot of conflicting evidence out there on whether massage or any type of soft tissue mobilization helps recovery or performance. One study did show substantial benefits of foam rolling for reducing muscle soreness and performance decline after squatting (Pearcey 2015). While more research is needed for a clear answer, I think foam rolling is a safe and cheap option for those who need it if it makes you feel better.
Nutrition and Hydration
As mentioned in our post, eating well and drinking enough water are essential for recovery (and general health for that matter). Our body is made up of about 60% water on average, with changes based on age and body composition. Muscles have more water than fatty tissue, making up to as much as 76% of muscle mass according to Lorenzo (2019). We also need many nutrients to manage inflammation, improve muscle function, and aid muscle growth. When these two lifestyle components are not in check, recovering and performing are absolutely more difficult.
Sleep
Sleep is single-handedly the best recovery tool at our disposal. It is free and relatively easy. It is required for peak physical, physiological, and mental performance. In terms of recovery, Morris reiterated that prior research found surges of growth hormone while we sleep (2012). This hormone is responsible for promoting healing AND growth of tissues, and also helps to increase levels of other hormones important to recovery. Finally, proper sleep helps to regulate glucose metabolism and testosterone and cortisone levels. If you’re Lebron you get your shut eye in a hyperbaric chamber, but for the rest of us – just make sure you get the required amount.
Blood Flow Restriction (BFR)
The last recovery option I will mention in depth is blood flow restriction. Blood flow restriction uses a tourniquet device to decrease the amount of blood flow to the muscles after testing is done to find the appropriate and safe pressure for each person. This is a more difficult individual recovery method as you should only perform exercise or recovery techniques using BFR under the supervision of a trained practitioner. While the exact mechanisms are still being researched, Lorenz et al (2021) state that BFR is effective for increasing muscle strength and growth, decreasing pain, and increasing function. This is a great tool for rehabilitation of many injuries, and continues to become more popular in the rehab and fitness worlds.
Other Options
I personally focus on the above options as much as possible, because they are the low hanging fruit of recovery. However, there are some other options listed below that you may also want to try out.
· Compression (Normatec, clothing/sleeves)
· Cryotherapy (ice, ice baths)
· Hydrotherapy
When it comes to recovery, there are a ton of opinions out there on what works, what doesn’t, and what you should do. I [es1] hope this overview gave you some things to focus on as you work to figure out your best recovery routine. As always, if you have questions feel free to send me a message via email or social media!
References
1. Ahmaidi S, Granier P, Taoutaou Z, Mercier J, Dubouchaud H, Prefaut C. Effects of active recovery on plasma lactate and anaerobic power following repeated intensive exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Apr;28(4):450-6. doi: 10.1097/00005768-199604000-00009. PMID: 8778550.
2. Bishop, Phillip A; Jones, Eric; Woods, A Krista Recovery From Training: A Brief Review, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: May 2008 - Volume 22 - Issue 3 - p 1015-1024 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31816eb518
3. Daniel S. Lorenz, Lane Bailey, Kevin E. Wilk, Robert E. Mangine, Paul Head, Terry L. Grindstaff, Scot Morrison; Blood Flow Restriction Training. J Athl Train 1 September 2021; 56 (9): 937–944. doi: https://doi.org/10.4085/418-20
4. Lorenzo I, Serra-Prat M, Yébenes JC. The Role of Water Homeostasis in Muscle Function and Frailty: A Review. Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1857. Published 2019 Aug 9. doi:10.3390/nu11081857
5. Morris CJ, Aeschbach D, Scheer FA. Circadian system, sleep and endocrinology. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012 Feb 5;349(1):91-104. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.09.003. Epub 2011 Sep 10. PMID: 21939733; PMCID: PMC3242827.
6. Peake JM, Roberts LA, Figueiredo VC, Egner I, Krog S, Aas SN, Suzuki K, Markworth JF, Coombes JS, Cameron-Smith D, Raastad T. The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise. J Physiol. 2017 Feb 1;595(3):695-711. doi: 10.1113/JP272881. Epub 2016 Nov 13. PMID: 27704555; PMCID: PMC5285720.
7. Pearcey GE, Bradbury-Squires DJ, Kawamoto JE, Drinkwater EJ, Behm DG, Button DC. Foam rolling for delayed-onset muscle soreness and recovery of dynamic performance measures. J Athl Train. 2015;50(1):5-13. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-50.1.01
8. Sapolsky, R.M. Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (3rd ed). New York: Holt Paperbacks. 2004.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to substitute for actual medical care. Please schedule an appointment or seek medical care from your provider for individualized care.
