Recovery of athletes after heavy muscle loads. Recovery after exercise

  • 13.10.2019

With heavy physical exertion, the body needs help in restoring strength. This applies not only to hard training - often people get physical and nervous overwork at work.
Remember that you need to restore not only the muscles, but also the nervous system.
Take care of your health and achieve more in life and in training!

Here are some of the remedies that I suggest using to restore the body during great physical and mental stress:

1. Bath and sauna
When I studied the training programs of Soviet weightlifters, I came across interesting training plans that already included a bath. In the weekly training plan, a separate day was devoted to this, and it was written “Thursday - recovery procedures - bath”. This is how professional athletes were trained.
Bath and sauna is a well-known folk remedy, but many have forgotten about it, or are constantly in a hurry somewhere and do not pay attention to the health and recovery of the body.
I really love this type of muscle recovery and every time I leave the bath with a renewed and rested body!
If for health reasons such procedures are not contraindicated for you, then try to visit a bath or sauna, especially in the cool season. You will not only restore your muscles wonderfully, but at the same time wash yourself

2. Vitamins, fruits
With great physical exertion, eat more fruits and take a vitamin-mineral complex in addition to food.
This increases stamina and speeds up recovery after exercise.
Take your favorite fruits with you to work, to school, to training.

4. Warm shower
A warm shower will help relax your muscles after a hard workout, relieve "tightness" and improve blood circulation. So the recovery will go better. Try to sit longer under a warm shower and relax, take your time, warm your muscles well and massage them with water. A shower will also help you recover from a busy day at work.

6. Massage
The services of a professional massage therapist are not cheap, but they are an investment in your health. Massage helps to recover not only the muscles, but also the nervous system.
I recommend taking a massage course of 10-12 sessions (done every other day), at least a couple of times a year, or doing massage regularly once a week, for example, on weekends.
If you can not use the services of a massage therapist, do the massage yourself. Of course, you won’t massage your back, but the muscles of the arms and legs can be wrinkled.
Better yet, ask your girlfriend / your man to stretch the muscles that you have been training for the night. It will be both pleasant and useful.
One of the best massage remedies is plain olive oil!
Sold in grocery stores, and very good for the skin.
You can use warming ointments with natural substances (for example, Doctor Mom ointment)

7. Relax while lying on your back
Lie on your back (lay a soft rug), raise your legs to a small height, put a pillow under your shins.
The arms lie relaxed along the body.
Close your eyes and mentally scan your entire body from your toes to the top of your head.
Find tense muscles and relax them.
Start from the legs, relax the feet, then the shins and thighs, buttocks, then go higher, relax the back, stomach, chest and shoulders, then the arms, neck and face.
Once again, mentally check the whole body and relax completely.
The room should be warm, if it is cool, then cover yourself with a blanket in advance.
Rest 10-20 minutes and you will be a new person
The second option is all the same, but put your hands on your eyes with your palms.
This option relieves fatigue from the head and eyes. So you need to restore your eyes if you work a lot with a computer.

8. Walking in the park plus breathing exercises
You can use active walking, or cycling, or light jogging - but always in fresh, clean air.
Your task is to “breathe” to fill the blood and muscles with oxygen.
If you're using running as a recovery tool, don't overdo it. Run for 15-30 minutes in an easy and comfortable way. Light running relieves stress and tension from the nervous system, you will also warm up all the muscles, drive blood through them, and train your heart. Running is a very useful exercise.
However, if your goal is to gain muscle mass, then do not run too often, once a week will be enough. If you want to develop muscle relief, then you can run more, and running is the best way to lose weight and burn fat.

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Recovery- a process that occurs in the body after the cessation of work (physical or mental stress) and consists in the gradual return of the body as a whole, its organs and systems to a pre-working (or close to it) state.

After the end of physical activity, a recovery period begins. Its biological role is not only to restore the level of altered functions and energy resources of the body, but also in functional and structural restructuring, i.e., in the formation of the effect of fitness.

The recovery period is characterized by a number of features.

First, it can be divided into two phases. The restoration of any functions immediately after the termination of work goes quickly, then slows down. The recovery rate also depends on the severity of the work done and the adaptation of the body to the load.

Secondly, the restoration of functions does not occur simultaneously (heterochronously). One of the first to restore the function of breathing, then the pulse rate. At different times, the energy potential in the muscles is restored. Young people recover faster, and trained people recover faster than untrained people.

Thirdly, the recovery period is characterized by wavelike where individual phases can be distinguished.

After the end of physical activity, the phase begins reduced performance. Then, due to the recovery processes in the body, the working capacity not only reaches the initial level, but also exceeds it. This is the phase increased efficiency(super-recovery, super-compensation), which is one of the foundations of training the body, increasing its strength and endurance. After a while, it changes into a phase initial performance(Fig. 2.1 ) .

The phase of supercompensation in the recovery process is of particular importance, as it is accompanied by increased performance. Restoration of the resources expended in training is accompanied by their over-recovery, which contributes to an increase in fitness under certain conditions.

Rice. 2.1. Recovery phases: 1 - relative normalization, in which the state of the body returns to its original level; 2 - supercompensation, or super recovery, characterized by exceeding the initial level; 3 - return to the initial level

Rice. 2.2. Scheme of summing up training effects (1 - rest interval)

The optimal increase in results occurs when a new load falls on the overcompensation phase. Each time the body, as if in reserve, pulls up an additional energy resource, there is an increase in the level of fitness - the body becomes ready to endure more strenuous work. Repeated exercise at certain intervals in this phase allows you to increase the energy resources of the body, physical performance with each workout and thus summarize the effect of exercises to increase fitness (Fig. 2.2, a).

The training effect obtained in a separate lesson is reduced and even completely lost if the intervals between classes are too long (Fig. 2.2, b).

Tension during physical activity leads to a decrease in the functional capabilities of the body, then during rest, a state of over-recovery of the trained function is reached, lasting a certain limited time. Further, in the absence of repeated loads, the level of performance decreases, and the phase of lost supercompensation begins.

To speed up the recovery processes, various means are used: outdoor activities (switching from one type of activity to another), music, water procedures (rubbing, dousing, baths, baths, baths), massage, supplying the body with water, salts, easily digestible energy substances and vitamins .

Hello do4a.net visitors!

Experienced athletes know that muscles and their performance increase during rest. To gain muscle mass, I believe that recovery should be prioritized over building the training process. In this article, I want to make my TOP 10 reducers. So, let's get down to business.

10th place Restoration of the nervous system

In addition to muscle recovery, the athlete also needs to restore their nervous system. From frequent training in a heavy style, whether it's constant work to failure or working with limit weights, they put a lot of stress on our nervous system. Such an overload can lead to general discomfort, headaches, lethargy, drowsiness, irritability, as well as to more serious consequences, such as a decrease or increase in pressure, arrhythmia, an increase in the concentration of lactic acid, and respiratory disorders. I think it’s a no brainer that all this negatively affects the results of the athlete.

I think the best solution to the problem is adequate rest. Do not drive your body to such a critical state. Here it is worth considering the fact that everyone has different capabilities of the body. Therefore, you need to listen to your condition, and if something is not in order, it is better to skip the workout.

9th place Water procedures

Water treatments such as a contrast shower and an ice bath stand apart. A contrast shower will harden your body, increase blood flow, which will lead to a faster removal of decay products from the muscle. Experts advise taking a contrast shower according to the following scheme: 30 seconds hot water, 30 seconds cold water. Repeat this cycle several times. I think this is one of the most affordable recovery tools. I hope each of you has showers and hot water at home. Definitely an ice bath is a less pleasant way, but this method of muscle recovery after training also exists. A cold bath reduces muscle pain, inflammation and tension (water temperature approx. 12-15°C). In cold water, the blood vessels will better cleanse the body of the "waste" after training and the healing processes are significantly improved. Some people say that it really works, others call it complete nonsense, but each body reacts differently, so try and choose what is right for you.

8th place Bath and sauna

Exposure to high temperatures improves blood circulation in the muscles, so that metabolic end products, such as lactic acid, are removed from them faster. The result is the cessation of discomfort in the muscles, a feeling of relaxation and rest. If you regularly arrange such a workout in the sauna for your muscles, you can achieve a decrease in the period of fatigue. According to research, after a steam room, the strength measured on a dynamometer and a bicycle ergometer increases.

Bath procedures also have a very beneficial effect on the joints, increasing their mobility. The elasticity of the connective tissue also increases. The bath is very important in the issue of prevention and rehabilitation after injuries in athletes. Bruises and sprains are best and fastest treated in the steam room.

7th place Massage

This is a wonderful universal recovery tool, one of the best, and quickly restores both muscle tone after training, and relieves emotionally after a nervous and emotionally stressful day at work. Massage is useful for both muscles and skin, and the general emotional state. So strain your phyton so that she crushes something for you.

6th place Pressure chamber

The pressure chamber is, of course, an expensive pleasure, but extremely useful. Due to the increased pressure in the chamber, the body is saturated with oxygen, which in turn leads to an acceleration of recovery, renewal of red blood cells, renewal of mitochondria in cells, improves endurance, and increases the amount of ATP in the muscles. In short, if there is an opportunity, you need to use it.

5th place Stretching

Stretching is extremely beneficial. To that confirmation of many scientific experiments. In addition to the fact that stretching accelerates the removal of decay products from the muscle, it also affects the elasticity of the muscles, which leads to a faster process of hypertrophy due to greater stretching during work. It is recommended to stretch the working muscle group after its training.

4th place Active Recovery

By active recovery, it is customary to mean a workout with a duration and with a load of 30-50% of the usual - if you do an hour, then 20-30 minutes are needed in this case, if you squat from 80 kg, then 25-40 kg are acceptable in such a workout. I think most people are familiar with such a thing as "Periodization of loads." Light training allows, while muscle cells are being restored, to restore and maintain the energy potential of the muscle. Due to the increased blood flow, light training on recovery days helps to quickly remove accumulated toxins in the muscles. In addition, using light weights is a good opportunity to work on exercise technique.

Another plus of active recovery is providing the muscles with nutrients for growth. Relatively speaking, performing exercises with a large number of repetitions will wake up “hunger” in the muscles, and they will ask the body for additional nutrition.

So if you have the opportunity to do a light workout or just take a walk on the day of rest, do not lose this opportunity!

3rd place Pharmacology

Thought I'd put it first? But no ... To pharmacology, I will include AAS, somatotropic hormone, peptides, insulin and all kinds of pharmacy pharmaceutical support, such as riboxin and potassium orotate. Who, if not the guys from Dochi, know how artificial hormones affect the muscles and their performance. It's no secret that pharmacological preparations work wonders - they speed up metabolism, protein synthesis and much, much more. Proper use of them will allow you to gain the desired volume and strength in a much shorter time than without using them. But I put pharmacology only in 3rd place and here's why ...

2nd place Dream

No sleep anywhere. During sleep, most body systems are restored. No wonder it is called one of the best medicines for all diseases. At least eat all the packs of methane on the planet, if you don’t sleep, you won’t grow! It is recommended to sleep at least 8 hours. It will also be just fine if you take another hour of nap during the day. So after reading the article, go to bed.

1 place Food

I think you can't sleep well. But you can't miss! You can sacrifice a couple of hours of sleep due to the increased calorie content. Also, pharmacological drugs simply simply will not bring you any benefit if you do not eat right, whether it is gaining muscle mass or cutting fat reserves.

This is where I will end my story. If you have any objections or additions, write in the comments. All anabolism!

As soon as you leave the gym, the body switches to recovery and muscle growth mode. Optimize these processes to prepare for your next workout!

Many bodybuilders pay close attention to every aspect of their workout - from choosing the best exercises to specialized training protocols to the smallest detail in the process - and then consider it all done the moment they step into the gym. But in order to achieve results - or rather, to optimize them - you need to treat the post-workout protocol with the same attention as the training itself, otherwise you will not reach your full potential.

“In my opinion, the most underestimated aspect of the entire mass-building cycle,” says Mike Kundla, competing in the Mens Physicist category. - Your body needs adequate rest and recovery. He needs to repair muscle fibers damaged during training, replenish muscle glycogen stores, and allow the central nervous system to recover.”

Fitness trainer Brandon Strong believes that this is far from the only reason for optimizing recovery. “You want to be 100% ready for your next workout, and recovery plays a very important role in preparation,” he says.

We decided to draw on the knowledge of two successful athletes and asked them about their post-workout protocols to determine which recovery strategy is most effective. What steps help them train to their limits day in and day out?

1. Start with Stretching and Cooling Down After Your Workout

The journey to optimizing recovery begins before you even leave the gym. First stop after the main workout: static stretch and cool down.

If you don't work on flexibility, muscles will shorten and lose elasticity over time. Static stretching increases the range of motion in the joints, and this is of great importance in minimizing the risk of injury.

To pave the shortest path to recovery, Strong stretches for at least 10 minutes after each workout, and uses a Pilates topper on leg days. “I also do 15-20 minutes of cold water bathing after an intense leg workout; I have noticed that it helps me reduce muscle inflammation,” says Strong.

Kundla doesn't like the cold, though he puts ice on his knees for an hour after a workout to ease the pain from old football injuries. His recovery protocol varies depending on the specifics of the workout. Some of his days are purely power: he works with a lot of weight and combines into supersets, like variations and. His other days are auxiliary: the athlete does, for example, and, and at the same time cardio and exercises for general physical fitness.

“Power days require more intense recovery, which takes longer,” says Kundla. “I do a lot of stretching using three pieces of equipment that every athlete should include in their recovery arsenal: kettlebells, a lacrosse ball (or tennis ball), and a Pilates top hat.”

On accessory training days, Kundla does more classic-style static stretches. “So do I these days: 100 bipedal jumps, 100 alternating legs, and another 50 single leg jumps,” he says. “It strengthens the muscles and ligaments of the foot and ankle, which helps reduce the risk of injury.”

Mike Kundla's Post Workout Protocol on Strength Days

  • 10-15 - camel to remove stiffness in the back and shoulders.
  • , muscles of the back of the thigh and back on the cylinder for Pilates; as an alternative for legs, you can use a barbell.
  • Work out the trigger zones of the shoulder, pelvis and calves with a lacrosse ball: 30 seconds of pressure in 2-3 sets for each zone.
  • 10-15 with own weight (for each leg).
  • 20 circular movements of the hands in each direction.
  • 3-5 minutes cooldown on a stationary bike.

2. Water - not just for hydration

Water plays an important role in recovery and both athletes emphasize the importance of water. Not only should you drink water to keep your body properly hydrated - which is critical to achieving peak physical performance - but also use water for active recovery.

“Once a week I train in the pool for active recovery. Either swim or run in shallow water, combining it with pelvic and leg exercises, Strong says. - Water resistance helps to relax stiff muscles, which is especially effective after a hard leg workout. At the same time, cold water helps to normalize body temperature after training.


3. Break Your Post-Workout Meal Into Two Meals

Both athletes use the two-stage principle of post-workout nutrition, which consists of covering immediate needs and post-workout meals. This approach not only speeds up recovery, but also begins preparation for tomorrow's workout.

Before leaving the gym, Kundla takes care of the hydration of the body by adding 1.5 scoops to a shaker with water. "It gives me a great combination of and that helps speed up my recovery." An hour later, he cooks 1.5 cups of egg whites with 30-60 grams of young broccoli or green vegetables, or takes about 40 grams, in which no more than 5 grams and fat. “When I have to run errands, I stir 1.5 scoops of 100% Combat Isolate MusclePharm into water.”

Strong's post-workout dressing starts with MusclePharm products, which he takes right away: Amino 1 supplemented with 5 grams of glutamine to help with recovery, and the Combat Crunch Bar, which provides 20 grams of protein and 25 grams of carbohydrates. An hour after a workout, Strong prefers nutrient-dense foods: his favorite meal is the delicious Burrito Salad, loaded to the brim with protein.

When 24 hours in a day is no longer enough, many people begin to sacrifice sleep. But in terms of muscle recovery, you need to do exactly the opposite; a special role in the secretion of hormones and the overall replenishment of the body's strength makes sleep one of the most important aspects of recovery. Both athletes say that really getting enough sleep is always hard.

Everyone has developed a specific evening ritual for themselves. Kundla begins by soothing sore muscles. “I often use evening myofascial relaxation by applying ice or warm compresses to certain areas that are painful or inflamed. In addition, after 6 pm I reduce my fluid intake so that I do not wake up again at night.


Strong is an avid fan of a relaxing cup of hot tea before bed. He also takes from MusclePharm, which contains magnesium and to maintain natural levels and improve the quality of sleep.

According to Strong, meditation is another effective way to relax after a stressful day, and he spends 10-15 minutes a day on it. “I started meditating in college to help manage my stress levels and found that calming my mind and focusing on goals that I still have to achieve helps me a lot.”

5. Keep fueling up in the morning

Most guys think that by going to sleep, the recovery mission is done, but Kundla says that proper post-workout nutrition continues right up to the moment you pick up the dumbbells again. This period of time includes further fueling your body with the right foods and nutritional supplements. Immediately after waking up, Kundla has breakfast and takes. "It has an excellent balance of vitamins, minerals and natural substances, as well as probiotics for the immune system and a complex for the heart and blood vessels."

Then he goes into the hall. But before taking on serious weights, Kundla begins a pre-workout warm-up and does a series of flexibility exercises that are similar to post-workout exercises, but in a different order. “You have to make time for stretching and flexibility both before and after your workout,” he says. - It is useful both for the training itself and for post-workout recovery. Stretching helps prevent injury and improves the quality of your workouts.”


Mike Kundla's Flexibility Pre-Workout Program

  • 3-5 minutes warm-up on a stationary bike.
  • 10-15 walking lunges with your own weight (each leg).
  • 10 stretches in the cat-camel position.
  • 20 deep with own weight.
  • Stretching the quadriceps and back on the Pilates cylinder; as an alternative for legs, you can take a barbell.
  • Stretching and kneading the calves with a barbell.
  • 20 circular movements of the hands (in each direction).
  • with 13 kg kettlebell.

Strong is convinced that he needs to continue recovery the next day, so he starts the morning with a glass of water. "There's a saying that water makes us stronger," he says, meaning that even minimal dehydration can drastically impair physical performance. After breakfast, Strong uses another pre-workout tool, MusclePharm, a pre-workout energy drink and psychostimulant. “It energizes me and helps me pick up the pace of my workout,” he says. “I mix 1 scoop in water and drink the drink either while stretching before a workout or during a warm-up run.”

He also takes BCAAs before training - about two scoops - to fuel his muscles and greatly facilitate recovery by providing the body with substances that are depleted during intense training.

Football players who want to quickly get in shape or achieve their sports goals often pay maximum attention to the training process, forgetting about rest. Many people think that the more often and more intensely they train, the closer they will become to the coveted result and good physical shape. However, the recovery process, in fact, as the training process itself, are of equal importance and all experienced coaches or doctors talk about this.

Today we will talk about the recovery of athletes and give ten practical tips that will help you quickly get back in shape after heavy physical exertion. The recommendations below are universal and suitable for any athlete, regardless of the sport they choose.

Cooling

In other words, it can be called a hitch. It is just as important as the warm-up. Muscles should cool down within 5-10 minutes after intense exercise, for which you need to reduce the intensity and allow the muscles and the body to relax. This will help remove lactic acid from the muscles, which is very important when the goal is to recover as quickly as possible.

Fluid balance

The recovery efficiency of athletes directly depends on how quickly they replace the fluid that was lost during physical activity. Drink before, during and after your workout. Pure water supports metabolic functions, transports nutrients and monitors the overall tone of the body. If an athlete sweats a lot, he needs more fluid so as not to exhaust himself.

Food

After physical exertion, it is also important to restore lost energy, which requires proper nutrition. Ideally, eat within an hour after training, and the diet is purely individual and depends on the tasks that you set for yourself. Here you already need to consult with specialists, but it’s better not to forget about protein foods + complex carbohydrates so that the muscles can not only recover, but also grow.

Stretching

This point can be attached to the first, as it also applies to a hitch. Stretching is especially relevant for extreme strength training, where you need to quickly remove fatigue from the muscles and maintain their elasticity.

Regular rest

Time heals is the most appropriate statement to adhere to. The body will take care of itself, just give it time for this rather difficult, but natural procedure. Complete rest will provide natural recovery at a pace convenient for the body, which, as the load increases, will adapt to them and each time rest faster.

Circulation

Calm light exercises aimed at increasing blood circulation in the body are very good and useful. Blood transports oxygen and nutrients through tired muscles, which helps them to relax and get in shape faster.

Massage

Complete relaxation of the muscles can be achieved by massaging them. This is especially effective if the massage is done by an experienced specialist in this field who works with athletes.

ice bath

When it comes to the recovery of athletes, some people speak positively about taking an ice bath. It seems to us that this is effective if (microtrauma) or a series of too intense training / games has stood out. Otherwise, you can get by with an independent ice massage of tired muscles. Football players, respectively, with ice, achieving a forced effect of contraction and expansion of blood vessels. This method allows you to remove toxins and toxins, as well as further relax the muscles.

Dream

It was possible to put this item in the first place, since it is in a dream that the body recovers as much as possible. Only sleep should be complete: at least 8 hours, not in a stressful state and not on a full stomach. Let the body be occupied exclusively with the recovery process and nothing else. A big plus of sleep is the production of growth hormone, which is responsible for the growth and healing of tissues.

Overtraining

Plan your workouts correctly, make a clear plan with your trainer, who will definitely not allow you to wear yourself out every day, even if you need quick results. Rest is the key to athletic progress, so overtraining is your main enemy, which not everyone recognizes. Usually it is the lot of beginners to exhaust themselves regularly and to the maximum, but professionals know the price of proper rest and how it positively affects their results. Be professional!

In this article, we didn’t make any discoveries, we just said banal things that are often forgotten in a sports society. Know how to properly rest and relax and you will see that the results will not be long in coming.