How to Recover After exercise!

 Recovery during and after exercise is a largely forgotten aspect of training... And I am certainly guilty of forgetting the importance of recovery. 

 

Here I discuss the two types of recovery, and their importance to exercise training. 

The first type of recovery is one that is easy to recognise as rest, but is largely under valued. This is the rest period between sets or exercises. This could range from 15 seconds to over 2 minutes, dependant on your training and experience. But, do you know how long your rest should be for?

Obviously, there are variations based on individual factors and fitness levels, however different training modalities require different rest periods. Commonly, this is suggested to be 1 minute, which is ideal for a hypertrophy (3/4 sets of 8-12 reps) programme. During this period, your body is able to replenish used glycogen from the muscles to ensure you can complete the next set. 

For endurance training (4/5 sets to 15-20 reps or more) it is recommended to have a rest period of less than two minutes. Again, this is to ensure adequate energy sources are returned to the muscles. 

For Strength or Power training, over two minutes is generally advised as a minimum rest period. This is because the energy source primarily used (Creatine) takes a bit longer to be replenished than glycogen. 

 

Obviously, these are just guides. If you find that your following set is too easy, reducing the rest period can make it harder. Likewise, if the following set is too difficult, increasing the rest period can make it easier. And the rest periods are easy to adjust to increase or decrease your overall intensity. 

 

The second type of recovery is between workouts. This is when your body adaptions and repair occurs, and as such, inadequate recovery periods results in excessive fatigue, few adaptations, and overtraining. 

It is generally recommended to have at least 24-48 hours recovery between working a specific muscle group. as part of this recovery period, it is not just about resting. Suitable nutrition, rest and hydration are all important during this period. 

Obviously, all these aspects will vary person to person, but some of the key areas to focus on are as follows: 

• Refuel the muscles - Replenishing carbohydrates which have been used up during the training session. 
• Repair the muscles - Ensuring the muscles have enough Protein and micronutrients to repair themselves, and adapt to meet your needs. 
• Rehydrate the body - During exercise your body will use water for many reasons, and as such it is important to replace this lost water. The water lost will vary between people, intensities and exercise, however a guide to seeing how much water you need is by weighing yourself before training, then again afterwards. If you weighed 81kg before training, and 80kg after training, most of that 1kg loss will be water. 
• Replenish nutrients and electrolytes - Many nutrients that you get in food are used during exercise. Some facilitate energy conversion, some are lost in sweat, some are used for repair. It is important to replace these lost nutrients to ensure you recover fully. 

 

Does this mean you need protein shakes, BCAA's, multivitamins, Creatine, and all the other supplements money can buy?

 

No! While most supplements shouldn't do any harm (when taken as recommended by the supplier), they are expensive and confusing. Ideally, you should get most the nutrients and vitamins you need from your diet. After training, you will need to replenish these, and the supplements available do give a quick and easy intake which is easy to track. However, it has been recommended that something as simple as milk can give a range of benefits after training. Milk contains a wide range of protein to repair the muscles, lactose (a form of glucose/carbohydrates) to replace the energy used, and a wide range of nutrients and vitamins. 

 

The exception? Vitamin D. As vitamin D is mostly only made in the body from sunlight (and from some food sources in small amounts), the NHS and some nutritionists recommend using a Vitamin D supplement during the winter months when sunlight is limited. 

 

Obviously. this is a very individual topic, and it is important to find what works for you! While some may recover after just a day, others may take a bot longer. Some may just drink milk and take no supplements, others (such as vegans) may need alternative and supplements to ensure a healthy recovery period. Try out a variety of recovery methods and see what feels best for you!