Your Comprehensive Guide on How to Optimize Recovery

Stress + Recovery = Growth! This applies to all forms of growth - physical, mental or emotional. The problem is that we tend to be heavily weighted in the first part of the equation (stress) and a little light on the second part (recovery). This guide provides recovery strategies to help optimise your physical and mental recovery in your daily or weekly routine, helping you grow physically and mentally. Applying these strategies will help you optimize recovery, so that you can grow stronger and improve your performance.

 

How to Improve Physical Recovery for Peak Performance

When it comes to physical recovery, fewer things are as essential as getting quality sleep. If you're looking to improve your sleep hygiene and enhance recovery, start by focusing on sleep quality. Although this powerful tool may sound obvious, there’s a high chance you aren’t getting enough sleep or high-quality sleep. As we near the end of year, your training may taper off but your diaries are packed with social activities. While socializing may be great for mental and emotional recovery, it may be not so great on the physical side of things.

The National Sleep Foundation, suggests adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health. This allows for the body to transition through enough sleep cycles that will help you get optimal physical and mental recovery, as well as enhancing mood and cognitive functioning.

Sleep Tips to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene and Recovery

Routine is KING! Creating a consistent sleep schedule where you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends, reinforces your body's circadian rhythm. This consistent pattern can result in you enjoying higher quality sleep, helping you recover faster from a hard session, settle the mind and improve overall well-being.

Activities such as social media scrolling, emails, work, etc should be done outside of the bedroom. Keep this place a sanctuary and keep it dark, cool, quiet, and free from distractions, when it nears bed time.

Disconnect from electronic devices 45-60 minutes before bedtime to allow your brain to disengage from such stimulus. Winding down towards bedtime with calming activities, gives your body signals that sleep is nearing, which can help you get to sleep faster and enjoy a deeper sleep. Calming activities can include things like slow music, a gentle stretch, a warm bath, or reading a book.

Caffeine has been hitting the headlines of late in the sports performance world due to its potential performance enhancing abilities but without any consideration on recovery. Caffeine is a drug and affects people differently, so before you go down that route, you may wish to consider and closely monitor how it affects your sleep and recovery.

Power naps are very effective in getting a little extra dose of sleep in the day and bumping up your energy levels, especially if you’re falling behind on your sleep count. However, keep them short up to about 20 - 30 minutes. If you are someone who struggles to fall asleep at night, then you may want to reconsider afternoon power naps, as they can release what Mathew Walk, the world’s leading sleep specialist, terms as your sleep pressure. This pressure is what builds up throughout the day and ultimately contributes to us getting sleepy and eventually falling asleep.

The cooler the room, the better we sleep. Ideal temperature ranges from 18 – 29 degrees. It’s easier for the body to warm up during sleep than it is for it to cool down. This is partly due to heat being released from the body when we are in our deeper sleep cycles.

Eating your last main or large meal at least 2 hours before bed time allows for the body to digest the food before you go to sleep. That means that the body can focus on sleep, instead of digestion, when it’s bed-time.

Having light protein-based snacks can help you go into a deeper slumber due to the release of sleep-promoting tryptophan.

There are a host of other tools, such as sleep apps, and tips you can use to help you get enough rest. As with nutrition and training try them out and see what works best for you. Sleep is your number one recovery tool. Get enough quality deep sleep and you could bolster your immune system, speed up the repair and recovery process and feel fresh to take on the next day or training cycle.

 

Nutrition

Best Nutrition Tips for a Faster Recovery

Proper nutrition is not just about what you take during your race or event, but also what you are fuelling your body with on a daily basis. Get this right and you repair and rebuild your body faster, stabilise energy levels, and get the body ready for the next session.

Get Your Protein In

Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth and a large part of this repair process happens when you are sleeping - so get your sleep. A protein-rich meal or snack within 60 minutes after exercising results in very high absorption rates and protein synthesis.

This article goes into the detail on protein intake but the takeaway message is to ensure you are getting enough protein in on a daily basis to facilitate repair, recovery and growth. If your intake is optimal and meeting your daily needs, then the type of protein and the timing become less important. Fall short of your ideal intake needs, then the type and timing become important.

If you are a master athlete, then the amount of your protein intake is super important, due to the natural aging muscular atrophy process and the inefficiency in which protein is digested.

Replenish Carbohydrates

Exercising depletes our glycogen stores. Refuelling after a training session with carbohydrates replenishes glycogen stores and gets you ready for your next session - energy levels stay topped up while your immune system is supported. The healthier carbohydrate options include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Balance out with Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are an essential component of a balanced diet. They provide energy, support cell growth, protect your organs, and help keep your body warm. Additionally, healthy fats aid in the absorption of some nutrients and the production of important hormones.

Monounsaturated fats along with polyunsaturated fats are the healthy fat options. Monounsaturated fats can be found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, and olive oils. Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids are types of polyunsaturated fats that contribute to hormone production, heart and brain health, reduction in inflammation and several other essential bodily functions.

Try get these from a variety of sources in your diet as the body is unable to synthesize these fats on its own. Remember fat is the densest macronutrient carrying more than double the calories to carbohydrates and protein. While they can be very satiating, their consumption should be moderated to avoid unwanted extra weight.

Those tiny Micronutrients

You could consider micronutrients as mother nature’s vitamin pills. They are essential nutrients that our bodies require in small amounts for a variety of physiological functions. They are vital for maintaining health, supporting growth and development, and preventing diseases. Unlike macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats which provide energy, micronutrients do not supply calories. Instead, they play critical roles in a range of bodily processes.

Micronutrients are broadly classified into two categories: vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins are compounds essential for bodily functions, including immune system support, bone health, wound healing, energy production and the formation of red blood cells. There are 13 essential vitamins namely: Vitamin A, C, D, E, K and your B Vitamins including B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folate), and B12 (Cobalamin).

Minerals are inorganic elements found in soil and water, which are absorbed by plants or consumed by animals. Yes, you can get yours from the supplement bottle too but we tend to excrete the majority of them out when going to the bathroom. Supplements should be used to do just that – supplement your intake and not be your main source of intake. Micronutrients are critical for various bodily functions, including bone formation, nerve function, and regulation of muscle contractions. Key minerals include Calcium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc.

Great sources of these nutrients come from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meats, fish, nuts and seeds.

Balancing your diet with all these nutrients helps balance your energy, optimise recovery and put you in better health overall.

Listen to Your Body

We are at our healthiest when we consume the widest variety of foods. When we crave something, it’s usually a sign that we are lacking in a particular nutrient. Going for variety reduces the chances of us missing out in essential nutrients and getting those odd cravings.

Tune into your fullness cues and stop eating the moment you start to feel full, ideally just before. If we continue to eat when full, we risk building up our fat stores as the excess food needs to go somewhere. The result is putting on extra weight. It also means the body has to spend a lot of energy digesting our usual intake plus any extra we’ve just taken on board. So stick to what you need and spend less energy on digestion, and leave more energy for recovery.

 

Hydration

Given the body is predominantly water, it pays dividends when we ensure our levels are topped up. Water helps regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, delivers nutrients to cells, and keep organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood.

The higher your muscle content, the more water you need. Hence, men tend to need around 3 litres of water a day whereas women require around 2 litres. Your water can come from many sources.

Best Practical Hydration Tips to Stay Hydrated and Improve Recovery

• Establish a routine for drinking fluids before, during, and after exercise.
• Drinking to thirst is usually a good enough guide but for longer session, like some endurance events, you may need to rethink this and set certain parameters in place to cue you when to drink, e.g., every 20 minutes drink 100 - 200ml.
• Replace lost fluids post-exercise. Weighing yourself before and after exercise can help determine fluid loss. This guide shows you how to measure your sweat rate and loss. Current recommendations are to consume 1.5 times for every litre of sweat lost during exercise. Sweat 1 litre then drink 1.5 litres.
• If you are dehydrated or had a heavy exercise session, then you may want to consider your electrolyte balance. You should always aim to get your nutrients from natural whole foods first. If that is not always possible, then consider electrolyte-based drinks, powders, tablets, etc. Foods rich in electrolytes, such as bananas, coconut water, and leafy greens, work well in balancing your electrolytes post exercise.
• Be mindful not to overdo your salt intake. Just as too little salt can impair bodily functions, so too can having too much salt.
• Choose your beverages wisely to reduce the onset or worsening of dehydration. Although coffee is a mild diuretic, it is unlikely to make you dehydrated. However, caffeine does affect some people more than others so listen to your body. Larger amounts of coffee can have a more diuretic effect so moderate your intake, especially after exercise. Alcohol causes fluids to pass through the system rather quickly, which can result in dehydration if you are not taking onboard more fluids than you are losing.
• Tracking your hydration helps you stay afloat. One of the simplest ways to keep track is to ensure your urine is a light straw colour. When it’s darker shades of yellow, then it’s usually an indication you need more fluids. When it’s too light and almost clear you are possibly drinking too much. When we drink too much water, we risk diluting our electrolytes. You can also use a water flask throughout the day and keep track of your intake and nowadays they have an app for that too.

By incorporating these hydration strategies into your recovery plan, you can enhance your body's ability to recover, maintain energy levels, improve performance and reduce the likelihood of dehydration. Staying hydrated is essential for both immediate recovery and long-term health.

Active Recovery

Active recovery is a strategy used to enhance the body's recovery process after physical exertion. It involves engaging in low-intensity exercises following intense workouts or competitions. Unlike passive recovery, where one might rest completely, active recovery encourages movement to facilitate circulation, muscle repair, reduce soreness, and maintain flexibility and regular mobility.

Best Active Recovery Exercises for Faster Healing and Recovery

• Engaging in low-intensity activities like walking, cycling and swimming require little energy and offer low impact alternatives, which are suitable after hard training or racing. They increase circulation without adding too much stress to your recovering muscles. Swimming for example, can be done at a low intensity and still provide a full body workout. As you are buoyant in water, the limbs can move easily without bearing additional weight.
• Stretching, mobility work and activities like yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong or Pilates can gently ease the joints through their full range of motion, while gradually stretching and easing muscles stiffness and tension. They can also be used to iron out any imbalances developed from training season. Partnered with calming breath work they can also promote relaxation and sharpen mental clarity.
• Foam rolling is the equivalent of having your own personal masseuse and when used correctly, can accurately target tight areas, alleviate muscle soreness, improve range of motion and circulation. Gradually ease into rolling any area that carries tension, such as the thighs, calves, and back.

The above ideas support your body's natural healing processes, allowing the body to recuperate and build resilience. Active recovery is not just about resting but engaging in purposeful activities that contribute to a holistic recovery and prepare you for what’s next.

 

Heat and Cold Therapy

Incorporating heat and cold therapies into your recovery routine can significantly enhance your body's healing processes. These contrasting methods address different aspects of recovery, such as increasing or decreasing circulation, reducing inflammation, alleviating muscle soreness and stiffness, and promoting relaxation.

Heat and Cold Therapy for Recovery: Techniques & Benefits

Heat Therapy

Heat is often best for tight or sore muscles, as well as the stiffness and pain associated with arthritis - best to check with your medical professional prior to applying heat to arthritic areas. Heat can also be used following an acute injury to increase blood flow once the swelling has subsided. It’s recommended to apply heat 48 – 72 hours after injury or training, as applying heat too soon can increase swelling.

There are many products on the market that can be used for heat treatment. Whether dry heat or moist heat may be more appropriate depends on the condition. A heating pad is a dry heat source, whereas a warm bath is a moist heat source. Research suggests moist heat may be superior to dry heat when it comes to penetrating deeper tissues, such as the quadriceps. Regardless of the heat source you use, ensure the heat is comfortable and not so hot it burns you.

Heat therapy may not be appropriate for people who are pregnant or those with peripheral vascular disease, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, deep vein thrombosis, and some other conditions.

• Warm baths are great to lay back, relax and get your circulation flowing. Pop some Epsom salts with magnesium to further enhance muscle relaxation.
• Heating pads can be used to alleviate discomfort and promote relaxation in very specific areas. Apply the heat pads for 15-20 minutes and consider wrapping them up in a towel so not to burn the skin.
• Steam rooms or saunas can be very effective tools to help you relax and recover. Remember to always drink plenty of water during and after any steam room or sauna session to avoid getting dehydrated and impacting your recovery.

Saunas have been around for some time. There has been some research on their benefits, which we can leave for another discussion but as a quick reference, these have included improved circulation, pain relief, detoxification, stress reduction, improved sleep and mental focus and the list goes on.

Cold Therapy

Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy, is recognised to reduce inflammation. It works by reducing blood flow to a particular area, thus reducing inflammation and swelling that causes pain, especially around a joint or a tendon. It can temporarily reduce nerve activity, which can also relieve pain. For this reason, it’s usually not recommended for people with sensory disorders unless under supervision. This is because they may not be able to feel if damage is being done.

Cold therapy should be used for short periods of time, several times a day. 10 to 15 minutes is usually enough, but no more than 20 minutes at a time. This is to prevent nerve, tissue, and skin damage.

Not sure when to use heat or cold? A general rule of thumb, use ice for acute injuries or pain, along with inflammation and swelling. Use heat for muscle pain or stiffness 48 – 72 hours after.

If you have a medical condition, always check in with your health care practitioner prior to engaging in such relief measures.

• Immersing yourself in an ice bath or plunge pool can be extremely exhilarating. A word of caution however, as this extreme contrast can be quite a shock to your body when you first get in and take your breath away. Do consult your health care practitioner prior to use, if you have an underlying heart or cardiovascular condition.
• Ice packs, ice wraps, blocks of ice in a bag are easy ways to target very specific areas to cool. Wrapping these up in a towel is a good way to prevent direct contact with the skin which may cause an ice burn. Remember keep durations short or up to 20 minutes maximum.
• Cryotherapy is a broad term for any treatment that uses freezing or near freezing cold temperatures. It is also called cold therapy, and includes the use of ice, cold water, or cold air. A medical example of cryotherapy is using liquid nitrogen to remove warts. A wellness example of cryotherapy is whole body cryotherapy (WBC) where you expose the body to very cold temperatures for short intervals. These can be quite extreme and the research to date is somewhat inconclusive at best. While there may be some benefits, we think the ice bath and ice packs are the way to go for now.

Contrast Therapy

Contrast therapy, is where you alternate between warm and cold treatments. The theory behind this is it causes your capillaries to dilate (warm treatment) and constrict (cold treatment), causes the heart to slow down (warm treatment) and speed up (cold treatment).

This rapid change in blood vessels supposedly results in a mini pumping like motion of your capillaries resulting in improved circulation. The claimed outcomes are reduced muscle soreness, removal of lactic acid, and decreased swelling.

Whichever option you choose, we suggest checking in with your medical professional first. While these hot and cold therapies can be very effective, they can also influence other bodily functions.

 

Rest and Relaxation

Just as it’s important to train, it’s important to get your rest.

Recovery Tools to Improve Recovery

• Rest days are essential to allow you, your body and mind to relax, repair and ultimately grow. Quality rest can also prevent overtraining and burnout. The number of rest days needed depends on your training and your ability to absorb that training. Only you will know how you are feeling and whether you need one, two or more days off to recover.
• A massage from a professional massage therapist will ease tension in tight muscles and subsequently reduce the chances of injury. Treat yourself once in a while, or if you have the bandwidth once a week, when your training load peaks. This type of treatment also helps you recover faster and absorb a greater training load. Your muscles will thank you!
• Compression garments are a popular choice these days. Although the research behind these is somewhat questionable with some products, the overarching theory is that the garments act in a similar way as restricting capillaries and therefore squeeze the body parts they are covering and encourage blood flow and reduce the chances of swelling. This is then claimed to help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue.

 

How to Improve Mental Recovery for Peak Performance

Mental recovery is a crucial aspect to not only give your mind a rest from analysing all your training data, your past and future performance, your training cycles, nutrition, equipment, travel, exercise sessions and the list goes on but also for overall well-being. Get the mental recovery aspect right and you will find that you maintain balance, build resilience, enhance focus and grow your patience.

Essential Mental Recovery and Priming Tools to Improve Recovery and Focus

• Mindfulness or meditation are simple to use yet extraordinary in their outcomes. Used correctly, they can shift oneself into different states, whether you need to be in a higher arousal state (sympathetic nervous system activated) or a lower arousal state (parasympathetic nervous system activated).
• These tools allow you to disengage from various stressors, which in turn can result in you de-stressing and regaining clarity and focus. They are also effective in teaching you how to compartmentalise and respond to situations in a way that can result in a more favourable outcome. For example, if you drop your water bottle on a race course you could panic, lose focus and get distracted, which can result in a host of other issues such as missing pacing cues, nutrition cues, etc. resulting in you going too fast or not getting enough fuel onboard. Alternatively, when the bottle drops you could take a few deep breaths and stay calm. With this calmness, you allow for clearer thinking - you remember that there is another aid station just around the corner, which is what you need. Pacing and fuelling then stay on track. Both scenarios can result in very different race outcomes and those outcomes can determine the type and length of recovery you will need. A stressed response will likely lead to a more unfavourable outcome and consequently need more recovery than a cool calm response.
• Jotting down thoughts or keeping a journal to write down any thoughts or worries can help clear your mind and reduce anxiety and again, instil clarity. This can be particularly useful when you are having mental playoffs be it on pacing, nutrition, race day tactics, game strategies, etc. Write it down and watch the mind relax and refocus.
• Meditation apps can be a great way to help get you started on this front. They offer body scans, breathing exercises and more. The variety of different types of meditation can help keep things interesting too.
• Unplug once in a while. Designate some free time to people and activities that bring you joy. Just have some fun! This is a very powerful way to recover, regain balance and help refocus. Consider a 60 minute or longer digital detox. Given the amount of tech there is in almost all sports these days, along with social media and work, it means we are always ON! Taking a break from technology can help reduce eye strain, headaches, anxiety, mental fatigue, and improve focus and recovery.

Winding down on Recovery

As we reach the end of the year or you move through your training programs or transition from one cycle to the next, consider how these strategies can help you achieve a balanced approach to physical and mental performance and overall well-being. Remember, recovery is not just about rest; it's an active process that prepares you for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. To sum it up: Stress + Recovery = Growth!