In order to recover well after sport, it is essential to take care of your muscles and body in order to repair the bodily damage caused by the sessions. By continuing your reading, you will discover why it is necessary for our body to recover well after a workout, as well as our advice to optimize your recovery.
Why is it important to recover after sport?
Optimal recovery is necessary for an athlete: training tires the entire body, so it needs time to rebuild itself . During the hours and days after training, our body recovers, allowing our abilities to return to normal. In addition, it is also during the recovery period after sport that progress is made.
Simply remaining inactive after a workout is not enough, optimal recovery is essential: recovery not only allows you to feel better, but also to reduce pain and aches. If recovery after sport is insufficient, the body cannot regenerate properly, which is why it is not recommended to do training sessions without a recovery phase, at the risk of overtraining and increasing the risk of injury. Overtraining results in a tired body that no longer allows the athlete to progress.
How to recover properly after sport?
There are several ways to improve recovery after sport, however, it is recommended to combine them to get the most results and enjoy an ideal recovery.
Optimizing your sleep
Getting restful sleep is an essential part of recovery after sports training. Athletes can have a significant need for sleep , so it is recommended to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep per night , in order to ensure optimal recovery after sports . It is also possible to add a nap during the day, as long as it does not disrupt sleep during the night.
Stretch the muscles well
When we practice a sporting activity, our muscles are used: they contract then relax depending on the intensity of the sports session. It is the alternation between these phases, more or less quickly, which causes microtraumas to the muscles, which is why they need to recover after training.
Stretching the muscles will allow them to return to their resting state.
Massage the muscles to relax them
A good massage session helps to relax muscles after they have been heavily used during a sports session. Massage also helps to improve your general mood, which is useful, especially on the eve of a competition or a training session that is more difficult than usual.
In addition, massage helps to reduce contractures, as well as stiffness and the perception of fatigue , in addition to participating in the reduction of the onset of delayed pain such as muscle aches.
Adopt good hydration
During a sports session, the body sweats in order to regulate its temperature and eliminate toxins. To compensate for this loss of water, it is strongly recommended to hydrate sufficiently after a sports session . Rehydrating our body also allows it to eliminate waste accumulated during exercise and to compensate for losses of minerals such as chlorine, sodium or potassium.
Drinking plenty of water after exercise also helps to replenish muscle glycogen reserves , which have been used up by the muscles used during exercise.
Adopt a healthy diet
After a workout, it is recommended to eat foods rich in glucose and fructose in order to quickly replenish the body with sugar and optimize the reconstitution of energy reserves in the muscles and liver. A sufficient intake of quality proteins and good fats is also essential for recovering well after sport .