Recovery for Athletes
Athletes know the importance of effective training, but they don’t always pay as much attention to athletic recovery. However, recovery for athletes is perhaps just as critical for performance and endurance, and it deserves the same attention. “Recovery strategies are a key part of athletic performance,” shares Center for Sports Performance and Research performance technician Brian George. “Professional athletes, and increasingly, average active adults, are leveraging new recovery therapies to speed recovery time, reduce inflammation, and practice self-care. The main hurdle is accessing expensive recovery technology in a safe, controlled, and convenient environment.”
The best recovery methods for athletes
Sports recovery is a relatively new field of formal research. In the past, scientists focused more on how training methods impact performance. But as the benchmarks for athletic performance have risen, athletes and coaches have expanded their search beyond training, looking for other ways to optimize their routines, get the most out of “down” time, and discover any behaviors that might provide a competitive edge.
Rest
Rest is a key component of all sports recovery protocols. Effective training challenges your body and even damages your muscles at a microscopic level, which prompts your body to rebuild and get stronger. Without rest, your body doesn’t have a chance to rebuild effectively.
Active rest
Active rest is an athletic recovery method consisting of light activity during your rest time. For example, you may take an easy swim on your off day or at the end of a day when you trained hard in the morning. Active rest is thought to promote recovery by increasing blood flow to the muscles and helping clear lactate that builds up during a workout.
Some studies show improved performance after active, versus passive, rest, but the research isn't conclusive. Still, there are no documented downsides to active rest and a great deal of anecdotal evidence that it helps.
Diet and hydration
A healthy diet is vital to any training program. Stay hydrated and ensure you're getting enough calories and protein to fuel your workouts. Building muscle requires extra resources, so you'll need to eat more if you're trying to build new muscle rather than just maintain your physique.
Stretching
Stretching is a popular—almost universal—post-workout athletic recovery technique that has a negligible effect on athletic performance but may help improve mood and psychological well-being. It can also be an important part of correcting and maintaining movement patterns, which can help mitigate overextension and future injury.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy, also known as cryostimulation or cold therapy, involves briefly exposing the body to freezing cold temperatures. At the Center for Sports Performance and Research, athletes can receive cryotherapy in a machine that exposes the body to temperatures as low as -220°F for three minutes. This extreme cold causes blood to retreat from the extremities and skin inwards to warm the vital organs. After leaving the chamber, blood rushes back out to the skin and extremities. Cryotherapy has been linked to changes in hormone balance, psychological well-being, and nervous system activity that may favor improved athletic performance.
Photobiomodulation
Also known as red-light therapy, photobiomodulation is the therapeutic exposure to red and near-infrared light. This therapy targets the mitochondria, the energy producers of the cells, to boost energy and reduce stress. This can lead to increased energy during exercise and faster recovery afterwards. IT can also result in better quality of sleep and reduced inflammation. At the Center, photobiomodulation sessions consist of 20 minutes of red-light therapy delivered in a lie-down bed within a private room.
Saltwater float tank
Also known as restricted environmental stimulation technique (REST), float therapy uses a shallow pool of high-density Epsom salt to create a sense of full-body weightlessness. Floating counteracts the effects of gravity, promoting deep relaxation and easing muscle and joint tension. The sensory deprivation provided by the float tank helps to calm the mind and enhance mental focus. Float therapy is a great way to supplement your mindfulness and meditation practices through regular dedicated time to quiet the body and mind and focus on the breath.
- float tank
- cryo pod
- red light bed
FAQs about sports recovery
Why is rest and recovery important for athletes?
Training, especially high-level training for competitive athletes, works by challenging your body. It improves your fitness and performance by pushing your body beyond its limits. As a result, your body repairs and strengthens itself to be ready for the next challenge. That strengthening process happens during rest. Without adequate rest, athletes can burn out, rather than improve.
What are common recovery exercises for athletes?
The specific recovery exercises recommended for athletes depend on the sport and type of training. However, active rest (working your muscles at a low intensity) and stretching are two categories of exercise that athlete use to recover.
Train like a pro
The expert staff at the Center for Sports Performance and Research conduct innovative research to enhance and sustain athletic performance and aid fast and effective athlete recovery. Book a free consultation or contact us to learn more about our individualized performance analyses, supervised performance training, and suite of recovery-focused facilities that includes saltwater float tanks, a cryotherapy chamber, and an infrared recovery bed.
