Muscle recovery after training is a very important process. Some athletes do not pay much attention to this, and in vain. This article will give tips on how to speed up the recovery process.
Very often you can hear the word “overtraining” from athletes. However, there is no such state. The thing is that the body did not have time to recover. There can be many reasons for this, the main ones being the lack of rest time and the wrong recovery process. How to speed up this process will be discussed below.
Restoration of muscle tone
First of all, it is worth remembering that muscle recovery after a workout must be earned. However, this does not mean that it is necessary to "die" during training. For classes to be effective, it is necessary to properly use the stressful state of the body after exercise.
Very often athletes make the mistake of focusing only on the recovery itself. But after all, training affects the entire body as a whole, and not just muscle tissue. The Right Process recovery means the following:
- Muscle recovery after training.
- Removal of decay products from the body.
- Recovery of energy reserves.
- Restoring the normal operation of the central nervous system.
How to restore muscles after a workout
Prioritizing muscle recovery after a workout is just as important as setting goals for each session. It is impossible to jump higher just by running. So is the case with recovery. When priorities are set, you need to make sure they are correct. Very often, the progress of athletes is hindered by malnutrition. If the goal of your workout is to burn fat, then you need to refrain from foods containing sugar.
After exercise, the body needs fast-acting carbohydrates, which can be easily obtained with sports drinks. However, the athlete prefers a carbohydrate supplement, reducing all the efforts made in training to zero. It is very important to prioritize and then make sure the methods chosen are effective.
Nutrition for Muscle Recovery
Never underestimate the role of nutrition in post-workout muscle recovery. Receiving all the necessary substances, the body will be able to quickly restore all the violations received during training. In this case, little energy will be spent, which is also important.
It is best to give preference to protein compounds of animal origin. They contain in their composition immediately 9 of the most valuable amino acid compounds for the body, which will accelerate the process of tissue repair and supply the body with all the necessary substances. This in turn will speed up your metabolism. Conducted studies have shown that when using protein after training sessions, the rate of weight gain increases by 38%, and strength indicators - by 33%.
It is also important to remember about fruits and vegetables. For example, all berries that have a dark color contribute to the speedy removal of decay products from the body. This has a beneficial effect on the process of muscle recovery after training. The same can be said about many fruits or leafy vegetables that improve metabolic processes.
To reduce the level of estrogen, cruciferous vegetables are a very valuable food product. You should not get involved in them only for those athletes who want to lose excess weight.
Despite numerous articles talking about the dangers of fats, in practice everything is somewhat different. For example, fats derived from whole sources (avocados, nuts) have a protective effect on the body. They contain a large amount of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats that can speed up the restoration of the skeletal system. They also provide the body with valuable vitamins and minerals in an easily digestible form.
A very valuable product in the recovery is fish oil. With its help, signaling to cells is carried out and anti-inflammatory protection of the body is provided. This product has long been known as very valuable from a medical point of view. AT traditional medicine it is used quite widely. No less important are other fats that have a variety of positive effects on the body.
Speaking of nutrition, it is simply impossible not to mention ordinary water. With a lack of fluid, the process of muscle recovery after a workout will slow down. Water reduces the load on the heart and muscles, and does not allow the body temperature to rise. But the temperature of muscle tissue is a very important indicator in recovery.
It is very important for recovery processes to take care of the intestines. All problems with this body negatively affect the absorption of nutrients and vitamins. A large amount of toxins begins to be released, metabolic and fat-burning processes slow down, and the production of neurotransmitters that affect the overall mood of the athlete decreases.
Of course, more than one article can be devoted to intestinal problems. However, a few simple tips will help you improve the process of muscle recovery after a workout.
- Eat prebiotics and dairy products.
- Try not to eat wheat products.
- Avoid using anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.
How to speed up muscle recovery
A large number of studies have been conducted that have shown that severe emotional and physical stress negatively affect the process of muscle recovery after training and, accordingly, the progress of the athlete.
Stress reduces the body's ability to adapt to training loads. This is due to a decrease in the number of killer cells and disruption of the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. It is this system that is responsible for the synthesis of hormones, and as a result of normal operation, more cortisol begins to be produced. This hormone stops tissue repair, and, consequently, the growth of their mass.
You need to learn how to manage stress. Here are a few tips on how to do this as efficiently as possible:
- It is necessary to study the consequences of stress and its effect on the body. Only in this way can a person reduce his own stress.
- Use breathing techniques muscle relaxation. Meditation is a very powerful tool in dealing with stress.
- Listen to music. This will reduce the level of cortisol in the blood.
- Do massage and self-massage. This will reduce pain after the training process.
- Get enough sleep. Dream - essential part recovery process, and this should not be neglected. The body will never function well if you don't get enough sleep.
- Reduce blood cortisol levels, thereby improving body composition.
- Increase insulin levels, cause antioxidant protective reactions in muscle tissues.
- They have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland, on the work of which metabolic processes depend.
- Increase the level of hydration by retaining fluid in the body. However, in this case, an excess of carbohydrates already has a negative effect.
Recovery workouts
For the fastest recovery of muscles after training, it is necessary to maintain a balance between the intensity of training, rest and little activity. Sometimes frequent exercise can speed up the recovery process, and sometimes, on the contrary, slow it down.
So, let's say, when an athlete has severe pain after a workout, you need to make classes more frequent. The fact that frequent training can reduce pain in the muscles has been scientifically proven.
At the same time, if the athlete often runs, or the intensity of training is high, it is better to reduce the load. The following tips will help make your recovery more efficient:
- In one training session You need to include strength and cardio loads.
- Use two workouts each day, with one being high intensity and the other high volume strength training.
- Make your sessions longer than one hour.
Overtraining and Recovery
Intensity is a measure of how hard you force your muscles to work. The more work you do in a given period of time, the more intensely you train. However, the harder you work, the longer the recovery period required for your body to rest and grow.
Overtraining occurs when you training your muscles too intensely, preventing them from fully recovering. Sometimes you can hear from athletes that they "tear" the muscles, and then let them recover. But such an approach is not entirely justified. physiological point vision. During hard training, minor tissue damage can occur, and this is what explains the residual muscle pain. However, pain is only side effect, indicating that the muscles need time to recover from the transferred loads.
tense muscle contractions accompanied by a number of complex biochemical processes. The process of using energy in working muscles leads to the accumulation of toxic by-products of breakdown, such as lactic acid. The fuel for energy release is glycogen stored in the muscles.
The body needs time to restore the chemical balance of muscle cells, remove residual breakdown products and replenish depleted glycogen stores. But there is another, even more important factor: time is needed for cells to adapt to the stimulus of exercise and grow. So if you overload your muscles by forcing them to work too hard and without enough rest from your previous workout, you won't give them a chance to grow and your progress will slow down.
- Different muscles after exercise recover with different speed . Biceps, for example, do it faster than others.
- The muscles of the lower back are the slowest to recover. It takes about a hundred hours for them to fully rest after a hard workout.
- However, in most cases, forty-eight hours of rest is enough for any part of the body, which means that there should be a break of at least two days between workouts of the same muscles.
athletic exercises(with the exception of very special exercises with limited range of motion) should be performed in such a way that each muscle moves with maximum amplitude. Any part of the body must be fully extended, and then bent until the muscles are fully contracted. This is the only way to act on the entire muscle as a whole and on individual muscle fibers.
Muscle Recovery - this is a hot topic for any sport, because, other things being equal, the more often and more intensively an athlete trains, the faster he pro-res-si-ro-et, and in order to train more, more often and more powerfully , not-about-ho-di-mo re-hundred-but-twist-sya after training. Co-from-vest-ven-but, absolutely any sports-shifter is looking for ways to speed up the process of restoring. Is it possible? Yes it is possible! Moreover, it needs to be done. This topic is especially relevant in speed-growth-but-strength sports, since technical skill in this case plays a lesser role than in game disciplines or martial arts. In connection with this, not-about-ho-di-mo under-rob-but sort out basic principles re-stand-new-le-niya and auxiliary ways-so-bang of his must-co-re-niya.
First, it should be understood that different body systems have different terms and after-le-do-va-tel-ness of re-stand-nov-le-niya. That is why the regeneration of muscle tissue never starts until the moment of complete restoration of energy systems. In this regard, in the process of training, some systems are constantly not-up to-restoring-a-hundred-nav-whether-wa-yut-sya, which, in the end, can lead to « plateau » , so it is necessary to go-do-vom tre-no-ro-voch-nom plan take this into account and, in accordance with this, draw up macro-cycles. Secondly, you should understand that there are basic things, and there are secondary things. The basic conditions for resurrection include nutrition and sleep, and everything else is secondary. And if you don’t follow the basic conditions for restoring after a tre-ni-ditch, then no secondary ma-ni-pu -la-tion will not be able to replace this!
Basic Recovery Factors
Food: the most fundamental recovery factor, since with a lack of one or another macro or micro nutrient, the regeneration of organic tissues and energy systems will be significantly slowed down. Many people think that the most important food nut-ri-en-tom is protein, because all the magazines scream about how important protein . But the magazines are screaming about it only because the protein costs much more gay no-ra , but, in fact, the principal-qi-pi-al-noe value is precisely the corner-le-water. And precisely because of this, all the si-lo-vi-ki, for whom the presence of the press does not play a significant role, allow themselves to have “excess weight”. So that, remember , the more ka-lo-riy-ness of pi-ta-niya, the faster you recover! On the other hand, without measure, but corrode, in order to “dry” all this later, losing the accumulated results, it’s also senseless, but, in this way it is recommended to count calories and eat according to circadian rhythms. You can read more about this here: men's diet ; bio-lo-gi-ches-kie rhythm-we .
Dream: the same fundamental factor in muscle recovery as nutrition, since it is impossible to compensate for its lack of current. It is necessary to sleep at night, in the dark time of the day, because at this time you-ra-ba-you-va-et-sya is more than all-me-la-to-no-na, pain- More than when a person sleeps from 10 pm to 6 am, this allows you to achieve the greatest production of growth hormone. You should sleep at least 8 hours a day, and you should sleep at least 10: 8 hours at night and 2 hours during the day. It is clear that not everyone can afford such a schedule, but you need to strive for the ideal! Especially ben-but important is sleep at the time of hu-de-nia, since the utilization of subcutaneous fat in-ten-siv-nothing goes on just in a dream, in connection with which , it can be argued that the more you sleep, the faster hu-de-e-those.
Recovery training methods
Split: we are not talking about organizing a training schedule for muscle groups, we are talking about dis-membering tre-ni-ro-wok. The shorter the workout, the faster you can recover after it. And it’s not about the fact that the author needs a “boat”, like ma-te-ro-mu “ka-pi-ta-nu”. The point is that the total time required for muscle recovery between three training sessions will be shorter than the time that will not be -di-mo for restoring-new-le-tion, in the event that you put the volume of three tre-ni-ro-wok in one well. For example, if you do 6 exercises of 5 sets for 5 reps for a tre-ni-ditch, then you need to-to-beat-sya to restore new-le-tion time equal to n. If you are half-no-those 2 exercises in the morning, go home, sleep, then in the afternoon go back to the gym and you-half-none-those 2 more exercises, then rest again and already in the evening you-half-none-those 2 more exercises, then it’s time for a complete recovery-new-le- niya will be equal to n-1. At the same time, the intensity of more short workouts will increase. Therefore, if you are tre-ni-rue-tes 3 times a week, it is better to break the same volume into 6 times.
Warm-up and cool-down: two very important factors in muscle recovery, since both help prevent injury, and also allow you to quickly restore energy after training. And you remember that the muscles begin to re-stand-nav-li-va-sya only after the energy-ge-ti-ka was restored! Sa-mo so-fight, to the post-le-tre-ni-ro-voch-no-mu re-sto-new-le-niyu warm-up it has nothing to do with it, it is more needed for preventing injuries, but for this it is necessary for a min. What's for-min-ka? Za-min-ka pos-vo-la-et to speed up the process of removing lactate from the muscles, and this is the first thing that can not be done in order to start re-ge-not-ra-tion energy-ge-ti-ki.
Toning workouts: Another great training way to speed up recovery, the essence of which is to conduct light workouts. You can run in the morning, or “pro-ka-chi-va-sya” with light dumbbells, dispersing the blood, in general, doing something that allows you to achieve pumping. What for? Then, that, together with the blood, hormones and nutrients are put into the muscles, so the body is faster you-we-va-et from them, the products are dis-pa-da and in-lu-cha-et to-half-no-tel-nye re-sur-sy for their restoration.
Stretching: this method largely repeats the previous one, but it should be distinguished from del-but due to the fact that toning workouts and stretching can be done in parallel. Exercises for stretching you can see. This method of re-ko-men-du-em should be used not only as a way to accelerate the recovery of muscles after training, but also as a way to improve speed power ha-rak-te-rice-tic. Stretching helps to avoid injuries, improves muscle feeling, promotes the development of technical masters and, in general, is important aspect training.
Procedures to speed up recovery
Massage: a more effective procedure when it comes to restoring muscles, but more costly in terms of time and finances. If you are a completely poor student, then you can ma-sa-zhi-ro-vat yourself, but sa-mo-mu, although this sounds ambiguous. Sa-mo-mas-soot a completely effective procedure, and it is re-com-men-du-et-xia to perform even in the event that you can call yourself a massage therapist. If you are a crazy fan and you have a friend who is the same crazy fan as you are, then you can learn the procedure dispute-tiv-no-go mas-sa-zha and don’t spend on pro-fessio-nal-no-go mas-sa-zhis-ta.
Preparations to speed up recovery
Steroids: the most effective of the additional muscle recovery methods, which is why d-oping is so popular in professional sports. Without observing the basic factors, ste-roi-dy, of course, will not work. But, if the athlete correctly tre-ni-ru-et-sya, eats and sleeps dos-ta-precisely, then in the case of using steroids, his progress will be faster at times. It can be said that all other ways of accelerating the recovery, in comparison with the ste-roi-da-mi, are nothing! Does this mean that we are re-ko-men-du-e-e-using steroids? By no means! Steroids are harmful
, and the harm that they inflict is not co-pos-ta-wim with the benefit that they can bring to the lover. As for the pro-professional sports shifts, then they do-ping, unfortunately, to take ku "natural" "chemist" is not a rival. And, nevertheless, the use of do-ping in a pro-professional dispute is pro-ti-in-re-cheat sports ethics!
Sports pit: to main products sports nutrition, which are able to accelerate the process of recovery after training should be attributed isotonics , creatine and ami-but-sour-lo-you. All these preparations accelerate the process of resynthesis of energy systems, and you remember that the restoration of muscle structures begins only after then, how the energy was re-established. Isotonics should be drunk during training, ami-no-sour-lo-you before and immediately after, and creatine should be taken at off-tri-no-ro-night time, since this supplement ka ob-la-yes-et effect on-cop-le-niya. All other products of sports pi-ta-niya are la-yut-sya or ma-lo-ef-fek-tiv-ny-mi in the sense of us-ko-re-niya of re-stand-new-le-niya, or pre-naz-na-che-us for solving other tasks.
Conclusion: the most important thing that is necessary for a quick recovery after a workout is the right to eat and sleep. Frequent and short tre-no-ditches, light tre-no-ro-voch-ny sessions, a hitch at the end can help you recover faster developing tre-ni-dov-ki, stretching, massage, hardening and special preparations, pre-appointed for re-sin-te- for energy-ge-ti-ches-kih systems.
During the study Resistance Exercise Augments Postprandial Overnight Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates ., the results of which were published in the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, it was noted that the combination of protein foods and strength training shortly before sleep allows faster muscle recovery.
The study, conducted at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands), involved 24 young people. Two hours after dinner, shortly before bedtime, they drank a protein shake. Right before drinking the cocktail, one group of participants did a lower body strength workout. The other group did nothing.
Those who exercised before taking a protein shake had a 30% increase in protein synthesis during the night compared to participants who simply took protein before bed without exercising.
In earlier work of this group of scientists Protein Ingestion before Sleep Increases Muscle Mass and Strength Gains during Prolonged Resistance-Type Exercise Training in Healthy Young Men. it has already been proven that consuming shortly before bedtime can increase muscle protein synthesis during the night.
This discovery is useful not only for bodybuilders, but also for other athletes, such as runners. Long hard runs also damage muscles. After hard workout need help muscle fibers recover so that the muscles quickly adapt to serious loads. By increasing the recovery rate using this technique, runners will be able to get used to the increased loads faster.
Principal investigator Jorn Trommelen claims that as a result of this technique, more mitochondria are produced in the muscles, which increase the aerobic capacity of the body. The combination of exercise and protein-rich food maintains the number of mitochondria in the muscles, therefore, improves not only strength but also endurance.
How to exercise and what to eat before bed
The training, which the subjects were engaged in, lasted one hour and included:
- 15 minutes ride on an exercise bike;
- six sets of 10 repetitions of the leg press in the simulator;
- six sets of 10 repetitions of leg raises in the simulator.
However, Trommelin argues that less intense workout will also be effective.
Any quantity physical activity can stimulate protein synthesis, although to a lesser extent.
For example, simply walking only slightly increases muscle protein production. Most effective strength exercises with weight own body or, especially if you repeat them to muscle failure.
Trommelin recommends choosing three sets of push-ups and three sets of pull-ups for bedtime exercises. The number of repetitions - until muscle failure.
Another good workout option is a combination of squats, leg raises and hamstring exercises (calf raises in the simulator, with your own body weight, with weighting).
As far as food is concerned, protein shake used in the study contained 20 grams of protein. Here is an example of a typical meal containing the same amount of protein: 600-700 grams of low-fat milk, three eggs, or 100 grams of tuna. Food with less protein will also increase the rate of muscle recovery, but not as much.
Trommelen believes that the combination of strength training and protein before bed will be the most effective way for athletes to recover from a day of hard training.
You have a great opportunity to test this statement. Try a new technique and share your impressions in the comments.
During heavy loads, human muscles receive, though not large, but injuries. It takes 24-48 hours for them to recover. That's why pros don't train two days in a row. experiencing chronic fatigue, You will not be able to achieve your goals. This is why there are so many failed bodybuilders in the gyms. Do not even think about training until you feel that your body is completely rested. Do not burden yourself with new workouts, know how to relax! Intense and everyday workouts will not give the proper result without muscle relaxation!
How many days it takes for muscle recovery is up to you
If you are about 20-25 years old and you are healthy lifestyle life: eat right, do not experience stress and get enough sleep, then your body will easily recover without special work, and you will be able to start new workouts on the third or fourth day. But if you are over 30 years old, and you have a small child who does not let you sleep at night, hard work - do not expect that you can recover so easily. Then it will be necessary to rest for six or seven days. And if you are constantly surrounded by stress, you do not get enough sleep and there are problems with the restoration of the body, then forget about the gym for a while. Return to training only after proper rest if your goal is to achieve an ideal figure.
True, there are factors that contribute to increasing the endurance of the body and accelerating the build-up of muscle mass. It's about genetics, steroid use, and professionals. After all, professionals need less time to restore the body, and they can visit gyms much more often than we do. They have different laws of nature than we do.
How to restore muscles after a workout
So, what is needed to restore the body after physical exertion ?!Many men seek to increase muscle mass by performing individual loads several times a week, refusing to deadlift. Do not be afraid to experiment with training. Listen less to people who advise you to persistently train five to six times a week. Don't stick to a rigid schedule. Let your body rest as long as it needs to. It does not matter - a day, two, a week, but wait until the body gains strength and you feel good. For you, the main thing should be the result, and not the established schedule.
Choosing exercises for training, take into account not only general fatigue, but also the fatigue of each part of the body separately. If you feel that your leg muscles are still sore, then wait a bit. Before training, not a single muscle of the body should hurt.
If you are carried away by training, and the most time-consuming stage of training is just ahead, you may notice only general fatigue. Starting the exercises, thinking that nothing hurts you, you are mistaken. It is worth visiting the gym only after full recovery, as the general and local fatigue will pass.
The result of your efforts depends on how many workouts you can do.. Moreover, if you have time to recover quickly, you will gain more effective workouts in order to build the necessary muscle mass.
Pay attention to sleep. From this, overall well-being may not suffer, but constant lack of sleep will someday affect bodybuilding. In order to see progress in this matter, you need to create all the necessary conditions for sleep. It is better to oversleep than not to sleep. Go to bed early in the evening, do not stay up after 24.00 hours, do not forget that the duration of normal sleep should be at least eight hours. It's bad if you wake up. Try to set the mode so that in the morning you yourself wake up without an alarm clock. You ask how? Yes, easy and simple. Again, don't sit too long in front of the TV and computer in the evenings. Set the mode: go to bed at 23:00 and set the alarm for 7:00 during the week, after which the body will adjust to the new mode and you will no longer need an alarm clock.
A couple more tips for muscle recovery
- During the recovery of the body, do not forget to drink plenty of water. After all, during training, our body loses a lot of fluid.
- achieve best results You can take a contrast shower. Under cold water the walls of our vessels narrow, and under warm conditions they expand, which positively affects the elasticity of the muscles.
- In the evenings, do a relaxing massage. You can make it yourself, but it's better to have someone make it for you. Massage actions improve blood circulation, as well as the transport of nutrients throughout the body. This contributes to a faster recovery of the body.
And remember, not having time to recover from some loads, acquiring chronic fatigue, you will not be able to build additional muscle mass. It is not surprising if you are accompanied by chronic illnesses and various injuries: laziness, bad mood, depression, etc.
Thus, try to choose the right rest between workouts. Forget about gym until you feel completely rested. If you have any doubts about this, then wait a day or two. But at the same time, do not abuse the rest, so you will not be able to achieve your goals!