After tackling a 10k (or any other tough workout), what’s the best way to bounce back? It’s all about proper recovery, says Joel Gatchell, Roper St. Francis Healthcare assistant athletic trainer for Charleston Southern University’s track & field/cross country program.
Understanding recovery
“Recovery, in a broad sense, is getting yourself prepared for the next session,” he explains. And for amateur athletes and everyday gym goers, “the holy trinity of recovery is eat, sleep and hydrate.” Give yourself 24 hours to reset with solid nutrition, suitable rest and plenty of water.
The basics of muscle recovery
Beyond that, muscle recovery boils down to two goals: realign tissue fibers and get blood moving. While today’s sports market is flush with pricey recovery products designed to do just that, from contrast therapy tubs to compression boots, an inexpensive foam or stick roller may be the only one you really need.
“Think of muscle fibers as being in a line,” explains Gatchell. “After an intense session, things are thrown out of line. Foam and stick rollers push all your fibers back in line.” Using these tools also helps flush out tired blood that’s full of lactic acid to allow fresh, highly oxygenated blood to flow into the muscle tissues.
Alternative recovery methods and their effects
Rollers yield similar benefits to more expensive therapies like those in Gatchell’s training room, minus the hefty price tag. Contrast therapy, in which athletes switch back and forth between hot and cold tubs, dilates vessels to allow “bad blood” to flow out and then constricts vessels to hold in “good blood.” Similarly, compression boots use sequential massage zones to push fluid towards the heart, which pumps out waste such as lactic acid. “We need new blood with fresh oxygen in the muscles to recover,” says the trainer.
What about good-old ice, you ask, eyeing the now-popular ice bath? “In terms of recovery, ice doesn’t produce the long-term effect that we want because it merely constricts blood vessels and holds everything in,” explains Gatchell, though he does value ice for pain relief of sore joints.
Percussion massagers have also drummed up a following among some athletes, but since they don’t focus on the internal workings of the muscle, Gatchell doesn’t recommend them for recovery. Sure, if you suffer a mild tweak or spasm, a massage gun can be used to dig into the muscle in that particular spot, but primarily, “I use massage guns to wake up the muscles prior to a workout,” says Gatchell.
He also recommends engaging in some dynamic stretching before exercising. “You want to put movement through your stretch to warm up from the inside and get blood flowing to the muscles, rather than merely pulling on the muscle [known as static stretching].”
So when you toe the line for a race, don’t just yank on your ankle or reach for your feet. Put a little bounce in your step, swing your legs, circle your arms, lunge side to side, maybe do a few jumping jacks. By the time you step over the start, your muscles will be primed to carry you for miles.
And after you cross the finish line, be sure to thank your muscles for their hard work with healthy eats, lots of water, a foam rolling session and a good night’s sleep. Engaging in smart recovery practices will ensure that a hard-earned medal—rather than stiff, painful muscles—is your only keepsake from your race.