When you give your all during training, your muscles end up exhausted. We offer you some tips to promote the regeneration of the muscles and recover quickly.
To progress in training, it’s not just a matter of how often you exercise, but also how much you rest and how you recover. After intense physical activity the muscles develop and regenerate. If done right, the soreness disappears and endurance and cardiac performance improve. In general, the body becomes more resilient, and injuries occur less frequently.
On the other hand, keep in mind that if you exercise too much without the necessary recovery you can quickly fall into overtraining. The symptoms are both physical and psychological: irritability, apathy, sleep disorders, weight loss, tachycardia at rest, lack of concentration, muscle heaviness, incoordination in movements, etc. To avoid this, we give you some tips that will help you for body regeneration.
6 TIPS TO REGENERATE MUSCLES AFTER SPORTS
During a sports session, bones, tendons, muscles and ligaments are strained and glycogen stores in the muscles are emptied. Energy is expended and one feels tired and exhausted after a workout.
However, the body begins to regenerate immediately afterwards. For this you need nutrients, especially some determined, and sleep. If you don’t get them, you may see a drop in performance or stagnation.
1. POST-WORKOUT COOL-DOWN
Instead of re-accelerating thoroughly and increasing the risk of injury, you should use the last ten minutes of your workout to, for example, run in a relaxed manner or take a few quiet pedals on the stationary bike.
The goal is for the heart rate to return to normal, for the body to return to normal operating temperature, and for the circulatory system and nervous system to calm down. It is the first step towards regeneration.
2. OPTIMAL NUTRIENT SUPPLY
It does not matter if you have practiced a strength or endurance sport, within one or two hours at most you should ingest a generous ration of protein. Its amino acids are necessary for small injuries to tendons, ligaments and muscles to be repaired. You can have nuts with yogurt, a plate of legumes or tofu sautéed with vegetables.
Foods rich in simple carbohydrates, such as bananas, provide the necessary energy before, during and immediately after training and at the same time replenish glycogen stores. A combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins and good fats is recommended as food after training, in addition to its nutrients, fruits and vegetables should not be missing.
3. SLEEP AND MENTAL RELAXATION
Stress is the enemy of any healthy lifestyle. Not only daily and professional stress has a negative impact on health, but also the tension generated by sport.
Therefore, it is important that you take a break regularly, for example by meditating or doing breathing exercises. You should also pay attention to your sleep time. Go to bed early enough to get an optimal night’s sleep for seven to eight hours.
4. ACTIVE REGENERATION
Are you a very active person and do not take well the rest? Replace intense exercise with gentle activities such as going for a walk or cycling. Moderate exercise in which the heart rate does not skyrocket and the muscles are not stressed are suitable for active regeneration.
This is also good for sore muscles, as movement promotes blood circulation so that nutrients can better reach the muscle and repair it.
5. HOT AND COLD
A warm shower, warm bathtub, cherry pit pillow, or the old electric blanket are great tools when it comes to regeneration. As with active regeneration, heat ensures that muscles are better supplied with blood and nutrients.
Immediately after training, alternating hot and cold showers support muscle regeneration. Cold water causes the glasses to contract and warm water causes them to expand again and relax.
An ice bath, on the other hand, can be useful for recovering from very heavy loads like long-distance running. An ice bath reduces blood circulation in the muscle and decreases inflammation. After the ice bath, blood circulation is stimulated.
6. MOBILITY, STRETCHING AND MASSAGE
Mobility and stretching exercises help keep joints, ligaments and tendons flexible. However, you shouldn’t stretch immediately after training, as that will strain already stressed muscles.
On the other hand, before the exercise session it is advisable to do dynamic stretches instead of static stretches, because these have a negative effect on muscle performance and strength.
On non-workout days, when your muscles are no longer sore, you can go back to stretching and mobility exercises. Another option is to massage the stressed muscles. But here the following also applies: wait until the muscles are not sore to give yourself a strong massage. Light massages, however, are not a problem.