How does muscle recovery work?
Muscle recovery takes place after sports or after another intensive effort. If you load a muscle intensively, for example during strength training or interval training, you damage it a bit. The load causes small hairline cracks. This is the cause of tired muscles after exercise, and of course muscle soreness. Fatigue and pain are signs that it’s time to rest and recover your muscles. If you ensure that you allow your tired muscles to recover properly after exercise, your muscles will become stronger. For muscle growth, the post-treatment is just as important as what you do during your training. If you want to optimize your sports performance, it is wise to invest in careful muscle recovery.
How long does muscle recovery take?
How much time muscle recovery takes after a workout depends on several factors. For example, the intensity and nature of your training is a factor. Muscle recovery after strength training is more intensive and therefore takes longer than muscle recovery after running or after cycling, because more muscle tears occur during strength training. In cardio or endurance sports, including running and cycling, your muscle fibers need to pull together less to perform the required movement. In addition to the type of effort you have made, the post-treatment is also very important to enhance your muscle recovery. Depending on your training and the measures you take after it, the recovery of your muscle fibers usually takes between 42 and 72 hours. Note: If you start training intensively again before you have recovered, you run the risk of muscle and tendon injuries.
What is good for muscle recovery?
Muscle recovery starts with sufficient rest. But there are more things you can do to help your tendons and muscles recover. Muscle tissue is one of the tissues in the human body that can adapt best. This makes it possible to promote muscle recovery by taking the right measures.
Cooling down
A thorough cool-down is a good end to an intense workout. Just like the warming up, the cooling down is essential. This part ensures that your blood and oxygen circulation stabilize again. As a result, waste products disappear from your body faster and the recovery of your muscles starts better. You also have less chance of cramping and dizziness. So don’t skip that cooling down, even if you don’t have a lot of time! If necessary, shorten the intensive part of your training.
Water, water, water
Fluid is also important for healthy muscle recovery. Your body needs water to remove waste products from your muscles. With average activity it is good to drink two liters of water a day, but if you exercise intensively you can easily add another liter. If you work up a sweat, you will lose a liter of fluid in an hour. Try to divide the extra liter of water you drink over your training session. For example, if you exercise for an hour, you drink 250 ml every 15 minutes. Is it very hot? Then drink some extra.
Nutrition for muscle recovery
In terms of nutrition, it is necessary to eat enough protein. In a sports session you initially break down muscle protein. If you do not take in enough new proteins after exercise, the breakdown of muscles can be greater than the build-up. Taking about 20-25 grams of protein after a workout leads to optimal muscle recovery. Healthy protein-rich foods include legumes, nuts and whole grains. By the way, note: it makes no sense to take in more protein than you need, this will lead to an increase in fat rather than muscle.
Post-treatment for optimal blood flow
Finally, the success of your muscle recovery after training depends on the post-treatment of your muscles. The Sportsbalm Recovery Series is specially designed to repair damaged muscle tissue after strenuous exercise. Have you had a tough workout or competition? By applying Recovery Cream after your workout, you make sensitive and tired muscles supple again. This is because the lotion optimizes the blood flow to your muscle tissue and strengthens your blood vessels. It is also caring for the skin. The Heating SOS Gel is a solution for areas that normally have poor blood circulation, such as the stiff muscles in the lower back, shoulders and neck. This gel warms deeply in the problem areas and repairs stiff and heavily stressed muscles and tendons. In addition, this product supports muscle recovery after a sports injury. Do your muscles feel especially tired or sore? Then choose the Cooling SOS Gel.
