Recently I received an email message from an athlete who is following one of my online training plans. Although I did not ask the athlete why he asked this question, my assumption was that he was accustomed to training plans that include at least one day of rest every week and he was unsure if the plan he was following would afford him enough recovery.

This question speaks to a general lack of understanding among athletes about the difference between rest and recovery that I would like to address here.

The purpose of a rest day—defined as a day on which no formal workouts are undertaken—is to promote recovery, or the processing of fatigue induced by prior workouts.

But absolute rest is not always necessary for recovery. Often it is enough for an athlete to merely do less exercise than he or she is accustomed to doing on a daily basis. For example, swimming would constitute relative rest for a runner with an injured knee.

But I use the same term to refer to the practice of recovering from prior training by exercising less than normal instead of not at all.

To go back to the example I gave in the last paragraph, a 3-mile run constitutes relative rest for a runner who normally runs 6 miles a day.

The professional runners I trained with in Flagstaff last summer often went several weeks without taking a day off from running. September 20, Without a doubt the two best ways to ensure your body withstands the rigors of getting ready for a race is to 1 fuel it properly, and 2 strengthen it structurally.

Your recovering muscles basically soak up all the nutrients you consume immediately after exercise. Doing this starts the process of refueling your muscles and rebuilding damaged tissue. Your best options for post-exercise recovery drinks are: EAS Recovery Protein or Accelerade.

Having one serving of either one of these drinks can really kick start recovery. Sleep: Yes, sleep! This is when our body truly recovers and regenerates.

All athletes need around 8 hours or more of sleep per night. When you sleep, your body releases growth hormone and relaxes your muscles to accelerate recovery. Set yourself up for success by setting a consistent bed time and sticking to it.

Make sure your sleep environment is conducive to high quality sleep dark room, minimal-to-no noise, comfortable temperature. Stretch: Post-exercise static stretching of all your running muscles is a great way to actively recover from an exercise bout running or lifting.

Even minutes of gentle stretching after a workout can drive much needed blood flow to muscles and keep them limber workout-after-workout.

A hot stone massage is another type of massage that alleviates pain, reduces muscle tension and improves blood flow. Getting a massage may also make you feel less stressed or anxious, especially before an important event or competition.

Self-care is critical to your physical and mental health. As an athlete you may be tempted to work out every day. While daily physical activity is not harmful, alternating workouts and giving your muscles at least 24 hours of rest between trainings is essential in preventing injuries and sustained soreness.

Contrary to what some people say, sleep is not overrated. The average adult needs 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

While many people can function on little sleep, athletes may not be so lucky. Getting enough sleep ensures that you have the physical and mental energy needed to train and compete. Sleep also enhances muscle mass and muscle recovery through human growth hormone release.

Eating a nutrient-rich diet is crucial to speedy muscle recovery. Athletes should eat plenty of protein with every meal. Consume these protein-rich foods one or two hours before and after working out to make sure your muscles get the nourishment they need to speedily recover.

Protein bars and protein powders are usually packed with many unwanted ingredients, like sugar or preservatives. Water plays a key role in distributing nutrients within your body to speed up muscle recovery.

Drinking water also gets rid of lactic acid buildup—a common post-workout occurrence that exacerbates muscle pain and fatigue. On average, a person should consume roughly 64 ounces of water per day. However, athletes who train several hours a week may need to drink much more than that to remain hydrated.

For example, if you weigh pounds, you should be drinking ounces of water per day. Are you experiencing prolonged muscle soreness or a sports-related injury? Our orthopaedic sports injury specialists can help. We offer a diverse range of non-surgical treatments to help you heal your sports injury and restore mobility.

Call for more information or to schedule an appointment at our Marietta or Carrollton office. Patients can contact us for purchasing and pricing information at Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes.

News Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes. January Developing strong muscles and exceptional endurance propels athletes toward great physical heights. Active Recovery As the name suggests, active recovery means engaging in low-impact exercise to recover after a strenuous workout.

The takeaway is to not be afraid of or feel guilted out of taking a recovery day. If you have a coach, work with them to agree upon a day s that would work best for your training schedule.

It should be a day that you look forward to, in which you plan time to spend with family and friends or enjoy another hobby outside of the sports realm. When implementing recovery time into your training plan, make sure to consider these five strategies. Essentially, a recovery week is a light week that happens every weeks into your training block.

Keep the intensity light — no hills or speed sessions, please! A recovery week simply allows your body to recover, your energy levels to return, and for you to catch up on much-needed sleep and family time.

The supercomp theory holds that if you rest and recover after a hard block of training, your body is actually able to push itself beyond where it left off when you return to training.

Matt Wilpers does a good job of explaining the theory in detail in this article. Nutrition is critical not only for fuel via carbs but also for the body to repair itself via protein. There is no point in signing up for an endurance challenge if you are not going to match your healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet.

Think more green than brown! To better aid recovery, load up on healthy proteins, such as the ones found in chicken, turkey, fish, nuts, and beans. True recovery happens when you sleep, especially when you sleep well.

This is when your muscles repair, and your energy levels recover. Try to get hours of good quality sleep each night. Read here for some handy tips on getting some quality shut-eye.

Keep an eye on certain metrics — like your mood, fatigue levels, and resting heart rate — for red flags.