You must know about muscle recovery if you decide to do or are already doing bodybuilding, fitness, and other types of training. This process involves the return of the physical state of the body to normal and its adaptation to subsequent loads.
You must know about muscle recovery if you decide to do or are already doing bodybuilding, fitness, and other types of training. This process involves the return of the physical state of the body to normal and its adaptation to subsequent loads.
It is important to understand that proper rest after a workout is not a weakness but an important point in achieving positive sports results.
You will end up on a “plateau” by neglecting recovery or getting a negative effect.
Let’s try to understand the issues of recovery: what is needed for this, what methods to use, and what to consider for the correct sports nutrition.
RECOVERY AND TIME
The phases of this process are:
First, once you have finished training, the first phase begins. It lasts 50-60 minutes. The body begins to “demand” the nutrients necessary for the growth of muscle tissue and replenish the stock of spent energy. It is recommended to eat special protein supplements and carbohydrates.
Second. Takes 2-5 days. The time depends on the size of the trained muscle. Small muscles return to normal in 2 days. Large muscles will need up to 5 days.
Note.
During the first phase, the muscles are partially restored.
The time of the second phase depends on the degree of damage and metabolism.
RECOVERY METHODS
Professional athletes recommend combining muscle tissue recovery methods. There are two ways:
Passive. After training, you need to rest for 2-3 days. During the rest, exclude physical activity. It is important to remain completely calm. The passive method is suitable for any athlete, especially for those who experience overtraining syndromes.
Important. It is recommended to use this method only sometimes. With prolonged passive rest, muscle fibers do not adapt to new loads. There is a stop in sports development.
Active. After training, you need to do cardio. The duration of cardio is at most 20 minutes. It is also recommended to perform stretching exercises and sports massage. This allows you to quickly remove accumulated lactic acid from muscle tissue.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING RECOVERY
Cardio loads accelerate the excretion of lactic acid, so muscle tissues are cleansed and restored. As cardio, exercises on an exercise bike, stepper, or treadmill are suitable.
Note. Only light cardio is recommended. During exercise, it is not allowed to increase the pulse to maximum values.
Stretching is essential to maintain elasticity. Exercise helps prevent “clogging” and muscle tightness. Inelastic muscles recover slowly, gain mass, and are severely injured.
NUTRITION DURING RECOVERY
Remember proper nutrition on the way to an ideal body. During recovery, you can use the program developed by a personal trainer or take the following menu as a basis:
Breakfast. After waking up, treat yourself to a protein shake.
30 minutes after breakfast. A complete breakfast should consist of complex and simple carbohydrates. Complex: oatmeal, boiled rice, wheat, and corn porridge. Simple: fruits, dried fruits, honey.
Snack. For a light snack, fruit and cottage cheese with a low percentage of fat content is suitable.
Dinner. The lunch menu should include cereals rich in fiber, fresh and boiled vegetables, herbs, eggs, chicken breast, and beef.
30 minutes before the workout. Before starting classes, supplements in the form of full-cycle amino acids should be taken.
After classes, at the end of the exercises, BCCA is used. These supplements are involved in the rapid recovery of muscle tissue.
30 minutes after class. You can drink a protein-based shake, eat a banana or an apple, or snack on cottage cheese, boiled eggs, and lean meat.
Dinner. In the evening, it is better to focus on protein-rich foods: seafood, chicken, and eggs. You should also include vegetables in your diet.
Before bedtime, going to bed on an empty stomach is not worth it. Greek yogurt, amino acid supplements, and BCAAs are suitable as a snack. The use of protein is included in the mandatory program of training and recovery of the body.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP
Sleep is medicine for our body. In a dream, the body is restored, gaining energy and strength for the next day. Therefore, a night’s sleep is the most important for recovery after training.
Sleep starts the processes of muscle recovery and the central nervous system in the body. For muscle tissue to grow, you need to rest for 7-10 hours at night.
SPORTS NUTRITION AND VITAMINS
The body of a trained athlete should receive a large number of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. A beginner in sports will need fewer nutrients.
Sports nutrition allows you to start the rapid absorption of food, restores muscles, and prevents catabolism. Amino acids and BCAAs are the first aid during body recovery and enhanced training.
How to take sports nutrition:
- Full-cycle amino acids are taken 30 minutes before training and at bedtime.
- BCAAs are consumed immediately after exercise and in the morning after sleep.
The task of a full-cycle amino acid is to restore muscle tissue and accelerate its growth. Amino Fuel Supplements prevent the destruction of muscle fibers under the influence of cortisol, a hormone produced after exercise and sleep.
WHAT IS A GAINER?
For those who are gaining muscle mass, sports nutrition manufacturers offer special supplements – gainers with glutamines and creatines, which accelerate muscle tissue recovery and remove lactic acid.
The supplement is taken immediately after exercise along with BCAAs.
Popular gainers: Geneticlab Nutrition Mass, R-Line Light Mass, Universal Nutrition Real Gains, OptiMeal Mass Gainer. Supplements can be purchased in economical packaging from 1 kilogram. Before use, you should consult your doctor.
WHAT VITAMIN AND MINERAL COMPLEXES ARE SUITABLE FOR RECOVERY AFTER TRAINING
After active physical exercises, recovery is required for the muscles and the whole organism. Intense loads are accompanied by energy loss and a lack of nutrients.
It is recommended to use vitamin-mineral complexes, which include: vitamins of group B, C, zinc, and magnesium.
CAN MUSCLE RECOVERY BE ACCELERATED?
Good additions are saunas, baths, and warm baths with hydromassage. Warming up relieves muscle pain, but with inflammation of the muscles and internal organs, exposure to high temperatures on the body is prohibited.
Whether you are a beginner or an amateur in sports, do not hesitate to seek help and advice from professional trainers. Remember to drink more liquid during training by calculating 30 ml per 1 kilogram of weight. Remember that the productivity and result of training depending on the state of the nervous system and the quality of rest. Avoid stressful situations and overwork, and fill your free time with positive emotions and impressions.
