8 tips to speed up muscle recovery

Recovery is the phase during which the body recovers from the efforts made after intense physical efforts. This is also the time when your pain subsides and you heal from your injuries. As an athlete, you can only hope to recover quickly from your training and competitions. Indeed, the sooner you feel better, the sooner you can continue your quest for performance. Here are our 8 tips to accelerate muscle recovery.

1 — Rebalance your body

After training, it is essential to encourage your body to return to its normal state. This is done by devoting the last 10 minutes to gradually reducing your pace. Your heartbeat and metabolism return to their usual calm. In addition, this limits the accumulation of acid in the muscles, thus promoting recovery.

2 — Stretch

Well-dosed stretching has an analgesic effect helping with relaxation, improving blood circulation, preventing pain and eliminating lactic acid. However, their power is quite limited and requires to be associated with another recovery method.

3 — Drink enough

It's not a secret ! Doing sport makes you sweat and leads to a loss of fluid, i.e. between 500 to 700 ml of fluid per hour of training depending on the intensity of the efforts made. This loss must in particular be made up by drinking regularly. Otherwise, you risk dehydration and the complications that come with it. Be careful, it is water that you should drink and not any sugary or alcoholic drink. Indeed, it is water that promotes oxygenation of the muscles and the heart. Water rich in sodium and mineral salts will also optimize bodily functions, including muscle recovery.

4 — Prioritize muscle recovery through diet

During physical activity, the body burns calories and transforms them into energy. In the same way as water, it is necessary to recover the energy spent. Note that it is specific nutrients that you need to stimulate the recovery process. Among other things, you need:

• Carbohydrates such as starches, bread, cereals, legumes...
• Complex carbohydrates (wheat products, rice, potatoes, etc.)
• Proteins that are contained in foods such as meat, fish, legumes, cereals, nuts, etc.

Proteins in particular stabilize insulin levels. There is a simple calculation to find out how many grams (g) of protein you should eat. Simply multiply the number 0.3 with your weight expressed in kilos.

5 — Focus on sleep

Sleeping is the easiest and most effective method of muscle recovery. When we sleep, our heart rate slows, blood pressure decreases and the body begins a process of muscle regeneration. In fact, playing a sport causes slight trauma and microtears to the muscles. Sleep time should not be neglected, it should be between 7 and 8 hours per night. A lack of sleep will only hurt your recovery in addition to weakening your immune system.

6 — Get a massage

Top athletes favor massages to shorten their muscle recovery time . A massage effectively relaxes the muscles, relieves pain and promotes blood circulation. Getting a regular massage for an hour by a masseur-physiotherapist is obviously not within everyone's budget. There is still a solution: self-massage. For this, you can opt for a recovery accessory such as a foam roller or a massage gun . Self-massage is practiced by pressing with one of the accessories on the knotted fascia.

7 — Take an ice bath

Cryotherapy is a recovery method used by many athletes. To make it at home, you have two options:

• Take a shower and alternate hot and cold water. For 2 minutes, wet yourself with hot water, then one minute with lukewarm water and finally 30 seconds with cold water. Repeat the operation 4 times.
• Fill your bathtub with ice water at a temperature of 8°C and immerse yourself in it for about 5 minutes. Let your body warm up on its own. Attention ! Below 7°C, the body risks nerve damage.

In all cases, the cold reduces inflammation and blood supply to the muscles. After bathing, circulation is stimulated again which helps the body eliminate toxins and other waste. To enjoy a massage and a cryotherapy session, the massage ball Jolt Dot is ideal.

8 — Listen to your body

Listening to your body is an excellent way to know what it needs and to promote muscle recovery. Avoid excessive or too intense exercises during each session. Instead, establish a specific training schedule. Know how to stop when your body sends you signals (pain, drop in performance, etc.). Also remember to take some rest which will optimize your fitness gains and recovery.