Are you “not redoing” your recovery? If your recovery doesn’t meet the same standards you’ve set for your performance in the gym, you’re short-changing your results. It’s time to improve your templates with these tips
We are all obsessed with standards – fitness standards, movement standards, performance standards, regulatory standards and physiological standards are just a few that guide their approach.
But all too often, recovery is the standard missing from this list. If you train like a pro but recover like an amateur, you’re essentially “not repeating” your training. So why do we often treat our recovery as if it is optional?
Redefining the Standard
There is a movement pattern to ensure efficiency, safety and measurable progress. Performance standards measure important physical results, such as one repetition maximum. Qualification standards determine your level as an athlete.
A recovery template serves the same purpose. It compares the minimum requirements you need to support your body. Rehabilitation patterns allow physical and physiological adaptations to sink in, while also reducing the risk of injury.
More importantly, your recovery patterns determine your performance, whether it’s your next workout or your race or competition 8 weeks from now.
If you expect more from your body, you need to recover like it matters. This means that your time off the court or gym should be as disciplined as your time in it.
Stress overload
Training creates physical stress. Recovery is how your body adapts to stress and compensates for physical demands you are constantly taxing your muscles, tendons and cardiovascular system.
Without adequate recovery, performance drops or decreases, or you overload your body and get sick or injured.
And life comes with its own stressors, too. Poor sleep, high cognitive load, and irregular routines affect the nervous system in the same way that intense training does, which means you need to consider your overall stress load when determining your recovery needs.
Standard recovery protocols
Every high-end recovery protocol has a few non-negotiables, starting with nutrition. Food doesn’t just fuel your efforts. It supports the rebuild process afterwards. This means you need adequate protein to repair tissue, plenty of carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, and fats to produce hormones to support your bodily functions.
Using high-quality, third-party tested supplements supports your diet to provide everything your body needs.
The standard for glycogen and protein replenishment in the optimal post-workout window is a 4:1 ratio – 4g of carbohydrates for every 1g of protein – found in products such as Biogen Recovergen.
A 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein in a recovery supplement is scientifically recommended to maximize muscle recovery and glycogen replenishment, especially for endurance athletes or those undergoing intense, intense training.
For those recovering from resistance training (weightlifting), high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or moderate-intensity exercise, The 2:1 ratio is optimal for repairing muscle damage while still providing enough carbohydrates to replenish depleted energy stores.
One serving of highly bioavailable whey – the gold standard in protein supplements – from Biogen Premium Iso-Whey mixed with a portion of Biogen Pure Carbs offers the ideal mix, with 50g of carbohydrates and 21g of protein.
Make work an accessory
In addition to the nutritional guidelines, there are other important recovery standards that you should adhere to daily to maximize your recovery:
- Move every day: Even on rest days, go for a walk or actively engage in recovery with light recovery activities such as rowing, cycling, jogging or swimming. When it comes to soft tissue recovery and flushing out systemic waste, motion is lotion!
- Stay flexible: Include mobility and flexibility work such as stretching, mobility exercises and yoga to support joint and soft tissue recovery.
- Manage your webs: Get a regular deep tissue sports massage, foam roll regularly or use a massage gun to maintain soft tissue health and function by working out adhesions and knots.
- Use contrast therapy: Use the pool, sauna or steam room to speed recovery by promoting better blood flow. Try taking an ice bath if possible.
- Determine your sleep pattern: If you are not meeting your nightly limit of REM and deep sleep, you are not meeting the standards for hormonal and tissue repair. Get 7-9 hours of sleep a night, as many hours as possible before midnight.
Upload your Templates
It’s easy to work hard. It’s much harder to have the discipline to support and accelerate your recovery between workouts.
If you want to perform at your highest level, whether you’re a weekend warrior or a competitive athlete, you need to stop looking at recovery as rest and start looking at it as part of your daily routine, applying the same standards you do to your training. If your recovery isn’t up to par, your performance will never be either.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sports or health and fitness, Pedro is most likely out training for his next marathon or ultramarathon. She has worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms specialist. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
