Accelerated recovery after training: exercises, nutrition and recommendations. How to restore muscles after training and get rid of pain

Hi all. Today we are talking about a very broad topic, which includes a lot of factors, but in general it can be called muscle recovery after training. What should it be? How does it happen? How long does it last? Etc. We will discuss all these questions today.

Some people train three times a week, others 5 times. Some people train a muscle group twice a week, and others once. All these and other questions are directly related to restoration, and it is impossible to answer them immediately, and besides, ONE ANSWER (FOR ALL PEOPLE AT ONCE) is impossible!

For example, for comparison I chose 2 bodybuilders:

The first one trained with maximum working weights, At the same time, I rested for two weeks after such training.
And the second one (Arnold) also trained with heavy weights, but trained them more than once in TWO WEEKS (LIKE YATS), A ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS!

That's the twist, isn't it? Who is right about how much rest you need between workouts in order for your muscles to grow FAST? 😀

Undoubtedly the one who trains hard and does it more often than others has a greater chance of becoming many times larger and stronger much faster than the one who does not. There is no point in arguing here! However, here it is VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER that very RECOVERY AFTER TRAINING! Because recovery is MUSCLE GROWTH!

What did you think, muscles grow with training? Hehe, that's not true! Training is just stress for our body; during training we get microtraumas (we destroy muscle cells). After the destruction, the period of healing of the resulting INJURIES begins, and ONLY AFTER we heal “THESE INJURIES” THE PERIOD OF SUPERCOMPENSATION begins, i.e. MUSCLE GROWTH!!!

This is necessary information; for me personally, everything is very clear here. The main thing is that you learn! Based on this, you can understand that recovery will happen DIFFERENTLY for EVERYONE!

For someone trains HARD (which means there will be more microtrauma), which means that such a person will need more time to heal damaged muscles. A someone trains easily (he has few microtraumas), which means that his healing of damaged muscles will occur much faster!!!

Hmm, on reflection we can say that we can end this. Train hard = rest longer. Train lightly = you can rest less. However, this is absolutely true! This is just the beginning of our journey!

In addition to training stress, recovery depends on many other factors: nutrition, rest, physical activity outside the gym, etc. Therefore, I recommend that you study the main articles on these 3 main parameters:

Well, as for physical activity outside the gym, I think everyone understands that if a person works a lot during the day (physically), for example, works as a loader = then the likelihood of getting large muscles is reduced to zero. Another example, if a person works somewhere, for example, in an office (mentally), he manages to eat 5-6 times a day and goes to training in the evening, then this is a completely different matter. Those. in the first case, a person works physically (maybe all day) + if he also goes to training = there is a guarantee, which cannot be said about the second example. Therefore, here you also need to prioritize what is more important to you: muscles or work (money, etc.).

Moreover, the restoration process does not occur simultaneously for all functions. Those. TRAINING affects not only muscles (these are the injuries we talked about above), but also other important components of recovery in our body, such as:

Energy restoration
Restoration of muscle fibers

And all these components require different amounts of time to recover after training.

Energy restoration happens quite quickly. About 1-2 days and everything is OK. This is if you do everything correctly (i.e. you help the body, eat the right food, sleep 8-10 hours). And if you interfere with recovery, for example, at night instead of sleeping - having fun at discos, then the restoration of energy will take a longer time.

Restoration of hormonal levels occurs a little longer than energy recovery. The fact is that any stressful situations affect our endocrine system. First of all, there is a release of stress hormones (catabolic). Catabolism is destruction. This concerns the hormone cortisol. Then comes the release TESTOSTERONE (this is the opposite, ANABOLIC hormone). Anabolism is growth. So testosterone rises for a short time, after which it falls BELOW THE INITIAL LEVEL. And this hormonal imbalance caused by your workout will last a little more than a day.

Restoring muscle fibers is what we talked about at the very beginning. We injured our muscles during training. Then their healing begins. HOWEVER, THE RATE OF THEIR HEALING = DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE. First of all, it depends on the TRAINING STRESS (your training) , then, in principle, the muscles can recover within a day. If the load was too heavy and voluminous, then recovery may take 1-2 WEEKS. If anything is in between – then recovery takes about 2 days.

By the way, please note that Recovery is going very quickly for the first few days. For example, if you have worked out (not hard and not easy, but moderately), then for the first day your muscles will recover by about 80%. And the next day - by 20%. Those. During the first few days it goes much faster, from PEAK to DOWN.

Restoration of the nervous system – require a very long rest! About 6-7 days. No matter how strange it may seem at first glance. The fact is that by scrolling the mouse down an article, our brain orders the limbs (arm) to do this. Also during training, our muscles contract due to the fact that the brain ordered them to do so! Consequently, the brain is actively working, which means it gets tired.

Well, the article has come to an end, I propose to summarize what I told you today:

Recovery is influenced by many factors, the main ones being: training stress, nutrition and rest.
Therefore, you must follow the correct training (here is the training split and exercises and their number of approaches/repetitions and their order, duration and severity of the workout... all this must be taken into account) here and the diet (your diet, how you should eat in order to speed up the process recovery), here comes rest (you should sleep well for 8-10 hours, and not wander around).
Recovery occurs at different speeds: first energy, then the hormonal system, then our muscles, and only then the nervous system.
The harder your workouts = the more rest you need to recover.
The easier your workouts = the less rest you need to recover.
The more often your workouts = the easier they should be(or periodization, 1 week is heavy, another is easy, etc.)

Best regards, administrator.

Every repetition was difficult! Your muscles were burning from the resulting load and tension! The workout was incredibly hard and intense, but it didn't help build an ounce of muscle tissue!

The opportunity for muscle growth begins when you finish strength training, and this growth cannot occur without a proper recovery “protocol.” Muscles don't grow in the gym - they grow after. When you lift heavy weights, your muscles suffer microtrauma and undergo a process called catabolism. Immediately after stopping physical activity, your body begins to repair itself, but it needs help.

If you want to get the most out of your efforts in the gym, then you need to focus on post-workout recovery. Follow these 8 principles to achieve your desired results - stay on top.

Push the boundaries of what's possible

"No pain, no growth!" is one of the most popular phrases in the gym. Pushing your limits is good practice, but how far can you go? There must be a measure that provides the necessary stimulus for muscle growth, rather than trying to reach a point where the muscle is completely destroyed, resulting in soreness for many days.

The emphasis should not be on the speed of recovery, but on its quality and productivity. If you constantly push yourself to the point of exhaustion every workout, this damage accumulates over time and the body spends more energy trying to repair these effects, leaving less energy for building muscle. Train hard enough to push yourself outside of your "comfort zone" - try to do more than the previous day. By following this principle, you will see lasting and constant progress, rather than taking one step forward and two steps back.

Take Pre-Workout Nutrition Seriously

What you do directly affects the quality and time of recovery. Since absorption is a long process, nutrition before going to the “rocking chair” also plays an important role. The proteins and carbohydrates that you ate before the start of the training will circulate in the body for some time. Therefore, choose your products wisely. Make sure you get high-quality protein from lean meats, and complex carbohydrates if you plan to exercise intensely. Eat food 2 hours before training to avoid digestive problems.

During strength training, it would be a good idea to take BCAA, which will be actively absorbed by muscle cells. And don't forget about a portion before bed.

Don't skip stretching

Stretching doesn't seem all that meaningful when size is the main goal. But it may be the most underrated player in muscle growth. Without the necessary flexibility and muscle plasticity, you limit yourself in many basic exercises. For example, if your ankles are too tight, you won't be able to squat deep enough to get the most benefit from barbell squats.

Stretching is a great way to reduce muscle tension and soreness during recovery. Take at least 15 minutes after your workout to cool down and stretch.

Protein after workout

“Feed your muscles!” Give them fuel to grow and improve. A portion of protein after physical activity is vital. Aim for 20-50 grams of protein after each workout, depending on your weight. For women, 20 grams will be enough, but for men it is better to strive for a higher value.

Whey protein is the most popular protein supplement, and for good reason: it's convenient, easy to mix, and has a fast absorption rate, perfect for taking after a tough workout.

To speed up and optimize your recovery processes, along with fast carbohydrates. These can be foods with a high glycemic index, such as fruits or juices (preferably in large quantities to get 60-100 grams of carbohydrates). They will boost insulin and replenish glycogen and energy levels. Insulin is a powerful anabolic factor that helps restore muscle proteins.

Eat foods rich in potassium

Potassium-fortified foods should be included in your post-workout shake. At the end of intense training, potassium reserves in the body will be depleted. Potassium, along with other nutrients such as sodium and calcium, is a key mineral that plays an important role in muscle energy.

Bananas and potatoes are good sources of potassium. The former go with almost anything, and mashed potatoes in your first post-workout meal are also a good idea.

Quality sleep

Sleep is not just for rest. This is the forced "down time" the body needs to recover. By sacrificing hours of sleep over a long period of time, you make yourself mentally weaker and have a negative impact on the training process. You need to sleep at least 7 hours, and athletes get all 9. Find ways to help make changes to your daily routine - go to bed early.

Active recovery after training

Rest days give your muscles a break. But some light activity, such as swimming or cycling, will stimulate the recovery process and speed it up. This method is known as "active recovery." Also, light cardio after strength training will help relieve pain by stimulating blood circulation and improving circulation to the muscles.

Reducing stress

Physiological stress from exercise is a good thing. Chronic stress from other sources, such as deadlines at work or stress, can significantly impact how you feel on a daily basis, as well as how quickly you recover.

The combination of chronic stress and heavy physical activity in the gym negatively affects the overall well-being and capabilities of your body. Take steps to reduce your stress levels so you can bounce back faster. Do something that you really enjoy or makes you laugh.

Now you know that recovery is an integral component in achieving any goal in the gym. If you want to get stronger, faster and fitter, you must integrate each of these tips into your daily recovery plan to get directly proportional results from your strenuous workouts!

The main mistake of beginners and people who dream of losing weight in a short time or, conversely, building muscle mass, is neglecting the recovery procedure. Many are sure that rest significantly delays the process of obtaining the desired results, and continuous and intense training gives a slender body with six-pack abs breaking through the shirt faster. In reality everything is different! During training, muscles undergo stress and, accordingly, are damaged. The lack of a recovery period further aggravates the situation, because the muscles are subject to destruction, in addition, they lose the ability to withstand a more intense load, which makes training ineffective and unsafe.

Method 1. Don’t neglect the cool-down

The cool-down is an integral part of the workout, occurring at the last stage. It is designed to soothe the muscles and involves low-intensity exercise such as walking, jogging, exercise on an exercise bike or foam roller. The duration depends solely on the intensity of the workout; the greater it is, the longer the cool-down should be. Even if you feel extremely tired or are in a hurry to leave the gym, dedicate at least 5 minutes to a cool-down.

Physical activity involves active loss of fluid. And, naturally, it needs to be replenished. This same action increases the body's recovery rate after exercise because it supports nutrient delivery and improves metabolism. You should drink especially plenty of fluids after training in hot weather.

It is advisable to drink acidified drinks, for example, still mineral water with lemon or lime juice and the addition of stevia powder (a natural sweetener). You can also resort to isotonic drinks. These are fluids that provide a person with water and electrolytes, which leave the body through sweat.

Isotonic drinks are presented on the market in two forms - dry concentrate in cans and liquid concentrate in bottles. The taste can be very diverse - from wild cherry to exotic passion fruit. The main thing is to pay attention to the composition when choosing; it should not contain acesulfate and saccharin. These are cheap sweeteners that do not make the composition balanced, moreover, they are dangerous to health. It is better to opt for drinks that contain salts, glucose polymers, dietary supplements and vitamins.

Method 3. Massage regularly

Massage improves blood circulation, which means it relieves muscle pain and speeds up the recovery process. Massage also minimizes the risk of injury. Massage manipulations can be carried out manually, using natural vegetable oil, or using a hand roller. The optimal massage time is 20 minutes.

Method 4: Take a cool bath

Staying in a cool bath or taking a contrast shower is an equally effective way to quickly recover after a workout. Cool water significantly reduces soreness in trained muscles. Take a bath for no more than 10 minutes. And to calm and prepare for bed, you can add a little of your favorite essential oil to the water.

If you accidentally twist your ankle or get a bruise during training, use a cold compress or apply a bag filled with ice cubes to the sore spot.

In addition to cool baths, on the way to recovery after intense training, you can turn to a sauna or bathhouse. These establishments are a great place to relax and maintain health. Don't forget about hot wraps, they also have a beneficial effect on the muscles and also improve the condition of the skin - moisturize, nourish and tighten.

Hot wraps have a number of contraindications. They are not recommended for oncology, diseases of the cardiovascular and endocrine systems, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, lymphovascular diseases, pregnancy, gynecological diseases, as well as in the presence of cuts, wounds and other injuries on the skin.

Post-workout nutrition depends solely on the purpose of your workout. If the goal is weight loss, experts recommend turning to foods that contain a high amount of protein or a minimal amount of carbohydrates, for example, boiled skinless chicken breast or steamed pollock.

If the goal of training is to gain muscle mass, you need to combine proteins and carbohydrates in a ratio of 1:4. However, the exact numbers depend on the intensity of the workout and the time spent on it, and, of course, health. This ratio is appropriate for absolutely healthy people who train intensively for an hour.

If you decide to resort to sports nutrition, consult your doctor first, because it has a number of side effects. Nowadays, there are three types of sports supplements - for building muscle mass, burning fat and recovering from physical activity. Also on sale you can find multicomponent complexes aimed at solving several problems, and pre-workout complexes of amino acids and vitamins designed to increase endurance, speed up metabolic processes and maintain hormonal levels.

Roskontrol experts assure that there is no universal recommendation for choosing sports nutrition. When purchasing, it is important to focus on the training program, the goal you want to achieve, and the recommendations of the trainer. You should also remember that you cannot base your diet on sports nutrition; they are only a supplement that affects metabolic processes. It is imperative to replenish reserves of all vital substances by eating meat, fish, poultry, cottage cheese, cereals, vegetables and fruits.

Method 7: Do stretching exercises

Stretching exercises are necessary for all trainees - no matter whether they are a professional athlete or a beginner trying to lose extra pounds. But special attention should be paid to exercises for people with joint problems. For example, knee lift steps, step steps, and arm rotations will increase joint mobility and minimize muscle imbalances. There is no need to overload yourself with stretching exercises; it is enough to devote 10 minutes a day to the process.

Doing nothing and lying on the couch after training is the easiest way, but this method will not relieve muscle pain, and it will reduce the effectiveness of training. When going home from the gym, walk or ride a bike, leave public transport and your personal car alone. Low-intensity movements also promote quick recovery, especially if they involve fresh air.

Method 9. Get enough sleep

Sleep is an equally important aspect of rapid recovery. After all, a healthy sleep of 7-8 hours activates protein synthesis and growth hormone, and also improves the proper functioning of the brain. Lack of sleep has an extremely detrimental effect on the results of any training, as it reduces their effectiveness several times.

This is interesting!

It has been noticed that people who neglect healthy sleep often break down by eating high-calorie foods. Indeed, lack of sleep provokes appetite. In addition, lack of sleep leads to a deterioration in attention and reaction speed, which is simply unacceptable during intense training, especially with the participation of heavy sports equipment.

Method 10. Plan your workouts

For training to be successful, it is necessary to clearly define the goal and, accordingly, develop a rational action plan that will allow you to achieve the desired results faster. It is quite difficult to draw up a training plan on your own, especially for a beginner, so at the first stage you should contact a specialist with a specialized education who has extensive experience in sports. Only regular and systematic training will make your dream come true, but never overwork and lack of a plan!

During the study Resistance Exercise Augments Postprandial Overnight Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates ., the results of which were published in the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, it was noted that the combination of a protein meal and strength training shortly before bed allows for faster muscle recovery.

The study, conducted at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands), involved 24 young people. Two hours after dinner, shortly before bed, they drank a protein shake. Right before drinking the shake, one group of participants did a lower body strength training session. The other group did nothing.

Those who exercised before taking the protein shake increased protein synthesis overnight by 30% compared to participants who simply took the protein before bed without exercise.

In earlier works of this group of scientists Protein Ingestion before Sleep Increases Muscle Mass and Strength Gains during Prolonged Resistance-Type Exercise Training in Healthy Young Men. It has already been proven that by consuming shortly before bedtime, you can increase muscle protein synthesis during the night.

This discovery will be useful not only for bodybuilders, but also for other athletes, such as runners. Long, hard runs also damage muscles. After a hard workout, you need to help the muscle fibers recover so that the muscles quickly adapt to serious loads. By increasing the rate of recovery using this technique, runners will be able to quickly acclimate to increasing loads.

Lead researcher Jorn Trommelen says the technique results in more mitochondria being produced in the muscles, which increases the body's aerobic capacity. The combination of exercise and food rich in protein maintains the number of mitochondria in the muscles, therefore improving not only strength performance, but also endurance.

How to train and what to eat before bed

The training that the subjects did lasted one hour and included:

15 minutes ride on an exercise bike;
six sets of 10 repetitions of leg press in the simulator;
six sets of 10 repetitions of leg raises in the simulator.

However, Trommelen says that less intense training will also be effective.

Any amount of physical activity can stimulate protein synthesis, although to a lesser extent.

For example, simply walking only slightly increases muscle protein production. The most effective strength exercises are with your own body weight or, especially if you repeat them until your muscles fail.

Trommelen recommends choosing three sets of push-ups and three sets of pull-ups for exercise before bed. Number of repetitions - until muscle failure.

Another good training option is a combination of squats, leg raises and hamstring exercises (calf raises in a machine, with your own body weight, with weights).

In terms of food, the protein shake used in the study contained 20 grams of protein. Here is an example of a regular meal containing the same amount of protein: 600–700 grams of low-fat milk, three eggs or 100 grams of tuna. Eating foods with less protein will also increase the rate of muscle recovery, but not as significantly.

Trommelen believes that combining strength training with a protein meal before bed will be the most effective way for athletes to recover after a day of hard training.

You have a great opportunity to test this statement. Try a new technique and share your impressions in the comments.

After training properly, you definitely need to provide the body with the opportunity to restore the resources spent in the gym. The period after training is the time when, that is, what exactly happens in the gym is for. Therefore, it is very important to pay special attention to recovery.

How correctly and fully you rest, it is in this proportion that muscle building will occur. Let's figure out how to properly recover after training.

In a business like bodybuilding, it is imperative to take into account that each body is individual. Everyone works out differently: for some people, to stay in shape, it’s enough to go to the gym twice a week. And some people have to be there literally every day to see the result. Therefore, usually all these ingenious techniques that are posted online by professional athletes usually have little help for ordinary amateurs who are not on steroids and do not engage in heavy training professionally.

Having read smart advice, you go to the gym and push yourself there until exhaustion, rightly expecting a good result after such an investment of effort. And he’s still not there. And if there is, it is insignificant. This is because you need not only to exhaust yourself, but also to rest properly after that. Without proper recovery, don't expect your muscles to grow quickly and turn you into a macho man on the cover.

Compensation and super compensation

Roughly speaking, training for our body is a muscle tear. In the process of lifting weights and power loads, muscle fibers are subject to deformation - stretched, torn, “bursting at the seams.” After training, any athlete can definitely experience multiple microcracks and muscle fiber tears.

Since the body does not tolerate anything imperfect, immediately after the training has stopped, it begins to recover and heal these breaks, quite logically considering them unacceptable.

This process of recovery and wound licking is called compensation.

But if immediately after this compensation phase the body is provided with excess nutrients and proper rest, the supercompensation phase begins. During this period, the muscles become rougher, increasing their volume in order to prevent similar tears and injuries in the future. This is how muscle mass increases.

How to know when to recover

It is impossible to accurately calculate down to the minute when one phase ends and another begins. However, based on your feelings, if you listen to your body, you will understand it yourself. Example:

On the second day the pain becomes even more severe. Tissue healing begins - where ruptures occurred, new fibers grow.

The third day - the pain is weaker, but if the muscle is pulled or strained, it appears again. The fourth day - the pain is practically not felt. This means that the restoration is already being completed.

Overtraining and what it leads to

If you don't give your muscles time to rest and recover, fatigue will build up. And if you start to increase the pace of the loads, overtraining may occur. At first, it manifests itself as a persistent, incomprehensible desire to skip training. It is the body itself that gives you a sign that it is time to rest. Even if you continue training in a state of fatigue, muscle growth will occur slowly and very little.

If you overcome yourself “courageously” for a long time, then fatigue accumulates more and more and as a result leads to the following results:

loss of appetite;
muscle stiffness;
joint pain;
stagnation of results - they stand still, there is no growth.

Therefore, the golden rule of an athlete: if you’re tired, it’s time to rest. Well, or “war is war - and lunch is on schedule.” It is important to listen to the body - it constantly gives signals, but very often we ignore them.

What should be done?

If overtraining occurs, the solution is simple: do not train for several days, skip classes. It is important at this time to sleep enough, eat well and eat a lot. Usually a couple of days are enough to bring yourself back to normal and feel a surge of strength and vigor.

The most accurate indicator that the body has recovered is that when you lift weights that were recently serious for you, they now seem light. And I want new heights.

How to properly recover after a workout

Let's consider the most basic criteria for proper recovery after training.

Full sleep

The most important condition for the restoration of the body. This is important for everyone, and even more so for those who load their bodies to the fullest. Muscles grow and gain volume during sleep.

Ideally, you should sleep at least 8 hours continuously. And it’s better to sleep than not sleep enough. If you have problems falling asleep, then you definitely need to do something in this direction: tune in to calmness in the evening, take a walk, go to bed early.

Try to create ideal sleeping conditions. A person can get a full night's sleep in complete darkness and silence, when no one disturbs him. Make sure you have the right pillow and a good mattress.

Nutritious food

BCAA - you should take 3 grams of this drug either during training or immediately after it to stop catabolism - muscle breakdown.
Creatine in the amount of 2-3 grams immediately after training compensates for the creatine phosphate lost during exercise.
Glutamine. You should take 3 grams of this substance after training in order to activate the production of growth hormone and provide the body with energy.

More important rules:

An hour and a half after sports activities you should eat a hearty meal. Provide yourself with a complete diet, which will contain all the necessary substances and microelements.
We should not forget about providing the body with fats. Vegetable oils, especially flaxseed, are beneficial for athletes. Fatty fish are also great for your diet.
Vegetables are a must. They improve digestion and are an excellent source of fiber and coarse fiber.
You should divide your daily diet into 5-6 doses - it’s better more often, but little by little, than vice versa.
If you feel hungry and it’s not time for lunch/dinner yet, then don’t torture yourself - eat a banana or a handful of dates.
Be sure to drink plenty of clean water. Drink both during and after training. An indicator that water enters the body in sufficient quantities will be the color of urine, especially in the morning. If the urine is clear, it means there is enough water. If it’s yellow or orange, you’re not drinking enough.

You can't keep increasing the pace. If the time has come for intense training, then provide yourself with enough time to recover.
At the end of the workout there must be stretching - the so-called cool-down. This technique will help remove excess lactic acid from overworked muscles and stabilize the pulse. As a result, we recover faster and our muscles become more elastic. 5-10 minutes will be enough. But it must be done efficiently.
A contrast shower is beneficial for an athlete. It is important to turn on hot water first, then cold, and not vice versa. This significantly improves blood circulation.
If your muscle pain is very severe, taking an ice bath may help. Ice cube massage and other cooling procedures also help. This technique helps reduce muscle pain and promotes their speedy recovery. The following principle applies here - under the influence of a sharp rhythmic contraction and expansion of muscle fibers, toxins are quickly and actively removed from them.
Massage is useful, especially in the evening, before bed. As a result of simple movements, the ability of muscles to absorb nutrients increases. In addition, the transport of these same substances to the muscles is accelerated and activated.
Active recreation is recommended. You shouldn’t lie on the couch in front of the TV, “recovering.” This type of vacation is not for an athlete. Better take a walk. A visit to a bathhouse or sauna will be useful. Swimming in the pool is also pleasant and healthy.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the only criterion by which you can evaluate whether you have recovered sufficiently. If you have a persistent, irresistible desire to go and lift iron, and there is no muscle pain, you have done everything right. Good luck and anabolism.

Liked? - Tell your friends!