WIXLIB

10 BESTMUSCLERECOVERYTECHNIQUESFOR ATHLETESA look at several excellent muscle recovery techniquesfor athletes that are designed to minimize theamount of downtime required.

Contents3456789101112132 Summary Stretching Intensely Get Enough Rest Improving Blood Flow Getting a Massage Eating Enough Protein Drinking Enough Water Consuming Coconut Products Rolling Your Muscles Spacing Out Your Routine Using Recovery TechnologyTitle of the book

SummaryFor athletes, muscles are the foundation on top of which all success is built.Without strong muscles, it is impossible for any athlete to achieve thehighest level of performance in their chosen field.One of the biggest obstacles to improving muscle strength and increasing athleticperformance is muscle recovery, the process in which muscles receive nutrientsand repair themselves after intense use. While some recovery time will always benecessary for human muscles, there are several excellent muscle recoverytechniques for athletes that are designed to minimize the amount of downtimethat the muscles require. This means that an athlete has more time to spendimproving their skills at their chosen sport.“One of the biggest obstaclesto improving muscle strengthand increasingathletic performance ismuscle recovery.”310 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Stretching IntenselyStretching is among the best muscle recovery techniques for athletesbecause it improves the flow of blood to the muscles that are beingstretched. In this way, it speeds up the recovery process by allowing the musclesto more readily receive the nutrients they need. Another valuable benefit ofstretching is that it can improve the range of motion of a specific muscle, whichmeans it is not only one of the great muscle recovery techniques for athletes, butthat it can also help an athlete improve their flexibility and performance.There are a few different types ofstretches that are best for athletes. Twoof the most common types are staticstretching, which extends the musclegroup to a particular point and holds itfor a given amount of time, anddynamic stretching, which involvesmovement and works more than onemuscle. These various stretches caneach be beneficial for recovery indifferent ways.410 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Getting Enough RestAlthough many competitive athletes aren’t fond of the idea of limitingtheir activity, adequately resting muscles that are being worked outis one of the most critical muscle recovery techniques for athletes. When the bodyis asleep, it goes through several important processes that repair muscle tissueand restores balance to the rest of the body. Sleep is especially important forthose athletes who want to improve their muscle mass; some medical specialistsbelieve that a lack of sleep can actually contribute to the loss of muscle mass,based on the hormonal changes that occur while a person is asleep.Even the most elite athletes in the world do not neglect their sleep. Tennislegend Roger Federer is known to sleep between ten and twelve hours a night,as does basketball star LeBron James. In late 2014 it was reported that threetime Super Bowl champion, NFL quarterback Tom Brady, goes to bed at 8:30PM each night to make sure he can get enough sleep to wake up early and workon his skills.510 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Improving Blood FlowTThe nutrients contained in thebody’s blood are importantbecause they eventually get sent tomuscles that are recovering, allowing themto begin the process of restoring musclefibers to make them stronger than theywere before. Without sufficient blood flow,muscles will not receive these importantbuilding blocks, ultimately limiting theirgrowth. Some of the muscle recoverytechniques for athletes that can helpcontribute to blood flow include stretchingand maintaining a diet of healthy foodsthat do not contribute to blocked arteriesor veins.Another great way to make sure that blood flow is sufficient is throughcardiovascular exercise such as running, swimming, walking, or biking.Research shows that cardiovascular exercise can help reduce blood pressure,and it can also remove bad cholesterols from the blood that can end upnarrowing your bloodstream. This is one of the main reasons that most athletesdecide to incorporate cardiovascular exercise into their routines, even if they arefocusing on strength training.610 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Getting a MassageMany athletes get massages frequently to alleviate tense muscles,so their bodies feel better and don't give them as much pain.Receiving a massage can be one of the best muscle recovery techniques forathletes because it helps make the biological process of muscle recovery moreefficient. In a post on The New York Times’ blog entitled Well, scientific researchshowed that people who received a massage had lower levels of cytokines, acompound that causes inflammation, and higher levels of mitochondria activity,which helps convert glucose into the energy that is important for cell repair.Remember, if you are an athlete looking for recovery through massage, you don’tneed to go to a professional each and every time. Learning a few differentmassage techniques and applying them yourself after a workout or competitioncan help you get many of the great benefits of massage without having to makean appointment with a massage therapist. There are plenty of massage productson the market as well, which are designed to work specific areas.710 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Eating Enough ProteinGetting the protein that is needed by the body is extremely importantfor muscles to recover, since protein is made up of some of theessential amino acids that the body needs to successfully repair and build up thefibers of the muscles. The reason that protein is so important for muscle recoveryis because, after intense resistance exercise, the body increases its rates ofprotein synthesis and breakdown as the process of muscle recovery begins.Unless more protein is put into the body to help adjust for this accelerated rate ofsynthesis, it can lead to the loss of muscle mass. The best sources of protein arelean meats and fish that do not contain an excessive amount of fat, such aschicken and tuna. Nuts and beans are great protein options as well.So, how much protein is needed forathletes to ward off loss of muscle dueto elevated levels of protein synthesis?There is no single answer, but a range of0.6 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound ofbody weight is generally an acceptableamount. Many athletes supplement theirregular diets with drinks or snack barspacked with protein so that they cankeep their levels high enough to helpA range of0.6 to1.2 gramsof protein perpound of bodyweighttheir muscles recover and grow larger.810 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Drinking Enough WaterWater is important for many of our bodily functions; it is no wonder,when you consider that most scientists agree that the average adulthuman body is 55 to 60% water. While most athletes already know that stayinghydrated is important during performance or training sessions, some may forgetthat drinking water is one of the best muscle recovery techniques for athletestoday. This is because drinking water helps fill up the cells and prevent them fromfalling victim to protein synthesis. Hydration is also important for facilitatingdigestion, so that the body can receive all of the nutrients that are needed forproper recovery. Water helps contribute to a healthy digestive process.The standard suggestion for waterconsumption each day is 64 ounces orabout half a gallon. However, someathletes may need to drink more thanthat to be adequately hydrated. A goodtip for drinking enough water each day isto take a reusable water bottle with youto work or school so that you can spaceout your water drinking and maintainhydration throughout the day.910 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Consuming CoconutProductsWhy are coconuts consideredvaluable to the musclerecovery process? There are a fewcommon reasons why coconut-baseddrinks and foods have become sopopular with today’s athletic community.First, coconut products containcompounds known as medium-chaintriglycerides, which are fats that the bodycan absorb into the bloodstream moreeasily than other types. This makes it anideal form of fuel for the muscle recoveryprocess.Coconut water is becoming a popular alternative to traditional sports drinks forathletes, because of its effectiveness at restoring hydration after a workout.Coconut water contains electrolytes and plenty of potassium, which means that itis one of the best muscle recovery techniques for athletes who want to reducetheir downtime between workouts. Many athletes have decided to stop drinkingthe traditional sports drinks on the market in favor of coconut-based juices andwater drinks.1010 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Rolling Your MusclesRolling your muscles is a great way to release tension in your bodyby removing knots in areas like the legs, arms, and sides. This can bedone with a specialized foam roller, a medicine ball, or other similar devices thatare meant to move easily along the muscles. There are different kinds oftechniques employed for muscle rolling depending on the areas and specificmuscles that need to be rolled.When you roll your muscles, it resultsin better flexibility and less painfulmovement of the muscles inquestion, because you break uptightness and knots that causestiffness and pain. Muscle rolling isone of the great muscle recoverytechniques for athletes because ithelps restore range of motion andeliminate the tightness and pain thatoften comes with inflammation as aresult of intense competitions ortraining sessions. Muscle rolling isalso a good recovery techniquebecause it gives you more controlover the specific areas that you targetfor recovery, which can provide highlyeffective relief.1110 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

Spacing Out a RoutineMost serious athletes haveintensively will need at least 24 to 48some type of routine sethours of recovery before they shouldup that alternates between conditioning,be trained again. If an athletewhich gives the body strength toneglects to properly account for restcomplete the necessary athleticdays in their routine, it canactions, and practicing, where thenegatively impact performance sinceathlete works on improving skills thatthe target muscles will bethey use in their sport.overworked. For this reason, mostathletes decide to vary the days on12No matter what kind of routine or splitwhich they train different muscles.athletes decide to engage in, it isThe specific amount of rest thatimportant that enough time is left foreach of your muscles needs will varyrest. This is particularly true for thosedepending on your body and yourathletes who engage in a lot of strengthspecific schedule, as well as howtraining, as muscles that are trainedlong you have been training.10 Best Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes