Charlene Waldner
Oct. 25, 2007
-- Training and recovery are both important to an athlete improvement. There is a fine balance between both that will achieve the best results.
The term modalities refer to “body-maintenance”. This is best accomplished by recovery techniques such as sleep, nutrition, stretching and therapy.
Sleep and rest are one of the most over-looked requirements to achieving peak performance. Sleep is a dynamic time for healing and growth. You could say that without rest there is no training. You can improve the amount of recovery by increasing sleep by one hour per night. This can be done by going to bed one hour earlier or sleeping in one hour later. You can increase the time your have available for training by watching less T.V. in the evening or if you have the luxury of sleeping in for a later morning masters group. Extra sleep on weekends could help combat a busy week of work/training and reduced sleep.
Naps are also important for rejuvenating the body. Many experts advise to keep the nap between 15 and 30 minutes, as sleeping longer gets you into deeper stages of sleep, from which it’s more difficult to awaken. Moreover, longer naps can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night, especially if your sleep deficit is relatively small. However, research has shown that a one-hour nap has many more restorative effects than a 30-minute nap, including a much greater improvement in cognitive functioning. The key to taking a longer nap is to get a sense of how long your sleep cycles are, and try to awaken at the end of a sleep cycle. (It’s actually more the interruption of the sleep cycle that makes you groggy, rather than the deeper states of sleep.) Sleep quality also is important. Make sure that the room is cool, dark, quiet and that the bedroom only used for sleep or intimacy. Reading or using the lab top in bed is stimulating and could cause disrupted sleep.
Having proper nutrition also enhances the athlete’s recover. Having a proper balanced diet including protein, complex carbohydrates, good fats and water in proper proportions to the athlete’s requirements will optimize recovery. Avoiding sugar, alcohol and simple carbohydrates can decrease recovery time because these foods don’t have the proper nutrients. The window of opportunity is 30 mins post-workout. It’s important to have a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein immediately after the workout. A good example could be the Powerbar recovery drink containing 13 grams of amino- acid rich protein. A less high tech version is a tuna sandwich – add vegetables and go easy on the mayo.
Stretching after a workout may enhance recovery and does help retain muscle length. After exercise, the body is warm and muscle tissue is more pliable encouraging the length of muscle tissue to restore to its original length. 20-30 minutes of stretching post-workouts especially the hips, low back, back and hamstrings, key areas for cyclists and runners. Yoga is ideal but you should also treat a yoga session as another workout. It is beneficial for reducing stress and developing mental focus and relaxation. The jury is out at the moment on whether stretching is beneficial for injury prevention, but it is useful for increasing the range of motion around a joint and helps the athlete be suppler and may promote relaxation.
Therapies such as icing are critical after long or hard workouts. The contrast of ice and heat is good for promoting a “flush” of blood through the treated area and for red blood cells carrying reparative oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. You can do this by alternating 90 seconds cold, 2 minutes hot. Always finish with the cold treatment. Another way is to stand in the ocean, river or lake after a long run or bike. The cooling effect decreases inflammation resulting in you being less stiff and sore the following day.
Massage is an excellent therapy to promote removal of waste products from muscles and helps to break up scar tissue. Having regular massage with a therapist you trust can greatly enhance recovery and prevent injuries. I would recommend a light massage the evening before a rest or active recovery day for most athletes. A recovery week may be an ideal to schedule massage. Athletes respond to massage like training, so it’s best not to schedule treatments randomly or only on race week.
Recovery modalities are critical to an athlete’s adaptation to stresses of training. Important to make them a priority because without regular recovery can lead to injury and over training. The most important point is the timing of the recovery. Keeping the order of eating, showering, then stretching is time-efficient and effective for most busy athletes. Rest should be a priority over training, but an area too often neglected or left out. A good motto is “When in doubt, leave it out”.
LifeSport Coach Charlene Waldner is a certified coach, BCRPA trainer, and champion athlete who has spent several years in the health and wellness industry working as a fitness instructor, personal trainer and coach. Charlene's 10 Ironman finishes include a 9:50 personal best.Beginner and experienced triathletes are invited to join the LifeSport Team. Contact LifeSport Coaching (coach@LifeSport.ca) or visit www.LifeSport.ca