Myprotein Community & Forums - Time To Relax

It's New Year, gyms are PACKED full of mindless muppets wandering around clogging the cardio areas, the machines, and for the few who venture into the weight room, curling in the squat rack. Although the serious trainees among us never even dream of having 10 months off of training like the rest of the population, we may have used the new year to change our goals, our training methods or try out a new sport.

Whilst we *should* ease into a new exercise program, we're alpha males and can handle whatever the gym throws at us, right?! Don't worry that I've been training singles for the past 6 months, 20 rep squats? No problem! The days after are normally spent walking like John Wayne and treating stairs like a minefield in Afghan.

So you've overdone it, what can you do to speed up the recovery process? Stretching just doesn't cut it, so here are my top tips for speeding up recovery from hard training sessions.

Manage Stress Effectively

The first thing you think of when the word stress is mentioned is probably the kind where you're tearing your hair out for a work deadline. But stress to the body can be anything from a training related stress such as a max effort phase of a strength program, to being nervous for a job interview. This is where the Central Nervous System (CNS) comes in, the nervous system is very different from other systems in the body. It not only supervises stress but also controls the body’s reactions afterwards.

Charlie Francis, considered by many to be the greatest sprint coach of all time, likened the CNS to a cup. He described it as a cup that has a fixed amount of liquid that it can hold, and all the training you do fills it up to various degrees. The more demanding the training, the more goes in the cup. The stresses of life, such as work or partner problems, will also fill up your cup. A cup overflowing (overtraining) means a decrease in performance, high levels of fatigue, apathy and altered immune system function.

Whilst I'm not saying we should all hug tree's instead of strength train for fear of overtraining, try as much as possible to manage what is within your control and when you feel like things are getting too much, use methods of relaxation such as yoga, meditation, stretching or even just getting outside for a walk.

Rest

We all know, to build muscle and lose fat, you need to strength train and eat right, but the missing link is often rest. When we rest, our bodies use fuel to grow stronger from the stress we place it under. Without adequate rest and sleep, muscles do not have an opportunity to recover and build.

Aim for 8 hours sleep per night. If you don't manage 8 hours, naps are great for recovery. Try and stick to 20 minutes at a time, more than this and the benefits start to lessen.

Before bed, try an Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate) bath. Studies have shown that magnesium and sulfate are both readily absorbed through the skin (8), which reduces inflammation. Try a bath with around 400 grams.

Use a Foam Roller (Self Myofascial Release or SMR)

Using a foam roller is a great way to get rid or training/posture related aches and pains. SMR improves the quality of muscle tissue by removing scar tissue and adhesions as well as improving blood flow and speeding up recovery. Whilst stretching alone does not help prevent or manage Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) (1), I have always found foam rollers and light aerobic work particularly beneficial post workout or in a standalone light session.

Here is a great instructional on how to use one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8caF1Keg2XU

Buy MP's foam roller here:

http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products...in-foam-roller

Use the Sauna

Whilst the stereotype of Saunas being filled with hot, Swedish blondes appears to be folklore, the Sauna is a great recovery tool.

Sauna's can increase performance in endurance sports (9) and have been shown to help lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. (10)

I got the original method from MMA strength and conditioning coach, Joel Jamieson and have used a more condensed, time efficient version to great effect with myself and a number of athletes.

1 Get in the sauna and stay in for 5-10 minutes

2 Take a shower, have the water as cold as possible, while making sure the water covers the head/back of the neck for 30 seconds

3 Get out of the shower, dry yourself and relax until you stop sweating completely

4 Repeat step 1-3

5 Take another shower, this time make it fairly warm and stay in for 1-2 minutes

The whole process should take under 30 minutes and you'll leave feeling energised and recovered.

Nail your Post Workout Nutrition:

I recommend Hurricane XS. It has a blend of carbohydrate, protein and creatine to build muscle and increase strength.

To quote the British Journal of Sports Medicine:

“Appropriate resistance exercise leads to significant skeletal muscle hypertrophy, which can occur through an increase in protein synthesis, a decrease in protein degradation, or both. Although stimulation—that is, resistance exercise—is important for muscle hypertrophy, nutrient availability appears to be a critical factor regulating the degree of hypertrophy.” (2)

In plain English, that means going to the gym builds muscle, but the amount of muscle you build is determined by your nutrition. And whilst most of us just have a whey protein drink after a training session, studies have shown that “essential amino acids with carbohydrates stimulate muscle protein anabolism by increasing muscle protein synthesis when ingested 1 or 3 h after resistance exercise.” (3)

Creatine is probably the most researched supplement on the face of this planet, there are numerous studies to show benefits in anything from maximal strength and strength endurance4 to protecting against heart disease, boosting the immune system (5) and improving brain function. (6)

References.

1. Robert D Herbert, Marcos de Noronha and Steven J Kamper. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
2. A H Manninen. Hyperinsulinaemia, hyperaminoacidaemia and post-exercise muscle anabolism: the search for the optimal recovery drink
3. Blake B. Rasmussen, Kevin D. Tipton, Sharon L. Miller, Steven E. Wolf, and Robert R. Wolfe. An oral essential amino acid-carbohydrate supplement enhances muscle protein anabolism after resistance exercise
4. Volek JS. Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance.
5. Wyss, M. and A. Schulze, Health implications of creatine: can oral creatine supplementation protect against neurological and atherosclerotic disease? Neuroscience, 2002. 112(2): p. 243-260.
6. Rae, C. et al. Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double blind, placebo controlled, cross over trial. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 2003. 270(1529): p. 2147-2150.
7. Dantzer, R. & Kelley, K. (1989). Stress and immunity: An integrated view of relationships between the brain and the immune system. Life Sciences, 44, 1995-2008.
8. Dr RH Waring, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham. B15 2TT, U.K. Report on Absorption of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) across the skin.
9. Guy S.M. Scoona,William G. Hopkins,Simon Mayhewb,James D. Cottera. Effect of post-exercise sauna bathing on the endurance performance of competitive male runners.
10. Hannuksela ML, Ellahham S. Benefits and risks of sauna bathing.

Discuss on the MP Forum.