Best ways to recover after training

Every workout is a stress factor for the body, puts much strain on it and uses up a lot of nutrients and energy. All of this must be replenished because the body requires regeneration, such as during sleep. However, before one goes to bed, the body must be adequately nourished. Here we can recommend post-workout regeneration protein in various forms. It is a good idea to take a concentrated form of protein before eating a complete meal. Ready-made protein supplements allow you to prepare a nutritious post-workout recovery shake quickly. There are also many other ways to speed up post-workout recovery.

Why is post-workout recovery so important?

The body cannot be used continuously – it needs rest and regeneration. This is especially important after intensive exercise. The body undergoes several changes during exercise, muscle tissue breaks down, and glycogen stores are depleted. It is no wonder that after the end of the activity, fatigue and sometimes even a feeling of exhaustion occurs. The body needs energy and nutrients. Micro-damages in the muscles must be regenerated, but rest becomes necessary to start the repair processes. Lack of regeneration is a simple way to overtrain, decrease training performance and appearance of several unpleasant health problems.

You cannot count on building muscle mass and increasing the body’s efficiency if you do not care about the critical element – regeneration. Immediately after exercise, short-term renewal is needed in the form of stretching and exercises with light loads. The warm-up prepares you for training, while post-workout short-term regeneration allows the body to enter a cooling phase. This is also the time to replenish substances lost during exercise. Otherwise, muscle soreness will occur, and muscle damage will occur. So what is an excellent post-workout recovery drink? A protein or carbohydrate shake will work best, as you need to rehydrate your body. Another issue is long-term recovery, such as a visit to a physiotherapist or massages.

How can you support the regeneration of the body after exercise?

The most crucial thing after intensive exercise is to replenish the energy source glycogen as quickly as possible. During its breakdown in the liver, it becomes possible to supply the body with glucose. Exhausted muscle glycogen is a simple way to weaken muscles. Without it, they become deprived of energy, so continuing training becomes virtually impossible. Muscle glycogen is also needed to repair damaged tissues and prevent catabolism. The best solution is, therefore, to use carbohydrates, which are ideal for replenishing glycogen. Protein drinks and other foods which are a source of quickly absorbed amino acids are a great option. It’s also necessary to rebalance protein, as protein is essential for muscle growth and recovery. Therefore, protein should be consumed immediately after training.
Ways to speed up post-workout regeneration

Those who want to accelerate the regeneration of the body should think about massage, which eliminates tension, prevents post-workout soreness, relaxes the body, improves blood flow, and reduces inflammation. Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, reflexology massage and sports massage can be recommended. On sale, there is no shortage of various accessories for athletes, thanks to which it is possible to perform self-massage; an example would be a foam roller/fitness roller. A very effective way to relieve muscle pain after training is cryotherapy – cold therapy. Walrus bathing is also a good option, as are alternating hot and cold showers. All this relaxes the body and strengthens the immune system. You can count on pain relief, especially after immersion in cold water.

It is essential to stretch after training, which is also one of the effective recovery techniques. It is best to combine static and dynamic stretching. There is also no shortage of active forms of regeneration in yoga, walking, swimming, cycling or even lifting light weights. After intensive physical training, light exercises are great. You can also support post-workout recovery with compression stockings, a vibrating foam roller or a massage gun.

Post-workout recovery supplements

Of course, the most crucial post-workout supplement is a protein supplement that has a complete amino acid profile. When consumed after exercise, it regenerates muscle fibres and increases muscle mass while reducing body fat. BCAA renewing after training works superbly. It is a source of easily absorbable protein, i.e. the building material for muscle tissue. It consists of leucine, isoleucine and valine, i.e. essential amino acids reducing the feeling of fatigue, serotonin production and muscle pain. We can also recommend creatine, which increases muscle recovery after exercise and growth hormone production.

Not to be forgotten is l-glutamine, a precious amino acid that repairs damaged muscle tissue. It accelerates regeneration, eliminates muscle soreness and strengthens the immune system. It is also worth considering supplementation with beta-alanine, an amino acid preventing the formation of lactic acid and reducing the feeling of post-workout fatigue. Preparations with collagen also support the repair processes; they are a part of, among others, muscles and ligaments. Collagen protects joints and reduces their painfulness; the same applies to muscles. Vitamin and mineral preparations are also helpful. The most important components are vitamin C, zinc, vitamin E, magnesium and B vitamins.