Recovering from a Workout
- Thread starter jdboucher
- Start date
I try to finish my workout with a stretching routine, drink plenty of water after a hard workout, stretch again before bed and get lots of sleep. I also swear by Zheng gu shui linament.
Recovery is part of your workout.
If you are doing an aerobic workout you need to replace your consumed muscle glycogen and its best to do so within 90 minutes of completing your workout.
I try and consume 50-60 grams of liquid carbohydrates shortly after my workouts, either a long ride, run or a race.
Conversely, I try not to consume external calories during a workout unless I am going very long, say over 3-3.5 hours. Anything less and I try to consume only water, and I require a lot.
If your doing an anaerobic workout you have to deal with ATP consumption as well as residual soreness and glycogen consumption as well, but less so. ATP is produced by the body and can't be taken in as a direct replenishment like muscle glycogen can. So on days when I do hard anaerobic workouts...either explosive lifting, sprints or over geared intervals on the bike or sprints or hill work while running, I try and reduce the carbs to 30-40 grams and add some protein to the recovery drink. These workouts arent usually as long as aerobic ones so glycogen loss is less, thus less carbs required for recovery, but there is that muscle breakdown that causes the soreness and so I add a bit of protein (not that I am convinced that it works) to my recovery drink.
If Im very sore I use a muscle rub as well. These days I am liking the Kiehl's stuff, but any of the more mild ones are interchangeable in my mind. Some of the more aggressive ones have burned my skin though.
If you are doing an aerobic workout you need to replace your consumed muscle glycogen and its best to do so within 90 minutes of completing your workout.
I try and consume 50-60 grams of liquid carbohydrates shortly after my workouts, either a long ride, run or a race.
Conversely, I try not to consume external calories during a workout unless I am going very long, say over 3-3.5 hours. Anything less and I try to consume only water, and I require a lot.
If your doing an anaerobic workout you have to deal with ATP consumption as well as residual soreness and glycogen consumption as well, but less so. ATP is produced by the body and can't be taken in as a direct replenishment like muscle glycogen can. So on days when I do hard anaerobic workouts...either explosive lifting, sprints or over geared intervals on the bike or sprints or hill work while running, I try and reduce the carbs to 30-40 grams and add some protein to the recovery drink. These workouts arent usually as long as aerobic ones so glycogen loss is less, thus less carbs required for recovery, but there is that muscle breakdown that causes the soreness and so I add a bit of protein (not that I am convinced that it works) to my recovery drink.
If Im very sore I use a muscle rub as well. These days I am liking the Kiehl's stuff, but any of the more mild ones are interchangeable in my mind. Some of the more aggressive ones have burned my skin though.
fish oil, asprin, carbs, water, turmeric, boswelia, antioxidants
fish oil + asprin ----> resolvins which help clean up cellular trauma
turmeric (in addition to being a spice found in yellow curry) is a natural anti-inflammatory (and cox-2 inhibitor / natural nsaid)
boswellia is a natural and safe 5-lox inhibitor (think, safe v i o x x-like pain killer)
but, stiffness and soreness are unavoidable in my case at least.
fish oil + asprin ----> resolvins which help clean up cellular trauma
turmeric (in addition to being a spice found in yellow curry) is a natural anti-inflammatory (and cox-2 inhibitor / natural nsaid)
boswellia is a natural and safe 5-lox inhibitor (think, safe v i o x x-like pain killer)
but, stiffness and soreness are unavoidable in my case at least.
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To recover I use protein powder with milk, or sometimes a shake from the gym if I'm not going home right away. I take creatine right now as well. The soreness I just deal with, as it's part of the game. Stretching helps. Occasionally I will use some liniment, but that's usually just if something is a bit past sore, particularly on my joints.
If you're working out regularly, you shouldn't be too stiff after a workout. The key to preventing stiffness is to just keep working out.
It depends on your intensity. I have been working out regulary for 15 years, and I still get sore at times, particularly legs.
+1. Gotta disagree w/ Ouch & my legs take the worst beating too. I've been Working out regularly for about 9 years and still really sore about 2 days after. I do work out intensely, and being just 40... you laugh when you're younger, then you hit quasi-mid-life.....
No pain no gain. Cliched, I know, but there is some truth to it. If I am truly in "pain," I will take an extra day off before I go back. If it lasts longer than that, odds are I actually hurt myself (like a mild sprain or pulled muscle). If I am just sore, then so be it. I am cognizant of it and I keep moving while trying not to overuse the sore muscles but making sure they still get a workout.
This may sound like it is defeating the purpose, but I have found that I like a nice bottle of chocolate milk (small, single serving). If I workout in the morning, I will drink it that evening. If I workout at night, I drink it the next day. It may be in my head, but I think it really does help. However, I also hydrate very well with water.
I read somewhere the a glass of chocolate milk within 24 hours after a moderate to intense workout can be just as effective if not more effective than traditional sports drinks, i.e., gatorade. So people think it is hog wash, but it works for me.
This may sound like it is defeating the purpose, but I have found that I like a nice bottle of chocolate milk (small, single serving). If I workout in the morning, I will drink it that evening. If I workout at night, I drink it the next day. It may be in my head, but I think it really does help. However, I also hydrate very well with water.
I read somewhere the a glass of chocolate milk within 24 hours after a moderate to intense workout can be just as effective if not more effective than traditional sports drinks, i.e., gatorade. So people think it is hog wash, but it works for me.
Chocolate milk is a very good post-workout drink. After a weight workout, it is essential to get protein and fast digesting carbs as soon as possible, bring something for the locker room. We'd all be better off not eating any sugar whatsoever in our day to day lives, but one place it is important, is post-workout, and chocolate milk is protein and sugar.
The reality is, soreness in the days after a workout are the signs that you have pushed that muscle and it is recovering. If you aren't sore after a workout, you aren't working it hard enough, in weight training that is. You damage the muscle at the cellular level and aftewards it recovers and adjusts to the stress placed on it by initiating the process of hypertrophy.
When I was going hard in university, after leg day I'd still feel the lingering bits of soreness as much as 5 days later. I've always found it to be sort of a satisfying pain.
There are ways to mitigate soreness though. Most important perhaps is a good post-workout stretch. Never stretch before a workout, that is probably the biggest fitness myth in existence. Stretching a muscle that is not warmed up, loosened up, is the perfect recipe for injury. All one needs before is a quick cardio warmup, 5 minutes of whatever you like best, running, the bike, up to you. I always do a good full body stretch after a weight training workout. It helps lower soreness and increased flexibility makes you much, much more resistant to injuries. And then, proper post-workout nutrition is important. You can workout all you want, but if your nutrition isn't right, you'll make no gains. After a hard workout your body is screaming for energy. Protein is the building blocks for muscle, and carbohydrates are the source of energy for all the functions of the body. I usually just have a whey protein shake and some sugary drink, just the cheap powdered lemonade or iced tea, whatever, it's just sugar you're looking for, fancy stuff like gatorade is no better.
And, I'm not sure how long you've been working out, but if you are relatively new to it, the soreness will be incredible if you push yourself. I remember when I started working out hard, it was excrutiating, could barely walk. But with time your muscles get stronger and used to being pushed and the soreness will not be nearly as bad as it was in the beginning.
But no pain no gain definitely applies to weight training. You have to recognize the difference, the feeling of muscular soreness vs. an injury is usually quite clear and it's important to recognize one from the other.
Don't work out a sore muscle, let it recover and then hit it again. If you are looking to put on some muscle mass and gain strength - less is more, stick to compound movements - ie. you shouldn't be doing an "arm" day, and 3 days of weight training a week is plenty. There are lots of good splits, push/pull/legs seperates the muscle groups and you just need 3 or 4 compound movements per workout for 3 or so sets, and that's the best.
Good luck
The reality is, soreness in the days after a workout are the signs that you have pushed that muscle and it is recovering. If you aren't sore after a workout, you aren't working it hard enough, in weight training that is. You damage the muscle at the cellular level and aftewards it recovers and adjusts to the stress placed on it by initiating the process of hypertrophy.
When I was going hard in university, after leg day I'd still feel the lingering bits of soreness as much as 5 days later. I've always found it to be sort of a satisfying pain.
There are ways to mitigate soreness though. Most important perhaps is a good post-workout stretch. Never stretch before a workout, that is probably the biggest fitness myth in existence. Stretching a muscle that is not warmed up, loosened up, is the perfect recipe for injury. All one needs before is a quick cardio warmup, 5 minutes of whatever you like best, running, the bike, up to you. I always do a good full body stretch after a weight training workout. It helps lower soreness and increased flexibility makes you much, much more resistant to injuries. And then, proper post-workout nutrition is important. You can workout all you want, but if your nutrition isn't right, you'll make no gains. After a hard workout your body is screaming for energy. Protein is the building blocks for muscle, and carbohydrates are the source of energy for all the functions of the body. I usually just have a whey protein shake and some sugary drink, just the cheap powdered lemonade or iced tea, whatever, it's just sugar you're looking for, fancy stuff like gatorade is no better.
And, I'm not sure how long you've been working out, but if you are relatively new to it, the soreness will be incredible if you push yourself. I remember when I started working out hard, it was excrutiating, could barely walk. But with time your muscles get stronger and used to being pushed and the soreness will not be nearly as bad as it was in the beginning.
But no pain no gain definitely applies to weight training. You have to recognize the difference, the feeling of muscular soreness vs. an injury is usually quite clear and it's important to recognize one from the other.
Don't work out a sore muscle, let it recover and then hit it again. If you are looking to put on some muscle mass and gain strength - less is more, stick to compound movements - ie. you shouldn't be doing an "arm" day, and 3 days of weight training a week is plenty. There are lots of good splits, push/pull/legs seperates the muscle groups and you just need 3 or 4 compound movements per workout for 3 or so sets, and that's the best.
Good luck
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a good stretching regimen.
if you're still that sore after this long, your workout may be too difficult on you at the moment, maybe back it off just a tad.
some soreness is to be expected for a day or so, longer than that you've probably pushed too hard
if you're still that sore after this long, your workout may be too difficult on you at the moment, maybe back it off just a tad.
some soreness is to be expected for a day or so, longer than that you've probably pushed too hard
Pretty solid advice. I'd add get some Protein at the same time. It will help rebuild and speed recovery time. It can also help reduce scar tissue in the muscles after a strenuous workout.
