Nov 19, 2020Tips to Maximize Muscle Recovery
There’s no downplaying the importance of eating healthy foods and getting a good night’s sleep in enhancing muscle recovery from training. No matter how healthy of a lifestyle you’re living, nothing can make up for poor nutrition and a lack of rest.
A recent article on Healthline.com shared some tips to maximize muscle recovery and help build a more consistent fitness program.
Below is an excerpt from that article, medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M.S., NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS, and written by Daniel Yetman.
- Protein Post-Workout
When you exercise, the proteins that make up your muscle fibers become damaged. Consuming protein after your workout can help give your body the raw material it needs to repair this muscle damage.Research has found that 20 to 40 grams of protein, or roughly 0.4 to 0.5 g/kg (0.9 to 1.1 g/lb) of body weight, is enough to maximize muscle growth.
- Eat an Overall Balanced Diet
Eating an overall healthy diet can ensure that you don’t develop any nutrient deficiencies that may impair your muscles’ ability to recover.As a general rule, this means:
- Minimizing your consumption of ultra-processed foods
- Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Getting at least 1.4 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.6 to 0.8 g/lb)
- Tart Cherry Juice
Research has found that drinking tart cherry juice after exercise may reduce inflammation, muscle damage, and muscle soreness from exercise.More research is needed to fully understand its effects, but many studies published to date look promising. A typical dose used in research is 480 milliliters per day (about 1.6 ounces).
- Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is one of the most widely studied supplements. Research consistently shows it can help improve muscular strength when combined with resistance training.Research has also found creatine may help athletes recover from intense training by helping reduce muscle damage and inflammation, as well as aiding in replenishing your muscles’ glycogen stores.
- Compression Garments
Wearing compression garments has become common among athletes over the past several decades.There’s a limited number of studies looking at their effectiveness for speeding up recovery from exercise. But a small 2019 study found that they lowered the time for body muscle recovery in German handball players.
In the study, the athletes wore the garments for 24 hours and then alternated between 12-hour breaks and 12-hour periods of wearing them for a total of 96 hours.
To read the full article from Healthline.com on tips to maximize muscle recovery, click here.
