Optimizing Recovery
Active Recovery
Active recovery, stretching, massage, compression garments, and sleep are crucial for athletes. Training imposes stress, and recovery stabilizes the body, reducing inflammation and soreness while maintaining performance. Recovery is measured through performance, blood (Creatine Kinase (CK), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Myoglobin (Mb)), and psychological measures (Profile of Mood States (POMS)).
Measures
Creatine Kinase (CK) is a marker of muscle damage, with the reaction . IL-6 is a cytokine that increases during inflammation, and CRP increases in the presence of inflammation. Perceived fatigue is how one feels, and DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) involves muscle micro-lesions, reduced proprioception and articular range of motion, lowered strength, and decreased maximal activation.
Meta-Analysis Findings
Meta-analysis (Dupuy et al., 2018) highlights active recovery, stretching, massage (alone or combined), electrostimulation, compression garments, immersion, contrast water therapy, cryotherapy, and hyperbaric therapy benefits.
Active Recovery Theories
Active recovery includes cooldowns (10-30 minutes) aimed at accelerating metabolite elimination, faster return to homeostasis and mental state, recovery from muscle damage, and improved immune function. Evidence suggests limited metabolite removal benefits but potential mental state improvements and variable results in muscle damage recovery. Active recovery may improve work capacity post-marathon and regulate white blood cells, limiting infection risk. Recommendations include using active recovery if the next session is in <30 mins.
Stretching
Stretching types include passive (static vs. cyclic), active (dynamic, ballistic), and passive-active (PNF). Mechanistically, stretching affects musculotendinous unit properties and reduces spinal-reflex excitability. It generally decreases 1RM and may have variable effects on jumping performance. Stretching has limited effectiveness as a recovery method and should be avoided before/after strength sessions and sessions that induce DOMS. Stretching for flexibility requires holding >1min x3.
Massage
Massage aims to increase blood flow, lymphatic drainage, and muscle temperature while decreasing muscle tension and nervous system excitability. Evidence suggests 10-30 min massage post-exercise may decrease muscle soreness, though muscle temperature change is superficial. Massage appears to improve venous return and can lower nervous system excitability, improving mood. Effects are often psychological, with some positive impact on anaerobic performance, minimal aerobic effects, and potential placebo effects on DOMS.
Compression Garments
Compression garments supposedly increase VO2 max, decrease muscle oscillation, increase lactate clearance, improve temperature regulation, and improve recovery. Evidence shows no improvement in running performance but small positive improvements for TTE, GXT, muscle damage, and inflammatory markers. They may reduce the severity of DOMS and decrement in strength and power by applying graduated compression, increasing venous return, decreasing swelling, and improving economy by increasing force transfer.
Contrast Therapy
Contrast therapy alternates tissue temperature and blood flow. CWT shows no significant difference in muscle damage compared to passive recovery. Coldwater immersion may be more useful in females. Protocols involve cold (11°C) and hot (39°C) cycles, finishing in cold, totaling 6-24 minutes. Coldwater immersion can reduce RPE and muscle soreness, but may blunt muscle function and ↓ hypertrophic adaptation. Time within 30 minutes for recovery and use it sparingly for adaptation.
Sleep
Sleep ensures continuation of genetic processes, facilitates the return of responses to resting values, and involves light, deep, and REM stages regulated into cycles. Effective sleep requires all stages, with each cycle lasting approximately 90 minutes. Sleep deprivation decreases glycogen resynthesis, impairs endocrine response and muscular recovery, increases SNS activity, and decreases PNS activity, increasing injury risk and decreasing immune defenses. Sleep extension can improve sprint times, free throw accuracy, and mood. Recommendations include setting intense training before 6 pm, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, napping, good nutrition, and minimizing blue light.