Nutrition and relaxation after sport influence results and health more than you might think. High-performance athletes know best the role of nutrition and good habits even after training is over and the body is resting. If you’ve recently taken up a sport or want to achieve performance, then establish a healthy post-training recovery routine. Adopt those body-friendly habits into your life. Performance in sport depends not only on your daily workouts, but is also influenced by the choices you make every day.
Summary:
- Post-training recovery is crucial – When and how should you fuel for muscle health?
- Physical recovery after sport – Active relaxation techniques to combat muscle fever
1. When and how should you fuel for muscle health?
What should you eat after training? After every workout, your body needs protein and carbohydrates to maintain and increase muscle mass. Through sweating, the body loses a significant amount of protein and carbohydrates. The latter helps muscle recovery.
A quick snack of cereal, dairy or fruit replenishes muscle glycogen stores lost during endurance sports (swimming, running, etc.). At the end of your workout, get your strength back, replenish glycogen stores and combat muscle fatigue with some delicious snack ideas.
It can be a whole grain bread sandwich, a bowl of fruit and yogurt or a smoothie made from fruit and milk. In sports, every detail of your routine counts.
How long do you have to wait after training until the next meal? Are you out of the gym? Don’t eat that energy bar you’ve been thinking about for the last hour. After exercise, your muscles need a so-called ‘metabolic window’. Half an hour after exercise, your muscles are very sensitive to nutrients. That’s when you can start feeding your body foods rich in protein and carbohydrates.
Eating protein 30-45 minutes after the end of your workout is essential for glycogen synthesis. Delaying meals by 1-2 hours decreases the glycogen assimilation process by about 50%. Supplement your meal plan with protein powders and bars.
2. Active relaxation techniques to combat muscle fever
Post-training physical recovery is as necessary as nutrition. Quality sleep, relaxation massage, light stretching exercises are some suggestions for recovery after physical activity.
Is a massage chair worth it?
- Electric massage therapy
Do massage chairs have medical benefits? Massage encourages the blood to supply oxygen to all muscles, organs and tissues. Stimulating body mass with warming chairs relaxes reduces the risk of muscle fever which usually sets in 2-6 hours after exercise. Japanese massage chairs and massage chairs with heat equipped with the Slow Stretch programme offer a slow-stretch massage session for muscle relaxation.
Release fatigue in all areas of the body with the VIP Course program that scans and relaxes stiff muscles. Roller massage chairs are the best rated massage chairs because optimise full-body mobility. In addition, it relaxes stiff muscles and prevents and alleviates joint pain.
- 7-8 hours of sleep for fat burning
Sleep is vital for the functioning of the whole body. While you sleep, your body releases growth hormones that increase muscle mass and accelerate fat burning. An uninterrupted night’s sleep helps repair tissues damaged by strenuous physical effort. So make your rest routine even more important if you’re leading an active lifestyle. If you have difficulty falling asleep, either because of accumulated fatigue or for other reasons, then turn to the Night Healing massage programme of Japanese massage chairs.
The paradox is that active recovery is the best prevention against muscle fever. Active rest keeps the heart rate above the resting rate. Stretching exercises, massage, cycling or light jogging are all good ways of doing this. Which post-workout recovery measure do you prefer?
