Keys to Exercise Recovery: Nutrition, Rest and Stretching
Exercise is vital for life to maintain/build strength/endurance. Exercise causes fatigue. In order to be able to study/work well we should be able to recover well post exercise, particularly strenuous exercise.
Nutrition: First Key to Exercise Recovery
Good nutrition is the first key to post exercise recovery. What should be the ingredients of post exercise nutrition?
- Protein. Protein is vital to repair the muscle damage caused by exercise, whether the exercise is strength building type or endurance building type. What quantity of protein should be consumed and how?
o The daily protein need of a person is approximately 1 to 1.5 g per kg of body weight. I weigh 75 kg, so I need about 75 to 105 g of protein per day.
o Consumption should be spread throughout the day in order to facilitate absorption. Normally it would not make sense for me to consume over 20 g of protein in a meal. Thus, I should get my protein needs of the day spread over 3-4 meals.
o Protein Powder or Natural Sources? Natural sources are good. Having a variety of sources is better. Protein powder is okay.
o When? Consuming a protein dish within 30-40 min of post exercise starts the repair of muscles early and hence is a good idea.
o Protein Plus Carbohydrates Essential for Absorption? I do not know whether protein plus carbohydrates are essential for the absorption of protein or not but this is quite a popular belief. There is no harm in following this norm. As it is, natural sources of protein will never be isolated proteins but will have some amount of carbohydrates. Having a protein shake with some carbohydrates is okay.
- Hydration. Water is very important to keep the body and mind functioning well. It becomes all the more important during hot and humid weather and for people like me, who sweat excessively. The need to consume plenty of water along with salt becomes vital in hot weather, particularly when the exercise duration is over 45 min. This will prevent cramps.
Rest: Second Key to Exercise Recovery
The second important key to exercise recovery is adequate rest. The quantum of rest needed will vary greatly depending upon the physical condition of the subject person. Thus, I will not dwell on this issue much. What is important to note is that whether it is an Olympic athlete or a regular office going guy, 7-8 hours of sleep is needed to recover well.
Stretching: Third Key to Exercise Recovery
Stretching post exercise provides the following benefits:
- Improves blood circulation and thus aids recovery of muscles.
- It aids recovery by removing the lactic acid accumulated during exercise.
- It prevents and reduces injuries.
- It improves flexibility and the range of motion.
- It improves soreness and stiffness experienced as a consequence of exercise.
When to Do/How to Do/How Much to Do?
There is plenty of literature available on the above issues and views differ. Some commonsense points are:
- It is easy to do these exercises soon after the exercise session is over as the muscles are warm and amenable to stretching.
- Please do not stretch the muscles so much that they pain because that may cause injury/rather than aid recovery!
- 10-15 min of stretching is okay after strength exercising. 15-20 min may be suited if a person has done an endurance exercise for over 90 min or so.
Conclusion
Get a good mix of nutrition, rest and stretching to recover well post exercise and gradually build your strength and endurance.
–BY COL M M NEHRU
