Muscle recovery phases. Muscle recovery after training: complete instructions
In this article we will talk about how muscle recovery occurs after training, important tips and tricks to speed up muscle recovery, how to eat and what to take.
Very often, after a workout, everyone feels pleasant muscle fatigue, this is all good, but what to do if the fatigue persists? for a long time and before the next workout the body does not fully restore muscles?
In this case, incompletely restored muscle tissue will be difficult to overcome and withstand. last training session and ultimately, strength, muscle, and endurance gains may stagnate.
To prevent this from happening, the entire process of muscle recovery after training from A to Z is laid out below.
What is muscle recovery?
RESTORATION is the process of returning body functions to their original state after physical activity, with the further ability to improve the final results.
For fitness and bodybuilding called recovery, we are interested in the process of muscle volume and strength indicators.
Types of body recovery
There are 4 main stages of muscle recovery after training, each stage has its own nuances, knowing the features of which, a reduction in muscle recovery time is achieved, which will only have a positive effect on the growth of strength, mass and endurance.
♦ Fast stage
This stage lasts for 30 minutes, immediately after completing the workout. During this period of time, it begins to recover, which serves as the basis for the accumulation of glycogen reserves in the liver and muscle tissue, creatine phosphate and ATP. The circulatory system also returns to normal and the hormone insulin begins to be produced.
♦ Delayed recovery stage
After metabolism has normalized, the synthesis of proteins, amino acids and enzymes improves, and the absorption of important nutritional components in the digestive tract improves, which are used to restore damaged cells and muscle tissue.
♦ Supercompensation stage
It occurs after 2-3 days from the last workout and lasts for 5 days; it is basically no different and very similar to the stage of slow recovery, but during this period the morphological and functional characteristics of the body grow. It is during this period of time that the following physical activity should take place at the stage of supercompensation: best time for training.
♦ Delayed recovery stage
In this last stage, all physical parameters of the body are restored to their original level, of course, provided that there was no physical activity during the onset of the previous stage of supercompensation.
Complete muscle recovery
AFTER COMPLETION OF THE TRAINING, IT IS PREFERABLE TO TAKE IMMEDIATELY:
2) Proteins – you need to take a quickly digestible protein, this includes whey, but if it is not possible to buy sports nutrition, use protein rich foods. Mandatory dose is at least 30g. protein, this will help stop destructive catabolic processes in muscle tissue and accelerate recovery and subsequent muscle growth due to the synthesis of anabolic hormones.
3) Water
– it’s very easy to find out how much you need to drink after training, drink before and after it, the difference will be required amount water.
For example, your weight before training was 70 kg. after it, 69.5 kg, which means you need to drink 0.5 liters, density 1 liter. water = 1kg.
4) Steroids – if you use pharmacology in the form of tablets, then this is the best time to take it.
1) To speed up muscle recovery, be sure to do a cool-down after training, the so-called or read about. When a muscle is loaded, they contract, by stretching, you return them to their original position and speed up the process of muscle recovery after training.
2) When you have finished training, if possible, use a massage of the whole body, and especially those muscles that were loaded, thanks to this, toxins are removed, blood supply to the muscles improves, fatigue is relieved and the emotional state increases.
3) Don’t be lazy, after finishing your workout, water very well relieves general fatigue of the body, relaxes muscles well, relieves stress and depression.
Signs of full recovery
Starting the next workout, there is an increase sports results, it doesn’t matter if you added 3 or 3 kg. or 0.5 kg. The main thing is moving forward, not marking time.
Absence pain in the chest area and good health is a clear signal that the body has recovered.
Good sound sleep, if you sleep poorly, have weakness in the body or drowsiness during the day, then the body is still at the recovery stage and the process is not completed.
Another good way, 2 hours after training, take a sitting position, measure your pulse, if it is 75 beats per minute or lower, then you have not overtrained, if it is more, then there are 2 reasons: the body has overtrained or there are problems of cardio-vascular system.
I think I have more or less explained to you what recovery is and how to improve it, train correctly, I wish the guys big, sculpted arms, and the girls round, appetizing asses.
There are wishes and advice, comments are always open for you, good luck 😉!
After the cessation of work, recovery occurs, which consists of a gradual transition of physiological and biochemical functions to at least the original state. Physiological processes, ensuring the restoration of body functions changed during work are called restorative, and the time during which recovery occurs is called the recovery period. In the recovery period, assimilation processes predominate, and the replenishment of energy resources occurs in excess of the initial level, i.e. super-recovery. This is important for increasing the fitness of the body and its physiological systems, which ensure increased performance.
After finishing work, during the recovery period, the internal environment of the body is normalized, i.e. the constancy of the internal environment of the body (homeostasis) is restored, metabolic products (metabolism) are removed, energy resources, plastic substances and enzymes used up during work are restored. However, recovery is not only the process of returning the body to its original level. During recovery, a complex restructuring of morphological structures occurs, functional properties And regulatory mechanisms, which ensures an increase in general and special performance. Therefore, the recovery period should be considered as an integral part of the training process. During this period, changes occur that provide an increase in the functional capabilities of the body, i.e. positive training effect.
Recovery processes occur not only after the end of a particular activity, but also directly during its implementation. However, during work, the processes of dissimilation still prevail over the processes of assimilation. The more intense the work and the less prepared the body is for it, the more pronounced the imbalance of these processes is. During the recovery period, assimilation processes prevail over dissimilation processes.
Recovery phases. After intense muscle activity, a change in recovery phases occurs. There are 4 phases in the recovery period:
1) rapid recovery phase,
2) slow recovery phase,
3) phase of supercompensation (super-recovery),
4) phase of long late recovery.
The presence of these phases, their duration and nature vary greatly for different body functions. The first 2 phases correspond to the period of restoration of performance to the initial level. The third phase corresponds to increased performance. It is recommended to conduct the next training session during this phase. With this structure of educational training sessions there is an increase in sports results and physical performance. This phase is so named because during it the body experiences an increased level of energy resources, which has a beneficial effect on the growth of athletic performance, especially in endurance sports. The fourth phase is associated with the return of performance to the original level.
Patterns of recovery processes. There are general patterns of recovery processes, which boil down to the following:
1. The speed and duration of recovery of most functional indicators is directly dependent on the power of work. The higher it is, the greater the changes that occur during operation and the higher the speed of recovery processes. This means that the shorter the maximum duration of the exercise, the shorter the recovery period. So, after working at maximum power, the recovery period is several hours or even several minutes, and after prolonged intensive work - several days or even weeks.
2. The restoration of various functions proceeds unevenly, with different directions, so that the achievement of a resting level occurs heterochronically. The completion of the recovery process should be judged not by one indicator or even several, but by the return to the initial level of the slowest recovering indicator. After a long run, the function is the first to return to its original state. external respiration(frequency and depth of breathing); after a few hours, heart rate and blood pressure stabilize; indicators of sensorimotor reactions return to the initial level after a day or more; In marathon runners, the basal metabolism is restored three days after the start. The dynamics of recovery processes determine the athlete’s readiness to work again. You need to know: where did fatigue develop during physical activity? And during the recovery period, work to restore this function.
3. The performance of the athlete’s body and many of the functions that determine it during the recovery period not only reach the initial level, but can even exceed it, passing through the super-recovery phase. Especially when we're talking about about energy substrates; This temporary increase in the initial level is called supercompensation.
Restoration of oxygen and energy resources. During muscle work the body's oxygen supply and energy resources in the form of phosphagens (ATP, CrF), carbohydrates (muscle and liver glycogen, blood glucose) and fats are consumed. After work, they are restored, except for fats, the restoration of which may not occur.
During the recovery period, the oxygen debt is eliminated. Therefore, oxygen consumption is greater than under resting conditions. The rate of oxygen consumption after work gradually decreases. In the first 2–3 minutes, the alactic component of the oxygen debt is noted, which decreases very quickly. It is associated with the use of oxygen, which is necessary to restore high-energy phosphagens in skeletal muscles spent during work, the normal level of oxygen in venous blood, and the saturation of myoglobin with oxygen. Subsequently, the lactate component of the oxygen debt is eliminated. This happens more slowly. Until the oxygen debt reaches its original value, for example within 30 - 60 minutes. The lactate component of oxygen debt is associated with the post-work elimination of lactate from the blood and tissue fluid. In this case, oxygen is used for oxidative reactions that provide glycogen resynthesis and lactate oxidation in cardiac and skeletal muscles. A prolonged increase in oxygen consumption is necessary to maintain the activity of the cardiorespiratory system during recovery, as well as to enhance metabolism.
Phosphagens are restored very quickly, especially ATP. After stopping work after 30 s. up to 70% of phosphagens are restored, and their complete restoration occurs in a few minutes due to the energy of aerobic metabolism due to oxygen consumed during the fast phase of oxygen debt. In this case, the following pattern is observed: the greater the consumption of phosphagens during operation, the more oxygen is required to restore it.
Restoration of glycogen in muscles occurs within several days. To fully restore energy resources in an athlete’s diet, it is necessary to increase the carbohydrate content.
Recovery tools. During the recovery period, various means are used to speed up this process. One of them is leisure, i.e. switching from one type of activity to another. This was first established by I.M. Sechenov. They showed that restoration of the performance of a tired limb occurs faster not with complete rest, but with the work of the other limb.
The facts discovered by I.M. Sechenov are explained by the peculiarities of recovery processes in the nerve centers, as well as their intercentral relationships that arise during active recreation. So, after working with the right hand, the nerve centers innervating its muscles are in a state of inhibition. Subsequently, when working with the left hand, excitation in the centers of its muscles increases inhibition in the centers of the right limb. This occurs through the mechanism of negative induction, which helps restore muscle performance right hand.
However, such intercentral relationships do not always arise during active recreation. Sometimes the excitation of the nerve centers of working muscles radiates to the “resting” centers, thereby delaying the recovery processes occurring there. It depends on the person’s level of preparedness for the work being performed. So, for example, if you are unaccustomed to working with your right hand, working with your left hand for the purpose of active recreation does not give a positive result. This is explained by the fact that during unusual work, active rest causes irradiation of excitation processes from work centers to vacationers, which negatively affects the recovery process. With increasing fitness, the advantage of active rest over passive rest becomes more pronounced, because in the nerve centers inductive relationships begin to predominate. Under these conditions, the work of the left hand leads to inhibition in the nerve centers of the right hand, followed by excitation in them.
To actively rest tired muscles, work with other muscles. In some cases, recovery processes can be accelerated with the same work, reducing its intensity.
Active rest is most often used for moderate work. After light and short-term work there is no need for it, and after exhausting work it is impractical. The duration of active rest and movement during this time depend on the characteristics of the main job. Optimally organized active rest speeds up the recovery period and facilitates the process of getting used to it during subsequent physical activity.
Currently, the increase in sports performance is associated with the use of certain recovery tools. The faster the recovery process occurs, the more work and more efficiently the athlete can perform. In order to restore the athlete’s body, various means are used, which can be divided into three groups: pedagogical, medical-biological and psychological.
Pedagogical means are considered natural and basic means of recovery. These include: a rational combination of general and special training, load and rest in training cycles; variability and undulation of the loads used; using muscle relaxation exercises and breathing exercises during classes; introduction of days of passive and active rest in training cycles; conducting a warm-up and the final part of the training session; individualization sports training, which should take into account the compliance of the loads used with the health status, age and level of preparedness of the athlete.
Towards biomedical products include: physical factors (hydro-, electric- and heat treatments, massage, aeroionization), balanced nutrition, vitamin supplementation, the use of natural herbal and pharmacological agents, properly organized work and rest regime, climatic factors.
Psychological- these are those means whose action is aimed at restoring the nervous balance and mental stability of the athlete. This group includes everything related to the pedagogical approach of the coach and doctor to the athlete as an individual, for example, the creation of the proper moral climate in the team, the organization of leisure for athletes, taking into account the individual characteristics and compatibility of athletes in the team when recruiting teams, etc. In addition, the use special techniques for regulation mental states. For this purpose, proper sleep, psychoregulatory training, autogenic training, some muscle relaxation techniques, medications aimed at balancing nervous processes.
The action of all these means is aimed at the rapid restoration of metabolism, plastic and energy resources of tissues, the coordinating activity of the nervous system and the functions of the autonomic systems, thanks to which it is possible to effectively perform muscle loads and quickly remove waste products from the body.
Thus, recovery is a complex process, the course of which is determined by a combination of a number of factors, the characteristic phase and heterochrony of various body functions. In this regard, it is most advisable to simultaneously influence various functional parts of the body, the mental and somatic spheres, the motor system, the nervous system and vegetative organs, ensuring the restoration of performance, the removal of nervous and physical fatigue.
Control questions:
1. What physiological changes occur in the pre-launch and actual-start states?
2. What are the physiological mechanisms of pre-launch shifts?
3. What are specific and nonspecific pre-launch reactions?
4. What types of pre-start reactions exist?
5. What is work-in?
6. What are the phases and features of operation?
7. What is a “dead point” and “second wind”?
8. What is a steady state and what are its varieties?
9. What is fatigue and what are the causes of it?
10. What are the theories of fatigue?
11. What are the phases of fatigue?
12. What is recovery?
13. What are the recovery phases?
14. How is oxygen and energy resources restored?
15. What recovery tools are used?
Muscle recovery after training is the most underrated stage of the training process in bodybuilding. About recovery muscle fibers after training they say too little for several reasons:
- "Chemical contamination" of modern bodybuilding. Doping significantly accelerates muscle recovery, which reduces the value of correct recovery work.
- Misunderstanding of the essence of bodybuilding. Beginners believe that only training that “grows muscles” is important. But During training, muscle fibers are injured, not grown! The result is overtraining and lack of progress.
- Failure to organize recovery. Lack of knowledge is a reason that we are eliminating today.
Muscle recovery after training is the best accelerator of progress
To deeply understand the importance of muscle recovery after training, we will highlight 5 phases of the training process:- Traumatization of muscle fibers. The phase lasts from the beginning to the end of the workout.
- Rapid recovery phase. Starts immediately after completing your workout. It ends after 30-60 minutes. During this hour, hormonal levels and those substances (glycogen, creatine phosphate) that were spent during training are restored.
- Slow recovery phase. The central nervous system (CNS) and muscles are restored. Depending on the volume of load and the correctness of the recovery, this stage lasts from 12 hours to 10 days. Maximum efforts will be directed to the slow recovery phase to accelerate progress.
- Supercompensation. During this phase, the body creates a “muscle reserve”, thanks to which the athlete can perform more work than in the previous training session. Training only makes sense in the supercompensation phase! Depending on the severity of the load and the correctness of the recovery, this phase lasts from 1 to 5 days.
- Loss of super compensation. Occurs after the completion of the supercompensation phase. After losing super compensation muscular system returns to pre-workout levels.
- Increase the frequency of training, which significantly accelerates progress.
- Avoid overtraining.
- Reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
Incorrect recovery in practice
Using the example of training your back and biceps, let's look at examples of overtraining and undertraining, which kill 90% of your progress. Training on Monday
If the next training session is held on Tuesday, the picture will look like this: Regardless of what methods we use to recover muscles after training, 24 hours after the average (taking an athlete for whom meeting the table values is not an easy or difficult task) is too short. Training on Wednesday in case of correct recovery Thanks to the use of post-workout muscle recovery methods, which we will discuss below, 48 hours after working in the gym, recovery is complete. But supercompensation has not yet arrived. Training on Wednesday (In our example, everyone has their own recovery speed) is not the optimal option. Training on Wednesday with incorrect recovery. Muscle recovery after training is delayed, since we do not contribute to the healing of the resulting microtraumas. The restoration is not yet complete. Training on Wednesday is not only pointless, as in the case of proper recovery procedures, but also harmful. Training on Thursday with proper recovery. Supercompensation has arrived. After 72 hours, our muscles can surpass the result of the next workout in all respects. The training can be done today. Training on Thursday with incorrect recovery. Restoration is partially complete, but last approach The body's reserves were not enough for deadlifting. Conducting a training session on Thursday with incorrect recovery makes no sense. Training on Friday with proper recovery. The supercompensation phase continues. The training can be done both yesterday and today. Training on Friday with incorrect recovery. Recovery is complete, but supercompensation has not yet arrived. Doing a workout on Friday won't make you overtrain, but it won't do you any good either. Training on Saturday with proper recovery. Supercompensation begins to be lost, but only partially. It is better to train on Thursday or Friday, but working on Saturday is also the right decision. Training on Saturday with incorrect recovery. Maximum super compensation day. This is where you need to practice. Training on Sunday with proper recovery. Supercompensation is almost lost, but there is still meaning in training. Training on Sunday with incorrect recovery. Supercompensation has been partially lost, but the training still makes sense. Workout on Monday for any recovery. Super compensation is completely lost. The muscles returned to their pre-workout state. Conclusion: correct recovery allows you to: - Carry out 1.5-3 times more workouts per month.
- Get rid of painful sensations in the body.
- Do not overload the central nervous system. Improve your emotional state after a hard workout.
- Extend the supercompensation phase. Increase the efficiency of each workout.
Muscle recovery after training. Step-by-step instruction
Step #1. Stretching
Immediately after completing your workout, do some stretching. Stretching allows you to: - Reduce the concentration of lactic acid in the muscles. Reducing the concentration of lactic acid reduces the strength and duration of pain in the muscles.
- Increase muscle elasticity. The more elastic the muscle tissue is, the better the muscles grow.
During the rapid recovery phase (30-60 minutes), you need to “reinforce” the muscles with basic building materials - protein, water and vitamins. Muscle recovery after training will be most effective when using the following combinations: - Amino acids BCAA, complex amino acids, water (or juice), vitamin-mineral complex (1-2 tablets depending on dosage) and Whey Protein with milk (worse - with water). This is the most complete and most expensive option. Use it only if your monthly bodybuilding budget exceeds 100,000 rubles.
- BCAA amino acids, water (or juice), vitamin-mineral complex (1-2 tablets depending on dosage) and whey protein in milk (worse - in water). An effective but expensive option.
- Water (or juice), a vitamin-mineral complex (1-2 tablets depending on the dosage) and whey protein in milk (worse - in water). Option for the middle class.
- 2 chicken eggs, vitamin-mineral complex, liter of milk and water (or juice). A budget option.
- 4 chicken eggs and water (or juice). The most budget option. Optimal for students and schoolchildren.
Within 3 hours after training, you need to have a protein-carbohydrate meal. There is no need to rush home in order to have time to invest in “some kind of window.” Rushing will only increase catabolism and slow down recovery. After training, it is useful to walk at a slow pace for 15-60 minutes. A walk will calm the nervous system and speed up the recovery of the central nervous system. We then lubricate both the muscles and the nervous system with a large meal. The best combinations for a post-workout mass-building meal: - Buckwheat (rice) + chicken breast + cheese + vegetables. The simplest and most budget option for gaining mass.
- Buckwheat (rice) + fatty fish + pollock fish + vegetables. The optimal, but more expensive option for the fastest possible muscle recovery.
- Macaroni and cheese + vegetables. The fastest and cheapest option. Suitable for students who do not have the money and time to prepare expensive dishes.
- Macaroni and cheese + 5 fried (boiled) eggs + vegetables. For those students who lack option No. 3.
- Buckwheat + macaroni and cheese + pollock fish + salmon + vegetables. For rich gourmets.
- Pollock fish + vegetables. Budget, low-calorie option.
- Chicken breast + vegetables. An equivalent option, which we alternate with the first point.
- Buckwheat + pollock + vegetables. A higher-calorie option that is suitable for men and girls whose weight exceeds 57 kg.
- Buckwheat + vegetables + glass (250 ml) of kefir. The cheapest and fastest meal option. Calorie content is equivalent to the previous point.
- Vegetables + 2 cups of kefir. The best option for thin (less than 52 kg) girls who want to lose a few more kilograms.
The most effective options for water procedures are: - Contrasting douches.
- Cold and hot shower.
- Rest in a bath with ice-cold (2-10 degrees) water for 2-10 minutes.
- Relax in the bathroom with hot (more than 40 degrees) water.
On the post-training night, quality, long sleep is important. We go to bed a little earlier with the expectation that it will take a little more time than usual to restore muscles and the central nervous system. If you usually have 7 hours of sleep, then the next day after training, these same 7 hours will lead to a broken, apathetic state for most beginners. We increase the duration of sleep by 30-90 minutes. This will speed up muscle recovery and improve your mood. Step #6. Walk
A walk in the fresh air relieves tension from the nervous system and speeds up muscle recovery. The day after training, spend at least 2 hours outside. Step #7. Easy workout
A particularly relevant method for those who want to work the same muscle groups as in training, but with a load of 20-35% of the values that we used yesterday. The best options are: - Training with a universal expander or other rubber exercise equipment. We use analogues of “gym” exercises, choose an expander with minimal resistance.
- Working with your own body weight. Push-ups, pull-ups and squats are optimal exercises for large muscle groups.
- Run. A light jog for 10-20 minutes will speed up muscle recovery after training.
This step can be taken the day after your workout if you have the energy left for it. Communication, meeting with a girl or friends, a favorite hobby - any activity that gives you pleasure, relieves stress on the nervous system and speeds up muscle recovery. Step #9. Massage
Massage is one of the best means to restore muscles and the nervous system after training. The best option is to make your significant other a “masseur,” since this step, in addition to the restorative effect, leads to the release of the hormone oxytocin, which relaxes the muscles and central nervous system and strengthens the connection between you. A massage from a professional can not only speed up muscle recovery after a workout, but also work on tension and posture problems. An option for happy people is a massage from your significant other on the day of training with a trip to a professional massage therapist on the day after training. Step #10. Passive rest
We conduct training 3-4 times a week. It follows from this graph that there is not much time left for passive rest. Your training schedule will look something like this: - Monday. Training and active recovery.
- Tuesday. Active recovery.
- Wednesday. Passive recovery and training.
- Thursday. Active recovery.
- Friday. Passive recovery and training.
- Saturday. Active recovery.
- Sunday. Passive recovery.
Proper recovery in practice
This is what one training cycle will look like in practice:| Day of the week | Time | Action |
After stopping work, reverse changes occur in the activity of those functional systems that ensured the implementation of this exercise. The entire set of changes during this period is united by the concept of “recovery.”
During the recovery period, the products of working metabolism are removed and energy reserves, plastic (structural) substances (proteins, etc.) and enzymes used up during muscle activity are replenished. Essentially, the restoration of homeostasis disrupted by work occurs. However recovery- this is not only the process of returning the body to a pre-working state, but also the period during which changes occur that ensure an increase in the functional capabilities of the body, i.e. a positive training effect.
Basic physiological regularities recovery processes are:
1) Phasing recovery processes − In the dynamics of performance restoration, the following 4 phases are distinguished:
A) quick recovery,
b)slow recovery
V) supercompensation (or “super-recovery”),
G)long (late) recovery.
In the first two phases (they are united by the concept "compensation phase") performance is restored to the original level, which corresponds to phase of reduced performance. Repeated exercise during this period builds endurance. In the third phase of restoration of performance, the body’s functional capabilities expand, which can exceed the initial values of the indicators, and in this case, “super-recovery” occurs, which corresponds to phase of increased performance. Repeated loads during this phase increase fitness. In the fourth phase, performance is restored to the original level, which corresponds to initial performance phase. Repeated loads at this time are not very effective and only maintain the state of fitness.
The presence of these phases, their duration and nature vary greatly for different functions. Knowledge of the phase nature of the recovery process of performance allows trainers to properly organize training process
2) Unevenness recovery processes (A. Hill, 1926) - immediately after completion of work, recovery proceeds quickly, and then its speed decreases and a slow recovery phase is observed. Subsequently, it was shown that the presence of two recovery phases is observed after heavy physical work, and after moderate exercise, the repayment of the oxygen debt is single-phase (only a rapid recovery phase is observed). The fact of uneven recovery was also noted in the dynamics of indicators of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, neuromuscular system, peripheral blood picture and metabolism. This fact should be taken into account when regulating work and rest regimes and when choosing tactics for using various recreational means.
3) Heterochrony (non-simultaneity)− it is based on the principle of self-regulation, indicating that the non-simultaneous occurrence of various recovery processes ensures the most optimal activity of the entire organism. In particular, immediately after the end of physical activity, the alactic phase of oxygen debt and phosphagens are restored; after a few minutes - normalization of pulse, blood pressure, stroke and minute blood volumes, blood flow speed, that is, those indicators that ensure the restoration of the lactate phase of oxygen debt. Within a few hours of recovery after exercise, external respiration, glucose and glycogen levels normalize. Metabolism, blood composition, water-salt balance, enzymes and hormones are restored within a few days. Thus, at different time intervals of the recovery period, the functional state of the body is ambiguous and therefore the completion of the recovery process should be judged by the slowest recovery indicator. This should be taken into account when planning the nature of the loads and rehabilitation measures.
4) Selectivity− the different nature of human activity has a selective influence on individual functions of the body and different aspects of energy metabolism. Understanding this allows you to purposefully and effectively control the motor system, autonomic functions and energy metabolism. The selectivity of recovery is also determined by the nature of the energy supply: after work, indicators of external respiration, phases of the cardiac cycle, and functional resistance to hypoxia (i.e., indicators of aerobic performance) are restored more slowly than after anaerobic loads. This feature can be seen both after individual training sessions and after weekly microcycles.
5) Trainability recovery - development and improvement of long-term adaptation during training to physical activity manifests itself at different stages of sports activity (training, sustainable performance), as well as during various periods of recovery. Restorative processes occurring in various organs and systems are subject to trainability, i.e. As the body develops its adaptation to stress, recovery processes improve and their effectiveness increases. In untrained individuals, the recovery period is prolonged, and the super-recovery phase is weakly expressed. Highly qualified athletes have a short recovery period and more significant supercompensation phenomena.
In addition to the above-listed patterns of the recovery period, a number of more should be noted features :
− speed and duration of recovery most functional indicators are in direct proportion from work power: the higher the power of work, the greater the changes that occur during work and (accordingly) the higher the recovery rate. This means that the shorter the maximum duration of the exercise, the shorter the recovery period. For example, the duration of recovery of most functions after maximum anaerobic work is several minutes, and after prolonged work (after marathon running) it is several days.
− restoration of performance proceeds faster when active recreation, i.e. when switching to another type of activity (I.M. Sechenov). This means that if the work was performed by one muscle group, then another muscle group should be included in the work (but not to the maximum). The essence of this phenomenon is that afferent impulses arriving during rest from other working muscles contribute to better restoration of the functioning of nerve centers, as if charging them with energy. In addition, the work of one muscle group causes an increase in blood flow in the vessels of another muscle group, which can also contribute to better rapid recovery performance of tired muscles.
Everyone is accustomed to the fact that for a beautiful athletic body you need to work hard in the gym, and also watch your diet, otherwise you simply won’t be able to see the results of your labors under a layer of fat.
However, few people know that recovery and rest after physical activity is as important as the activity itself.
This process sums up our efforts in the gym: first, various physical parameters return to their original pre-training levels, and then (depending on your training, of course) the muscles' ability to adapt increases.
Muscles grow, become stronger and more resilient not during training, but after it, during rest. Don't force yourself into a rigid, daily training framework - this will cause you to plunge into a state of chronic fatigue and stress.
Phases
Fast
This phase begins immediately after completion of training and consists of 2 processes. Recovery time: 30 minutes.
At this time, glycogen and creatine phosphate reserves are restored, the secretion of stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, etc.) returns to normal, the functioning of the cardiovascular system normalizes, anabolic hormones (insulin, steroids) begin to enter the blood, i.e. is happening restoration of hormonal balance.
This phase begins 2-3 days after training and lasts about 5 days; in many ways it is similar to the previous one in terms of current processes, but the difference is that the increase in the functional and morphological characteristics of the athlete’s body in this phase begins to exceed the initial level.
But of course, recovery depends, first of all, on your training: if the load was light, then the muscles can recover in at least a day. If the load was too heavy and voluminous, then the recovery time after such a workout can range from 1-2 weeks.
Plus, during this phase one of the most important recovery processes occurs - nervous system recovery phase. Everyone knows that it is the nervous system that controls our body.
And if nervous system will be overly loaded, then the quality of training and well-being will fall faster than a ruble of 98. Vitamins, sound, quality sleep and the absence of stress will help you bring us into a state of balance.
It is during this phase that the next workout for this muscle group should occur!
Alas, the theory cannot unambiguously answer the question - exactly how much rest you need between workouts. Everyone has their own answer to this question. Too many subjective factors influence this (sleep, food, body condition, rhythm of life, weather, degree of load in the last workout, work, etc.), which are solely in your jurisdiction.
With frequent training the body does not have time to fully recover. And each subsequent workout takes place against the background of a decrease in the body’s functional capabilities, which leads to overtraining.
Our body is capable of a lot, but waking up early, lack of quality sleep, unbalanced diet and general stress significantly limit our capabilities. So with daily training, there is a 90% chance that we will exhaust ourselves both physically and mentally, and at the same time we will undermine the quality of training and the time spent in gym, will be wasted.
And who told you that frequent training will it do you any good? The rule “the more, the better” does not work in this case, giving way to another - “less is better, but better.” So forget about five or six so-so workouts a week with insufficient recovery time.
Force yourself to really work at least two to three times a week, be active in Everyday life and listen carefully to your body. Most likely this will give you where top scores.
– the supercompensation phase is passing, and you are all marking time in one place, starting almost from scratch each time.Most of us would benefit from limiting our intense workouts. up to 2-3 per week, and on other days, arrange walks and simply organize active recreation. If you feel that you do not have time to recover, go to 2 times. If it’s the other way around, increase it physical activity in training. But on average, recovery takes about 2 days.
Lost super compensation
It occurs when there is no repeated load in the supercompensation phase. That is, this is a return to the pre-training level. Of course, you won’t get to this point with one pass, but a month or two is quite sufficient time. The most ideal training plan is to perform repeated loading on muscle group in the phase of its super-restoration.
We hope you understand that muscle growth comes down to 2 tasks:
Recover to the supercompensation phase as quickly as possible.
Don't miss this phase and perform the next training session at its peak.
How do you understand that the body has recovered and is ready for exploits? Only relying on your subjective feelings.
Pain in muscles and joints
Oh, who is not familiar with the terrible muscle pain after the first strength training? Those who are not familiar, just believe me, this is an unforgettable experience. In the future, with regular training, the muscles do not hurt so much. Many people chase this pain because it is believed to be associated with growth. But of course, this is a wrong conclusion. The goal of your training should be progress and growth.
Muscle soreness usually occurs 24 hours after exercise and peaks after 36 hours. The myth about lactic acid arose in the early 90s, but is still popular in the fitness community. Allegedly, the cause of pain is lactic acid accumulated in the muscles.
In fact lactic acid is completely neutralized within 30 minutes after training. She cannot have anything to do with what happens 36 hours later. Typically, soreness is worst at the beginning of a training cycle, especially when new exercises are being learned, and an increase is usually noticeable towards the end of the cycle, when there is no longer any soreness.
Those who rarely exercise regularly report crippling muscle pain. But few of them can boast good results in terms of growth. Those who train each muscle group 2-3 times per week often experience LESS soreness and MORE progress.
In most cases, real hypertrophy occurs in conditions of lower strength. By and large, post-training pain has nothing to do with muscle growth. You can spend the whole day mopping floors (you never know if you live in a palace), and the next day your muscles will ache, but this does not mean that you have gained muscle growth from such training.
Muscle pain is more likely a sign that you are loading your muscles too rarely or giving them an inappropriately large load. With regular and moderate training, muscles do not hurt, but grow well. By chasing a sore throat that is so severe it takes a week to recover, you bring yourself more harm than good.
Yes, some people have sore throat, others do not, there may be significant individual differences in this parameter, it is impossible to determine exactly what causes them. But chasing strength for the sake of strength itself is masochistic stupidity. The goal of training is progress, not fatigue and pain.
Despite the fact that some trainers believe that muscle pain after exercise is a useful thing, showing that the body has received sufficient load, this absolutely does not apply to joints: some exercises can cause pain, which will require the intervention of a doctor.
In order to save your joints, not writhe in pain during training and not feverishly look for exercises for sore knees on the Internet, we advise you to study a block of articles on the topic: “ Healthy joints».
We understand the most common and probable causes of pain in the article
Is it worth spending money on expensive chondroprotectors and how to protect yourself from joint problems in this article?
Quick: how to get rid of pain?
Drink within 60 minutes after training about 1 liter of water. Also drink water during your workout. Water is essential to replenish fluid lost by the body and improve recovery.
Even if you are losing weight, then does not need to be excluded from the diet, otherwise you simply won’t be able to recover well!
According to the study “Anne-Marie Lundsgaard and imageBente Kiens. Gender differences in skeletal muscle substrate metabolism – molecular mechanisms and insulin sensitivity. Front. Endocrinol., November 13, 2014,” which was carried out back in 2014.
This is a large comparative study of metabolic differences between men and women. It was studied what effect gender has on fat and glucose metabolism. And yet we found out that in different metabolic situations, female and male bodies use fats and carbohydrates differently!
At low calorie diets high carbohydrate (where the amount of carbohydrates was increased from 55% to 70%), in men there was an increase in muscle glycogen concentration, and in women the additional carbohydrates were immediately used as a source of energy, but not for accumulation in fat depots.
IN SIMPLE WORDS: men store excess energy more in muscle glycogen, women immediately put it to work.
Also, due to the fact that women tend to have a higher percentage of type 1 muscle fibers (red muscle fibers), as well as increased capillary density muscle tissue, this allows them to receive better blood flow to the muscles to provide them with oxygen and cleanse them of metabolic products, and also allows them to more efficiently carry out glucose oxidation and fat metabolism (since this type of muscle fiber (type 1) contains more number of mitochondria and aerobic enzymes), thus promoting better insulin sensitivity.
IN SIMPLE WORDS: During exercise of any intensity, women burn more fat but less glycogen. However, this picture changes dramatically during the recovery period, when the female body, as a rule, uses predominantly carbohydrates as an energy source, while in the male body the level of use of fatty acids increases.
RESULT: Ladies, don't be afraid of carbohydrates. Not only are carbohydrates delicious, but without them you will simply forget about recovery and well-being.
Dream. The best cure for many problems. During periods of intense training, its duration should be at least 7 hours; if possible, 20-30 minutes of sleep during the day should be added to this.
Proper planning of the training process. Each muscle group must fully recover, so training should be thoughtful and diluted with loads of varying severity and cardio training.
About construction methods training plan you will find out in the article. Once every three months it is necessary to give the body a week of “vacation”, without serious training and stress.
Thoughtful nutrition– the key to rapid recovery processes. Both a high protein content and a well-composed daily diet will help balance it.
Warm-ups and cool-downs should not be neglected(warm-up after training). Detailed description These processes and a complex for stretching with photos can be found in the material
Massage is very effective method speed up recovery. Local blood circulation and muscle nutrition improve, which has a beneficial effect on the speed of their regeneration.
Contrary to stereotypes, it is cold water that reduces muscle pain, but alternating cold and warm water will be most effective.
Take in sufficient quantities (2 servings of fatty fish, 125 g each) of essential fatty acids, they have anti-inflammatory properties. As their sources you can choose: flaxseed oil, fish oil, different kinds nuts (almonds, walnuts).
