Rest and recovery after sport: what is important

You don’t get stronger while you train, but in the period afterwards – during the regeneration phase. Why is this? When we exercise regularly, we do something for our health and feel better afterwards. Whether it’s running, swimming or cycling, endurance sport or strength training, the body is put under strain. Periods of rest and recovery after sport are important. They help you to reach your full potential and prevent injuries.

What is recovery in sport?

When the body is put under pressure, various processes kick in: metabolism, muscle activity and regulation of the body temperature. Recovery is the interplay of all these processes. A distinction is made between active and passive methods of recovery.

“Recovery after sport is a complex topic,” says Lukas Wiesbacher, fitness coach and physiotherapist for top athletes and amateur sportspeople alike. Experience shows that you don’t get better just by training more. “The hardest part is knowing which type of recovery is required when and for how long,” adds Wiesbacher. Good planning and ongoing adjustments are key to success. You’ve got to listen to your body.

Planning is a learning process. And it requires a lot of experience and good body awareness. Wiesbacher believes that rest and recovery are the key to sporting success. And it’s also important to constantly adjust the goals to the physical situation.

How does muscle regeneration work?

Muscle regeneration is the biggest part of recovery after sport. You train, the body is weakened, and it needs time to recover. During the recovery phase, the body gets stronger. New muscle fibres are formed. The muscles improve in terms of performance, quality and – depending on the type of training – maybe size.

This takes the form of a sinusoidal curve that rises and then falls again. “In the best case scenario, the next training session is scheduled for the highest point of this curve. That’s when you are fully recovery and it’s the perfect moment to start training again,” explains Wiesbacher. This creates performance peaks that get higher as time goes by. This process is known as supercompensation. It is often used for training in competitive sports.

Why is rest and recovery after sport so important?

Recovery is about preventing injuries. When you're active in sport, you don’t want to injure yourself because that would set you back in your performance. At best, training is fun, but what athletes want above all is a continuous improvement in performance. The best way to train is to prevent the body from becoming imbalanced in the first place. And that’s where recovery comes in.

How can you improve muscle recovery?

Should you train for three days, then take a break? Unfortunately, there’s no such simple rule of thumb. Muscle regeneration after sport involves different aspects that need to be coordinated:

What’s best for muscle recovery: ice bath, sauna or a massage?

“There are countless ways to improve muscle recovery,” says Wiesbacher, “but no single solution.” For example, tense muscles can be eased with a massage. Decongestive or antispasmodic measures can also help. Above all, good blood circulation is important to ensure that oxygen reaches the cells. The easier the arteries bring oxygen into the cells, the better the recovery process.

Five measures to support muscle regeneration:

Nutrition during recovery

The right diet is very important. Muscles need the right fuel to build up or improve performance. A change in diet can support the recovery process, increase performance and improve fitness.

Before and after training, the body needs the right amount of nutrients to repair muscles and rebuild energy reserves:

• Protein: from lean meat, fish, eggs and pulses – critical for muscle growth and tissue repair.
• But bear in mind that the average daily protein requirement only increases if you do five hours or more of sport per week.
• Antioxidants: from fruit and vegetables – have an anti-inflammatory effect.
• Carbohydrates: from wholegrain products, fruit and vegetables – the body’s main source of energy.
• Vitamins and minerals: responsible for various recovery processes in the body.

What’s more: if you don’t eat enough, you will delay the regeneration process and prolong recovery.

Rest and recovery after endurance sport and strength training

The body becomes very tired during intensive training sessions. To improve performance after endurance sport and strength training, phases of rest and recovery are essential. Done properly, this also prepares the body for its next sporting activity.

Rest days or deload periods are particularly important in competitive sport. Rest days are where you don’t train at all, and deload periods involve training with minimal exertion. They both give the muscles, joints and tissues the time they need to recover. If you don’t take rest days and start training again too soon, you increase the risk of fatigue, strain and even injury. This can cause overtraining syndrome (OTS). In sports medicine, OTS is a sustained drop in sporting performance despite intensive training.

Rest and recovery after sport as you get older

The recovery time itself depends on age, the chosen sport and general level of fitness. The ability to recover decreases with age. Even athletes over the age of 30 find it harder to endure intensive running or strength sessions than younger athletes. Studies show that one reason for this is that muscle stem cells gradually lose their function with age.

One thing is certain, no matter what age group you’re in: the more intensive the training, the more recovery is required. If you still feel exhausted after a recovery phase, you should take another day off.