The Recovery Hierarchy of Needs

I could probably skip this entire blog post and sum it up with one sentence: you can’t buy your recovery. 

But, since that would be a super sassy thing to do, I’ll add a little more color to it. 

I think about recovery in terms of a hierarchy of needs, or if you are a 90’s kid like me, a food pyramid of sorts. Sometimes we over-emphasize the last 2% and underperform on the 98% when it comes to our training and recovery from training. You can’t squeeze poor eating and sleeping habits away with Normatec boots, and no amount of Magnesium is going to cover up out of control life stress. 

My idea of a “recovery pyramid” looks something like this: 

1. Sleep, relative rest, stress management

The bedroom is truly where the magic happens. There are so many recovery processes that occur during sleep that don’t and can’t happen while we’re awake - muscle protein synthesis, the recycling of cerebrospinal fluid, and the release of growth hormone. Not to mention it is the only time we don’t have to manage external stimuli or tasks. So get on a schedule and put on your facemask, it’s more than just beauty sleep. 

2. Daily and workout nutrition/hydration

“You are what you eat” is a classic and annoying adage, but it is quite true. Everything we take into our bodies is processed and forms each and every cell - and our cells are constantly turning over, every second, of every day. Making sure we are well-fueled at all times gives our body the resources it needs to recover from training. Studies have shown that even periods of underfueling throughout the day (such as skipping a meal or snack) can contribute to low energy availability overall and increase injury risk. While the topic of nutrition is a vast and deep forest that only a sports dietitian can help you navigate, here are my top tips for recovery from a nutrition standpoint: 

-Take in some carbs and protein within 30-45 mins of finishing your workout, no matter if it is an easy run, long run, or intervals. Utilize protein shakes/smoothies if your appetite is suppressed. 

-Take in fuel during your run/workout if it is >70 minutes in duration. Remaining well-fueled during a run prevents you from getting too deep into a caloric deficit, staves off fatigue/form breakdown, and therefore helps with recovery.

-Eat enough carbs. 

-Bonus tip: ask for help from a sports dietitian! Even just a few sessions can be invaluable to teach you how to best fuel yourself. This will be even more helpful if you have dietary restrictions/allergies. 

3. Training schedule/load management

This one goes without saying, but a proper training program that increases reasonably, has recovery days built in, and is progressive is key. Conversely, as an athlete, listening to your body’s fatigue signals is important, too. Just because it is on the schedule does not mean you need to do it! Our bodies can only improve as well as it can recover, so that extra rest day is more productive than you think. 

4. Muscle recovery techniques

Just ask any of my patients - I am a big fan of foam rolling and the lacrosse ball. Once, a patient told me “You strike me as someone who foam rolls every night while watching an episode of Friends”. He was wrong of course - I watch The Office while I foam roll ;) 

Here I am lumping together foam rolling, muscle scraping, lacrosse ball work, Normatec boots, massage therapy, Ice baths, etc., although all of these techniques have slightly different purposes. I think of myofascial work as sort of like brushing your teeth - it should be a daily routine and the consistent helps keep muscles healthy. Just imagine if you didn’t brush your teeth for 3 days - gross. 

In summary, make sure you have your sleep and nutrition routine down before you go poking around on The Feed for magic supplements or signing up for that cryotherapy package. I think as a millennial I’m not allowed to call myself Old School, but get the basics down, and you’ll be successful! 

Keep going, you got this!

Dr. Kacy Seynders, PT, DPT