What Is A Recovery Protocol, And How Can You Create One?
Today, the world’s athletes sprint faster, jump higher, and train harder than ever before. With advancements in sports technology, and our increased understanding of the human body, it’s perhaps not surprising that athletes are breaking more barriers than at any point in history.
All this extra exertion and achievement means it’s more important than ever to implement a recovery protocol. a dedicated recovery protocol is essential to make sure you don’t just hit that personal best once - but keep getting the gold again and again.
What Is A Recovery Protocol?
Simply put, your recovery protocol is the steps you take after exercise to get your body back to its normal state - tackling injuries and fatigue head-on.
This might be a combination of things: ice baths, physiotherapist or specialist sports massage, nutritional supplements, compression - the list goes on. What you need to work out is how your body responds to each of these - to create your own bespoke recovery protocol for sport.
Medical science professionals, compression experts and physiotherapists work with athletes to produce a comprehensive recovery protocol that works for them. Why not create your own, and recover like the professionals?
Creating Your Recovery Protocol
Creating a recovery protocol to recover after intense exercise is a familiar process to athletes and elite sportspeople - but may be a new concept to those just starting out on their journey to the top.
Below, we outline some of the things you can be thinking about when it comes to creating and implementing your very own recovery plan after intense sport.
Nutrition After Exercise
Let’s face it - nutrition is key all the time for an athlete - but what you eat and drink immediately after a heavy day on the field or track is going to play a part in how your body recovers.
It’s key to make sure you work together with your coach to set up a recovery meal plan that reflects your needs as an individual as well as an athlete - with meals organised for post-training days and after competitive sport.
Sleep After Exercise
“Sleep is the greatest legal performance enhancing drug that most people are probably neglecting”.
Dr. Matthew Walker, neuroscientist and sleep expert, reveals above just how essential sleep is for athletes at the top of their game. Sleep has a huge amount of benefits for the body - and deprivation of it can cost far more than your ability to focus.
So, how much sleep do athletes need to recover from sport? There’s not one hard and fast rule, so this will vary from individual to individual - but whatever works best for your body needs to be in your recovery protocol.
Compression After Exercise
Compression is one of the most effective ways of tackling muscle exhaustion and even injury after an intense day’s training. There’s no better way to refresh and restore energy to the body than oxygen-rich blood - which compression helps to move around. The lactic acid buildup that follows intense exercise can cause muscles to ache, hurt, or even swell - preventing your body from recovering.
Compression is essential for recovering after a workout or a game - and you need to use high-quality compression wear, to help your body get back to its best.
CRX’s unique background in physical therapy and musculoskeletal science means that our garments are like a second skin - offering you benefits like:
36% increase in overall recovery performance.
Implementing a recovery protocol is a key part of becoming - and staying - a professional athlete at the top of your game. Bring CRX into your recovery protocol - and add more power to your next play.
