Mastering Recovery: A Guide for Runners to ensure you finish with a smile

 

It is no secret now that as runners the hidden discipline is recovery. When we are training, we are breaking the body down with the intention that it comes back stronger thus leading to increased performance. But the question is what does elite recovery look like and entail so that we can cherry pick the best parts to implement into our own training practices.

 

There are five key areas that one must master to allow them to recover faster. This helps to prevent injuries and more importantly allow you to maintain consistency with your training so you can reach your full human potential.

 

We will have a look at the basics of the five key areas below but they are: Daily Nutrition and Hydration Practices, Sleep, Manual Manipulation, Access to medical professionals and Nutritional Ergogenic Aids.

 

Daily Nutrition & Hydration

To be at your best you need to ensure your daily nutrition and hydration is world class. We are what we put into our body and this food and hydration forms the basis of the muscles, blood and tissues that you are wanting to come back stronger due to the training that you have undertaken. This means that we need to have an abundance of quality whole ingredients in our diet. We need to cover off on the key macronutrients – protein, carbohydrate and good fats as well as ensure diversity of food to meet our micronutrient requirements – vitamins and minerals.

 

Protein

1. Building and Repairing Tissues: Essential for growth, repair, and maintenance of tissues like muscles, skin, and organs.
2. Enzymes and Hormones: Helps regulate cellular, organs and organ system reactions.
3. Immune Function: Form antibodies to protect against illness.
4. Transport and Storage: Transport molecules like oxygen and store nutrients.

Carbohydrates

1. Energy Source: Primary energy source.
2. Sparing Protein: Prevents protein from being used for energy, allowing it to perform the functions listed above.
3. Digestive Health: Fiber aids digestion and maintains bowel health.

Fats

1. Energy Storage: Concentrated energy source.
2. Cell Structure: Essential for cell membranes, contributing to their structure and function.
3. Absorption of Vitamins: Aids in absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).
4. Hormone Production: Involved in producing hormones.

 

 

With an understanding of how vital protein, carbohydrate and fat are to our functioning as a high-performance runner we want to be putting the best fuel in our bodies.

 

Sleep

Sleep is essential for improved performance and recovery. We have all tried to hit a key threshold session when tired, and no matter how hard we try, we simply can’t get there. Sleep is when the body undergoes crucial repair processes, making us more robust and resilient to injury. Quality sleep enables us to reach our full potential as runners.

While the importance of sleep quantity is well recognized, the quality of sleep is often overlooked. Modern lifestyle factors such as blue light exposure, stimulation, stress, caffeine, and sugar intake can significantly impact sleep quality. These elements can prevent us from getting the restorative sleep we need.

1. Blue Light: Exposure to blue light particularly through screens before bed can disrupt the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. Reducing blue light exposure in the evening can improve sleep quality.
2. Stimulation and Stress: High levels of stress and mental stimulation before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Implementing relaxation techniques such as meditation or reading can help.
3. Caffeine and Sugar: While many are aware that caffeine close to bedtime can impact sleep many runners are unaware that sugary foods close to bedtime can interfere with the ability to fall asleep. Limiting intake in the evening can lead to better sleep quality.

4. Core Temperature: Lowering your core temperature before bed helps your body fall asleep more quickly. The body’s natural circadian rhythm involves a drop in core temperature as a signal for sleep onset. Engaging in activities that cool your body, such as taking a warm bath (which leads to a subsequent cooling effect) or ensuring your sleeping environment is cool, can facilitate this process and improve sleep quality.

Understanding and addressing these factors can significantly improve sleep quality, ensuring that we get the restorative rest needed for effective recovery and peak performance in running.

 

Manual Manipulation

Manual manipulation techniques, such as massage, stretching, foam rolling, rolling on a ball, using a trigger gun, dry needling, and hot and cold therapy, are crucial for a runner’s recovery routine. Each method has its specific time and place in aiding muscle recovery and overall performance.

1. Massage: Helps in relieving muscle tension, reducing soreness, and improving blood flow. Regular massages can enhance flexibility and prevent injuries.
2. Stretching: Essential for maintaining and improving flexibility, reducing stiffness, and preventing muscle imbalances. Incorporate dynamic stretching before runs and static stretching afterward.
3. Foam Rolling: Targets muscle knots and tightness. It increases blood flow to muscles, helps facial release and therefore helps improve tissue elasticity thus speeding up recovery.
4. Rolling on a Ball: Focuses on specific trigger points and deep tissue areas. It’s particularly useful for small or hard-to-reach muscle groups.
5. Trigger Gun: Relieves muscle soreness and improves range of motion. It can be used for short, targeted sessions on particularly tight or sore areas.
6. Dry Needling: Involves inserting thin needles into trigger points in muscles to relieve pain and improve function. This technique can help release tight muscles, improve blood flow, and promote healing.
7. Hot and Cold Therapy: Alternating between hot and cold treatments can promote circulation and healing.

Understanding when and how to use these techniques based on your body’s needs is crucial. Regularly assessing your muscle condition will help you determine which methods to use and when, ensuring you maximize recovery and maintain peak performance.

 

Access to Medical Professionals

Regular access to health care professionals is vital for runners to maintain their health and performance. As a runner we need regular access to a health care professional as its’ not a case of if you will develop a sore spot or tightness, it’s a matter of when. In this case we are after prevention – immediate attention to any discomfort can prevent injuries, ensuring that runners stay on track with their training. By having a regular appointment, with your chosen health care professional – physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath (ideally one with a vested interest in running) you are able to stay on top of your selfcare, and if anything, ever feels untoward you can take immediate preventative action. This information is then fed back to your coach who can adjust your training program to suit. This collaborative approach ensures long-term consistency in training and performance.

 

Nutritional Ergogenic Aids

While the aim is to get your full nutritional requirement from whole foods, as endurance athletes we place an increased demand on some key micronutrients in the body. Thus, we can turn to Nutritional ergogenic aids or supplements to meet this shortfall. Nutritional ergogenic aids such as magnesium, protein powders, iron, omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) and Vitamin D to name a few play a critical role in meeting the nutritional needs of endurance athletes, including runners. For instance, magnesium supports muscle function and recovery, reducing cramping and fatigue, while protein powders as mentioned above aid in muscle repair and growth, essential for recovery after intense training sessions. It’s important to ensure that any supplements taken are HASTA certified, guaranteeing they are free from banned substances and safe for use in competitive sports. By incorporating these aids into their regimen, runners can enhance recovery, maintain peak performance, and support overall health and endurance.

 

Mastering recovery is crucial for runners to achieve their personal best performance and prevent injuries. Focusing on five key areas—nutrition and hydration, sleep, manual manipulation, access to medical professionals, and nutritional ergogenic aids—ensures optimal recovery. By implementing these strategies, runners can maintain training consistency, reach their full potential and finish with a smile.

 

Nick Muxlow is know for allowing runners to finish with a smile. He has a Bachelor of Human Movement (Exercise & Sports Science) and Education as well as being an IAAF Level 4 Run Coach and ASCA Level 1 Strength & Conditioning Coach. He has coached runners to over 40+ podium finishes while his specialty is coaching runners to finish their first 50k & 100k Ultra. He is the author of “Journey to 100 – How to run your best 100km ultramarathon and love it”. Nick is available for 1:1 Online coaching and through his ‘The Ultra Club’ program.