After exercising and high-intensity physical activities, you feel pain in the muscles. This pain occurs as a result of tension in the body’s muscles, which leads to muscle breakdown and damage, and here comes the role of the muscle recovery process. To relieve this tension and treat muscle breakdown.
In this article, we will discuss what is meant by the muscle recovery process, how long it takes muscles to recover from the effects of exercise, and ways to speed up the muscle recovery process.
What is muscle recovery?
Recovery means: the muscles recover from the tension and effort resulting from them after performing high physical effort.
A group of techniques and operations are used to achieve this, and muscle recovery methods include:
- Stretching exercise.
- Ice bath.
- Rest and diet.
When does muscle recovery occur?
This process occurs after any excessive load is applied to the muscles, whether this load is caused by:
- Physical activity at home.
- Injuries or muscle tears.
Recovery usually begins immediately after the load is applied to the muscles, and continues for the following hours and days.
The start date for muscle recovery may vary depending on the type and intensity of the load and tension applied to the muscles.
Duration of muscle recovery
The duration of muscle recovery – required to relieve tension in the muscles and get rid of pain or inflammation in the muscles – ranges approximately between 24-72 hours, and the duration is determined depending on several factors, including:
- Intensity of exercise
The greater the intensity of the exercise and the greater the load applied to the muscles, the longer the muscles need to recover. Cardio exercises require a shorter period than strength exercises.
- Fitness degree
The more physically fit a person is, the faster the healing and recovery process becomes.
- Muscles exposed to tension and pressure
The period required for recovery varies depending on the muscle. For example, large muscles, such as leg muscles, require a longer period than arm muscles to recover from the effects of exercise.
- Healthy diet and drinking sufficient amounts of water
Proper nutrition, eating meals rich in protein and carbohydrates, and drinking water help speed up the recovery process and replace muscle tissue that was destroyed during exercise.
- Rest and adequate sleep
Getting enough sleep, appropriate for your physical condition, is important, as muscle tissue affected by catabolism is repaired during sleeping hours.
- the age
Younger people are faster in the process of muscle recovery after exercise than older people.
Accelerate muscle recovery
If you aim to return to exercise and physical activity quickly, and relieve muscle pain and inflammation faster, follow along with us to learn about useful and effective ways to speed up recovery and recovery from muscle pain:
Take adequate rest
Making sure to get enough rest and sleep (6-8 hours a day) after exercise is one of the most important factors in accelerating the recovery process.
You should avoid strenuous and high-intensity exercises after doing a lot of physical effort.
Make sure to get more rest and sleep if you feel exhausted and tired.
Proper nutrition (foods that increase the speed of muscle recovery)
If you want to speed up the recovery process, you must follow a healthy diet suitable for your condition. Among the most important foods that increase the speed of recovery are:
Continue to take your daily requirement of protein, which is equivalent to approximately 2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight. As protein is the building block of muscle; So the body uses it to repair and build muscle tissue.
Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy, so they provide the body with the energy needed to build muscles and compensate for the catabolism resulting from exercise. Carbohydrates fill the glycogen stores in the muscles.
- Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which reduce inflammation and improve blood flow to the muscles.
- Healthy fats
such as those found in nuts; Healthy fats reduce inflammation.
Supplements help fill the deficit that may result from nutritional deficiency, which helps in the process of muscle building and recovery. The most important supplements are: protein supplements such as casein and whey protein, amino supplements, and creatine.
- Hydrate the body by drinking water
Drinking sufficient amounts of water daily (3-5 liters) helps keep the body hydrated, thus improving the delivery of nutrients to the muscles, which accelerates muscle recovery.
Stretching exercises
Regular stretching and stretching exercises after strenuous exercises help the muscles increase their flexibility and relieve tension arising on them.
Cold water and ice bath
It is recommended to apply an ice bath or shower with cold water for 20-30 minutes after exercise. To relieve inflammation and swelling.
Physical therapy sessions
Of course, physical therapy and massage help speed up the recovery process; By increasing blood flow to inflamed muscles and tissues, and reducing inflammation and pain.
These were some of the useful and scientifically proven methods to accelerate the recovery process and muscle recovery after exercise.
At the end
We have unveiled the concept of muscle recovery, its importance for athletes, and effective ways to accelerate it.
common questions
What is the duration of muscle recovery?
The duration of muscle recovery – required to relieve tension in the muscles and get rid of pain or inflammation in the muscles – ranges approximately between 24-72 hours.
What foods help muscle recovery?
- Protein
- Carbohydrates
- Fruits and vegetables
- Healthy fats
- Nutritional supplements.
- Hydrate the body by drinking water
How is muscle recovery done?
A group of techniques and operations are used to achieve this, and muscle recovery methods include:
- Massage: To relieve inflammation and enhance blood flow to the muscles, which speeds up recovery.
- Stretching exercises: to stretch the muscles and relieve tension and effort on them.
- Ice bath: to relieve heat and inflammation.
- Rest and diet: The role of rest and proper nutrition in recovery cannot be neglected.
What does muscle recovery do?
Muscles recover from tension and stress resulting from high physical exertion.
Does drinking water help muscle recovery?
One of the factors that speed up recovery is hydrating the body by drinking water:
Drinking sufficient amounts of water daily (3-5 liters) helps keep the body hydrated, thus improving the delivery of nutrients to the muscles, which accelerates muscle recovery.
What does muscle pain after exercise indicate?
After exercising and high-intensity physical activities, you feel muscle pain. This pain occurs as a result of tension in the body’s muscles, which leads to muscle breakdown and damage.
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