Muscle recovery can be uber-uncomfortable whether you are a seasonal runner, a total gym rat, or a bodybuilder.
Despite what you might have read on various platforms, there is no better way to boost the recovery process than by taking a healthy diet, a pleasant night’s sleep, and some supplements. Read more about bodybuilding and powerful supplements.
Many productive ways are available that can help you in the muscle recovery process. Leading a healthy lifestyle is very important, along with various other factors. However, it might get a bit tricky to get along with every aspect.
But no need to worry!
This blog post has covered 5 proven ways to boost muscle recovery and help you get more consistent with your workouts.
Let’s get along!
5 Scientifically Proven Ways to Speed Muscle Recovery!
Here we have discussed 5 scientifically proven ways to help you in boosting the recovery process and get you back in your gym again faster.
1. Chill with Your Favorite Music
Is it challenging to get your mind off the fact that “my legs are on fire?”
To that end, listen to music next time you plan to do some challenging workout. It will not make your legs hurt less, but it at least prevents your mind from thinking about it and keeps you going.
Switching to low-tempo songs can help you calm your heart rate quicker and relax your blood pressure – the reason behind the pain in the first place – back down to resting levels faster after exercise with music.
2. Sleep Better
TBH, the relationship between sleep and exercise is still unclear. However, according to the research and stats, not getting enough shut-eye can negatively impact body recovery and overall performance.
Without a doubt, sleep impacts the entire working ability of the human body – including the heart, lungs, and brain. Not only this, it influences the body’s metabolism, such as boosting an immune system, handling mood swings, and the body’s resistance to certain diseases.
So, next time you are doing a problematic exercise, plan to get some extra Zzzs to speed up your muscle recovery.
3. Get Proteins in Abundance
- At Breakfast
After a good night’s sleep and a hard workout, you only need some nutrients to recharge. Starting a day with a healthy and protein-rich breakfast can reconstruct the chugging along. Moreover, it might also help to reduce the cravings throughout the rest of the day and put a kibosh on a useless evening snacking.
- Before Going to Bed
Subsequently, take some protein before going to bed as your body utilizes protein to repair the tiny tears of body muscles. Studies have shown that protein before bed can help you bounce back to the workout better, as proteins taken before bed can immensely increase the amino-acid levels in the body, positively impacting the muscle recovery mechanism.
- Before and After a Workout
Proteins are a great source of amino acids – the basic building blocks of muscle tissue construction – helping to repair the tears of the muscle tissues. Some of the sources of proteins in the body are fish, dairy, beans, eggs, mushrooms, poultry, beef, cottage cheese, and soy.
It is also recommended to get some protein even after the workout, along with some traces of carbohydrates, as both can help boost the body’s repairing work. Consuming yogurt, peanut butter, sandwich, or milk can be an excellent source to help restore the glycogen in the body – lost by exercise.
4. Give Your Body Muscles a Bit of TLC
- Give Some Time for Your Muscles to Relax
Though no one-size-fits-all, it is recommended to take a gap of 2 days between intense workouts involving the same muscle group. Factors like an individual’s fitness level and age also impact how much time should be given to muscles for relaxation.
Moreover, you may also extend the resting days if you notice a decreased performance from workout to workout or deterioration in energy levels.
- Have Some Anti-Inflammatory Medication
Anti-inflammatory medicines are found to speed up the recovery process and help reduce the muscles’ soreness: in the short term. They are not supposed to be a good solution for the long run, though.
In addition, a concise study in 2018 was conducted to get an idea about the impact of nonsteroidal drugs, which showed the hindering effects on muscle strength. Therefore, it is better to use natural anti-inflammatory ingredients like willow bark and turmeric.
5. Keep Yourself Hydrated
- Have Some Chocolate Milk
Searching for some delicious and healthy post-workout snacks on the go?
Down some chocolate milk, fit fam!
A drink of chocolate milk will be enough to kick-start the muscle recovery process. Moreover, it is also said that carbs in chocolate milk can help reduce muscle soreness and the time required to get your muscle ready for the next challenging workout.
- Have Some Tart Cherry Drink!
Stiff as a board after yesterday’s lifting session or cycling class?
Tart cherry drinks or supplements might help minimize muscle swelling and allow your body to recover quicker with less pain. Moreover, with tart cherry juice in athletes, reduced inflammation was found after exercise.
- Keep Yourself Hydrated
Better and quicker recovery can be just a glass or two away!
Among numerous other benefits water have, it also helps remove the body’s metabolic waste – produced by the heavy and challenging workout.
Did you know: in scorching heat, the body can lose up to 4 liters or approx. 9 pounds of fluid each hour. That’s a lot!
Furthermore, it is advisable by the expert to take almost 8 ounces of water after a workout of 30 minutes and 16-24 ounces for every pound your body loses.
To Sum Up
If you aim to get bigger biceps, minor soreness and stiffness are a part of the journey. But there are many practical and valuable ways to bounce back faster.
Ensure to give your body plenty of time to recover, especially when you have pushed the muscle to get along with some tricky and resistance-required exercises.
Moreover, you can also implement some other valuable strategies like eating more protein or taking a cold bath and avoiding drinks that can dehydrate you.
