25 Muscle Recovery Tips for Triathletes

1. Protein post-workout

The proteins that make up your muscle fibres are damaged when you exercise. Consuming protein after your workout can help give your body the raw material it needs to repair this muscle damage.

The amount of protein needed to maximize muscle growth is between 20 and 40 grams or around 0.4 to 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight.

2. Protein pre-workout

Muscle protein synthesis is the process your body uses to repair and grow muscle tissue. Eating protein before you work out could help to increase the rate of muscle protein synthesis, meaning that your body would be better able to repair and grow muscle tissue.

Studies have found that the optimal amount of protein for post-workout consumption is 0.4 to 0.5 g/kg, or 0.18 to 0.22g/lb, of body weight.

3. Carbohydrates post-workout

The glycogen that your muscles store is used as energy during short, intense exercise.

If you need to rapidly restore glycogen levels in less than four hours, such as when performing back-to-back workouts, the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends consuming 1.2 g/kg of body weight per hour with a focus on carbohydrates with a glycemic index (GI) over 70.

Some examples of carbs in the moderate GI range are white rice, potatoes, and sugar.

4. Eat an overall balanced diet

If you eat a healthy diet, you are less likely to develop nutrient deficiencies that could affect your muscles’ ability to recover.

As a general rule, this means:

• minimizing your consumption of ultra-processed foods
• eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
• getting at least 1.4 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.6 to 0.8 g/lb)

5. Stay hydrated

If you are dehydrated, it can cause your muscles to not repair themselves as quickly. If you are exercising in hot or humid weather, you are more likely to become dehydrated.

A person should drink around two litres of water a day for their overall health and post-workout recovery, including muscle repair. If a person is active, sweats a lot, or lives in a warm climate, they should drink more than two litres of water a day.

If you’re sweating a lot during exercise, is water enough to replace what you’ve lost? A 2004 study found that you need to drink more than just water to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through sweating.

The minerals magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium are electrolytes that are found in most foods. They are important for your nervous system and get used up during muscle contraction.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet will provide you with the electrolytes you need for muscle recovery.

A glass of milk, coconut water, or a fruit smoothie can help you recover after your workout by replacing electrolytes in your blood.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you drink 16 to 24 ounces of fluids for every pound you lose while exercising.

6. Tart cherry juice

Tart cherry juice has been found to reduce inflammation, muscle damage, and muscle soreness from exercise.

More research is needed to fully understand the effects of CBD oil, but many studies published to date look promising. A typical dose used in research is 480 millilitres per day (about 1.6 ounces).

7. Creatine monohydrate

Research has shown that combining creatine with resistance training can help improve muscular strength.

Research has found creatine may help athletes recover from intense training by reducing muscle damage and inflammation, as well as aiding in replenishing your muscles’ glycogen stores.

8. Protein powder

It’s also a good choice for people who don’t eat meat or poultry. Protein powder is a terrific way to easily incorporate more protein into your diet – especially if you don’t eat poultry or meat.

Many types of protein powders contain all of the essential amino acids. Two popular types are whey and collagen powders.

9. Sleep more

Sleep is crucial for people who exercise intensely because it allows their muscles to recover. Some professional athletes sleep up to 10 hours per night to make sure they are well-rested.

If you don’t get enough sleep, your muscles may not recover as well. This is because not getting enough sleep can lead to inflammation and a decrease in the production of hormones that help muscles grow.

10. Massage

Massage can help to Many athletes use massage to help reduce muscle soreness as part of their training. Massage can help improve circulation and range of motion, and also reduce inflammation and promote relaxation.

A 2020 review of studies found that massage has a small but significant effect on improving flexibility and decreasing delayed onset muscle soreness after exercise.

11. Compression garments

Compression garments have become increasingly popular among athletes over the past few decades.

Although there are only a few studies on the effectiveness of compression garments for speeding up post-exercise recovery, a 2019 study found that they significantly reduced recovery time for German handball players.

The athletes in the study wore the garments for 24 hours, then had a 12-hour break, followed by another 12 hours of wearing the garments. This cycle was repeated for a total of 96 hours.

12. Contrast water therapy

This type of therapy alternates between periods of submerging in very cold water and very warm water.

As the temperature changes, your blood vessels will either contract or dilate, and your heart rate will also change.

Contrast baths work by alternating cold and hot water for 20 minutes at a time. According to research, contrast bath therapy may help to reduce muscle soreness after a workout. The results are not conclusive, and it is not clear if this therapy would be effective for everyone. Contrast baths involve alternating between cold and hot water for 20 minutes at a time.

13. Cryotherapy

The process of cryotherapy involves exposing your body to an extremely cold temperature for a few minutes.

More research is needed to verify these findings, but if they hold true, krill oil could be a helpful supplement for people who exercise frequently. Krill oil may help speed up recovery by reducing pain, inflammation, and muscle tiredness after strenuous activity. However, more research is needed to verify these findings. If the findings are accurate, krill oil could be a helpful supplement for people who exercise frequently.

14. Alcohol

Drinking alcohol can have some seriously negative consequences for your health. It can cause liver damage, make you put on weight, and give you high blood pressure.

Studies have shown that drinking alcohol after cycling can prevent your muscles from replenishing glycogen after endurance exercise. Alcohol also affects protein synthesis in your muscles.

15. Tobacco

Smoking tobacco negatively impacts your musculoskeletal system.

There is not a lot of research on how tobacco affects muscle recovery, but there is some evidence that smoking is associated with a greater risk of muscular injury.

Smoking tobacco causes an increased risk of developing joint disease and an increased risk of fracturing a bone.

16. Grab a post-workout snack

After you work out, it’s helpful to have a snack that has both carbohydrates and protein. This provides your muscles with the nutrients they need to start repairing themselves.

Sports Dietitians Australia reports that the human body is most efficient at replacing carbohydrates and repairing muscles after exercising for 60 to 90 minutes. Although this process continues for another 12 to 24 hours, it is beneficial to maximize recovery in the initial 90-minute window.

Healthy snacks that will give you energy are limitless. You could make a smoothie, have fruit with yoghurt, eat peanut butter or eggs on toast, or drink a protein powder shake if you’re in a hurry and won’t have time to eat for a bit.

Make sure you eat plenty of high-protein foods throughout the day if you follow a plant-based diet, such as nuts, tofu, quinoa and beans, to give your muscles the nutrients they need to repair.

If you’re still feeling hungry after dinner, try snacking on some high-protein foods to tide you over until breakfast. Not only will this help to stave off hunger, but it can also aid in muscle repair overnight.

17. Take a workout supplement

Some trainers and athletes supplement with branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in addition to getting their nutrition from whole foods.

A study in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism showed that taking BCAAs before a workout may help reduce post-workout soreness and shorten muscle recovery time.

If you are already eating a healthy diet with enough protein, taking supplements may not make a difference, because BCAAs are found in healthy foods like eggs, animal protein, tofu, beans and dairy products.

18. Warm up before resistance training

According to the Mayo Clinic, taking the time to do a proper warm-up can help reduce muscle soreness and the risk of injury.

Before doing challenging workouts or movements, it is especially important to do a proper warm-up.

Your warm-up should include dynamic stretching to help prevent overstretching, strain, or injury during your workout.

19. Make time to cool down

Cooling down after a workout is important to allow your heart rate and blood pressure to gradually recover.

If you have just completed a tough workout or a HIIT session, taking 5-10 minutes to walk on the treadmill can help your body cool down by giving your heart rate a chance to return to normal.

If your heart rate has slowed down, static stretching, where you hold a stretch position, can help improve your range of motion and prevent you from feeling so tight the next day. Having trouble sleeping? A short stretching session before bed may also help you sleep better.

20. Foam roll and stretch

Foam rolling can help improve performance both before and after a workout, according to a 2019 meta-analysis. The study found that foam rolling may also help with recovery.

If you want to improve your flexibility, do some dynamic stretching as part of your warm-up, and also foam roll and stretch. This will help you make the most of your workouts.

If you’re struggling with tight hips, stretching and foam rolling can help relieve discomfort, improve your flexibility, and support your muscles’ recovery.

21. Elevate your legs

Most people spend the majority of their time with their legs down, whether they are sitting, standing, walking, or running.

The Cleveland Clinic says that raising your legs or doing the legs-up-the-wall yoga pose can help with blood flow, swelling, and the circulation of bodily fluids. They also say that doing some calming yoga poses can help improve circulation.

22. Take a cool bath

Tough workouts can cause small muscle tears, leading to swelling, inflammation, and soreness. This is a normal process as your muscles adapt to the workload and become stronger.

If you’re feeling sore after your workout, try taking a cool shower or bath to help with recovery.

Some athletes also cryotherapy to help soothe muscle soreness.

A literature review from 2017 that investigated the effect of whole-body cryotherapy on recovery after exercise found that it may improve recovery from muscle damage. The improvements in muscle pain and recovery from multiple exposures were found to be more consistent.

If you are in a lot of pain, have soreness that lasts more than five days, or wants to try a new treatment, you should always talk to a healthcare professional.

23. Don’t skip rest days

Rest days are an important part of the muscle repair process. They help you feel refreshed and ready to take on your next workout.

According to the American Council on Exercise, you should take at least one day off from physical activity every 7-10 days to give your body time to recover. If you need more rest than that, listen to your body and take the time you need.

24. Keep moving

In between your workouts, doing light exercises can help keep the blood flowing in your body. This brings nutrients to the muscles to help repair them and also gets rid of metabolic waste.

A literature review published in 2018 in Frontiers in Physiology found that active recovery done within the first few days of a tough workout reduced the effects of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

There are many things you can do to stay active throughout the day. You might take the stairs, do some stretching, or try to hit your daily step count. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you stay moving to stay healthy!

25. Wear compression tights

A study done in 2019 found that athletes who wore compression garments after intense exercise had better performance than those who didn’t. Because of these results, the researchers recommended that athletes should always wear compression tights after workouts.

Compression clothing can help you feel less muscle soreness, and reduce inflammation, and swelling.

The fabric’s tightness can help promote blood flow through the deeper blood vessels rather than those on the surface. This may aid with clearing waste and providing nutrients to the muscle fibres.

Listen to your body

Sometimes, during or after a workout, people might feel like certain areas of their body are tighter than others. This can be caused by things like someone’s lifestyle, habits, anatomy, or previous injuries.

After your workout, take a moment to focus on how your body feels and what it needs. You may need to spend a little more time stretching a tight area or paying attention to how it feels during your next workout.

You should also know when to rest or reduce the intensity of your workouts, even if your training program or fitness watch tells you to keep going!