Redefining Recovery: The Language of Rest and Peak Performance

Healthline. (n.d.). What to expect from a VO₂ max test [Image]. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/vo2-max-test 

If you have ever watched sports, you will know that athletes who strive to achieve peak athletic performance require recovery as their most essential tool. In general, recovery is just seen as the return to a normal state after exertion. However, in sports science, recovery is a multidimensional concept. It includes the psychological, physiological, and biochemical processes that restore homeostasis (the maintenance of the body's internal environment) and enhance readiness of athletic performance (National Academy of Sports Medicine, 2023). Athletes suffer from more than just physical and mental pain, as training stress comes in three forms: physical, psychological, and fatigue (Kellmann & Beckmann, 2008; Perper, 2021). 

Recover as Physiological rest 

Maroto-Gómez, M., Malfaz, M., Castro-González, Á., Carrasco-Martínez, S., & Salichs, M. Á. (2023). Figure 5 [Adaptive circadian rhythms demonstration]. In Adaptive circadian rhythms for autonomous and biologically inspired robot behavior. Biomimetics, 8(5), Article 413. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8050413

Your body follows a cycle called the “circadian rhythm”, which is a natural biological cycle of 24 hours regulating your body's sleep-wake cycle. It uses light as a cue, responding differently to light and dark in terms of hormone production, body temperature, and blood pressure.

Following this cycle is essential for several reasons. The circadian rhythm goes through a stage called the NREM sleep, which is a period of sleep with a lack of rapid eye movement, slow brain activity, and a relaxed heart rate. This stage of the cycle is crucial for human growth hormone (HGH) release. HGH is essential for muscle growth post-exercise by repairing damaged tissue. Secondly, the NREM stage is necessary as it helps in increasing blood circulation, allowing nutrient-rich oxygen and blood to be delivered to muscles, thus enhancing repair. One of the best ways to have a proper circadian rhythm is to sleep 8-10 hours a night, as throughout this part of the circadian cycle, your body will help decrease and maintain a healthy level of cortisol, a stress hormone, that when in high levels can contribute to muscle breakdown. In short, it keeps cortisol levels at an equilibrium level. 

There are several risks of having a poor circadian rhythm in athletes, such as reduced alertness, impaired memory, and slow reaction times, all of which can negatively affect their performance. In addition, a poor rhythm can also lower body core temperature, increasing the likelihood of muscle injuries as well as disrupting the immune system by disrupting normal cell activity. These effects combined will not only increase the risk of illness and injury but also extend recovery time, keeping athletes longer on the sideline and hindering performance in the long run.

Recovery as active intervention

Another sector of recovery is a term called “active recovery”. Active recovery is the practice of performing low-intensity physical activity after a serious workout to reduce soreness and aid muscle repair. This includes strategies that are not essential, but beneficial for an athlete. For example, a study by Dorado, Sanchis-Moysi, and Calbet (2004) showed that using active recovery (pedalling at ~20% VO₂max) between high-intensity cycling bouts led to a 3–4% improvement in performance and 6–8% higher aerobic energy yield, compared to passive rest or stretching. There are several key methods of active recovery, such as: 

Contrast therapy 

Wilson, J. (2023, July 5). Contrast bath in physical therapy. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/contrast-bath-in-physical-therapy-2696628

This is a form of active recovery that uses heat and cold application. An example is switching between a sauna and an ice bath. The heat causes vasodilation of the blood vessels, increasing blood flow and oxygen to the area, while the cold causes vasoconstriction of the blood vessels, restricting blood flow and removing toxins. Together, this creates a pump effect providing various essential benefits, such as reduced inflammation and clearance of cellular waste products, leading to faster recovery from injury or exertion. (Wilson, 2023; Therabody, 2023). 

Foam Rolling 

Besides contrast therapy, another powerful strategy for recovery would be foam rolling, a form of self-myofascial release (SMR) where athletes put their own body weight against the foam roller, creating pressure. This pressure stimulates blood flow, helping flush out metabolic waste products like lactate (Garcia-Gil et al., 2024), while also promoting muscle relaxation and repair. Performing this can provide a variety of benefits for athletes, such as reduced muscle soreness, greater flexibility, improved range of motion, and sharper muscle activation to boost explosiveness. Overall, this strategy can speed up recovery and enable athletes to train harder more often without common injury (Schroeder & Best, 2015).

Nutritional recovery 

Having proper nutrition can also be an essential tool for recovery, with the three main nutrients being carbohydrates, proteins, and micronutrients. Firstly, carbohydrates are essential during exercise for sustained energy production and prevention of fatigue, as well as after exercise to replenish the glycogen stores that were depleted. Secondly, proteins have amino acids that help synthesize new muscle tissues and form stronger muscle after microscopic tissue damage due to intense exercise. Lastly, taking in micronutrient (vitamins or minerals) supplements can increase metabolic support, with micronutrients being essential for vital roles in the body such as energy production, hormone regulation, and immune function, all essential for an athlete to perform consistently and prevent risk of illness (Wang, Meng, & Su, 2024). 

Recovery beyond the physical 

For an athlete, being physiologically ready is essential for peak athletic performance. However, it not only affects athletes physically but also mentally, as it can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability, and mood swings (Zhu et al., 2012). In fact, an experiment conducted by Professor of Exercise Physiology Samuel Marcora (2009) concluded that mental fatigue does not reduce muscle capacity but makes exercise feel harder.  

This is why meditation, mindfulness, and visualisation are essential for athletes, allowing them to improve their mental focus, reduce stress and anxiety, as well as enhance performance and boost resilience. These three strategies can help athletes manage pressure by promoting controlled breathing and mental awareness, allowing for maximum performance during game time (Forever Fit Science, 2020). 

In conclusion, science has helped recovery evolve from passive rest to a multidimensional strategy. Recovery should not be seen merely as a way to reduce fatigue, but as a technique to enhance performance — something all athletes should make an essential part of daily life.

References 

Business Insider. (2021, June 23). Top athletes are opening up about their mental health struggles, helping to break a long-standing stigma. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/athletes-mental-health-struggles-depression-2021-6

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Chen, J. S., Liao, C. D., Kuo, Y. C., Chen, C. Y., & Liou, T. H. (2018). Efficacy of foam rolling in recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(7), 729. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4299735/

Dupuy, O., Gauthier, C. J., Fraser, S. A., Desjardins-Crepeau, L., Desjardins, M., Mekary, S., … & Bherer, L. (2018). Higher levels of cortisol are associated with greater mood disturbance and fatigue in athletes. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 234. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8584322/

Foreveryfit Science. (2020). Meditation and visualization for athletes. Forever Fit Science. https://foreverfitscience.com/brain-health/meditation-and-visualization-for-athletes/

Heaton, L. E., Davis, J. K., Rawson, E. S., Nuccio, R. P., Witard, O. C., Stein, K. W., … & Arent, S. M. (2017). Selected in-season nutritional strategies to enhance recovery for team sport athletes: A practical overview. Sports Medicine, 47(11), 2201–2218. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7284704/

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching. (2008). The performance lifestyle: A multidimensional approach to enhancing recovery and optimising performance. UK Strength and Conditioning Association Quarterly, 8(3), 12–19. https://cdn.uksca.org.uk/assets/pdfs/UkscaIqPdfs/the-performance-lifestyle-a-multidimensional-approach-to-enhancing-recovery-and-optimising-performance-636830805269651193.pdf

Kölling, S., Duffield, R., Erlacher, D., Venter, R., & Halson, S. L. (2019). Sleep-related recovery strategies in sports: A practical guide for athletes and coaches. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 14(2), 133–140. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6945723/

Marcora, S. M., Staiano, W., & Manning, V. (2009). Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 106(3), 857–864. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19131473/

Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Zourdos, M. C., Urdampilleta, A., & Calleja-González, J. (2015). Nutrition for recovery in elite athletes: Evidence and practical application. Nutrients, 7(6), 4319–4345. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/23/4081

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). (2021, September 27). The science of recovery. NASM Blog. https://blog.nasm.org/the-science-of-recovery

Théron, J. J., Olivier, S., & Theron, A. M. (2024). Foam rolling as a recovery technique: Mechanisms and effectiveness. Heliyon, 10(2), e25781. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024052113

Therabody. (2023). How heat, cold, and contrast therapy benefit your body. Therabody. https://www.therabody.com/blogs/news/how-heat-cold-and-contrast-therapy-benefit-your-body

Wilson, J. (2023, July 5). Contrast bath in physical therapy. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/contrast-bath-in-physical-therapy-2696628