Whether you are training for an upcoming competition, are a professional elite athlete, simply enjoy fitness in your own time or suffer from stiff joints and muscular pains, speeding up muscle recovery can help you move forward. With an intense workout having a big impact on our bodies, it requires time to recover which can be frustrating when we are keen to get going and watch our progress grow.
From simple at home steps to visiting an experienced Sports Chiropractor in Worthing, we have the best recovery processes and latest treatment modalities for knowing how to speed up muscle recovery so you can get back to your best health.
Fuel the body according to your exercise intensity
Following an intense workout, our bodies need to be refuelled to help us recover easier. Ask for professional advice on GI index, including low GI foods before exercise and high GI foods after exercise to aid recovery, fluid intake and type of fluids to consume post training to keep hydrated. Isotonic, hypotonic, hypertonic sports drinks as well as drinks with sodium are effective, all depending on the length and type of exercise activity you do.
Knowing how to speed up muscle recovery using correct food types and fluid intake can speed up muscle recovery and your pain. Get some professional Nutritional advise recommended by the ‘Eat Well Guide’, with some of the best foods to eat including:
- Oily fish such as salmon which are high in protein and omega-3 to reduce inflammation.
- Eggs to get the protein consumed in a quick and easy way without breaking the bank.
- Nuts are a great snack to improve joint and bone health, ideal for snacking on the go.
- Cottage cheese is a great slow releasing protein which helps your body recover over time.
- Watery fruit such as watermelon to keep you hydrated whilst getting plenty of vitamins.
By knowing what fuel your body needs, you will be able to tailor your diet to suit your training plan in order to give your body the best possible chance of recovering in a timely manner. A study has even shown that eating protein shortly before you go to sleep at night increases the protein synthesis rate to help your body with speeding up muscle recovery as you sleep post-exercise.
Relax the muscles with hot & cold treatments
Contrasting the temperature is a great way to encourage muscle recovery, using a combination of hot and cold to keep the process going. When applying cold temperatures to the body, it reduces any inflammation and decreases blood flow whilst hot temperatures then encourage the blood flow and help the muscles to relax. Alternating hot and cold is the best way to keep inflammation and soreness at bay. Cold water is the easiest way to reduce the body temperature; try standing in a cold shower or using an ice pack on the sore area (ensure it is wrapped in a towel rather than putting ice directly onto the skin). To then heat the body temperature back up, the shower can be turned back up to hot or a hot water bottle can be used if using an icepack. During a hot bath, we recommend adding Epsom salts to help the body unwind, relax, rejuvenate and detoxify fully, letting the salt work its magic.
Avoid sitting around whilst waiting for the pain to go
When in pain, keep moving and be active is the best way to move the inflammation and lactic acid build up, being a great method for speeding up muscle recovery. After a day of intense exercise, keep the body moving with gentle exercise or going for a walk as this keeps the blood flowing and gets the nutrients to all muscles. By alternating intense and gentle workouts you will avoid seizing up the body due to repetitive injuries so this is one of the best solutions on how to speed up muscle recovery.
Why not try laser therapy to speed up recovery
Class 4 Laser is the best treatment protocol to speed up muscle recovery and a trip to the MSK-Sports Injury Clinic Worthing can provide much faster results than any other treatments. By using 100% safe laser therapy directly on the site of localised pain, the injured tissue or swollen joints are stimulated with increased blood supply to the depth of the tissue, repairing tear to muscles, even on large hamstring muscles by releasing collagen cells to encourage repair and speed up natural recovery. Just 4 treatments produce quick, effective results for soft tissue injuries, high impact conditions and inflammatory conditions. These conditions may include runner’s knee, platar fasciitis, heel spur, shin splints, hamstring tears, tennis and golfers elbow which are common amongst active sports individuals.
Here at Richmond Clinic, we have the knowledge and experience of how to speed up muscle recovery, working with you to create individual treatment plans and help you get back to what you do best. Therapy is designed to speed up recovery from injury, correct muscular imbalances and relieve pain and your Laser Clinician will stretch the muscles or apply trigger point therapy for pressure to the injured area or prior to laser therapy.
An initial consultation and assessment will take between around 30 minutes and treatments are booked for 15-20 minutes; you may require one or three laser treatments per week for maximum results. Please contact us today to have a chat with a member of our team or request an appointment to have a more in depth chat about your individual needs.