“Recover, Recharge, Repeat: Smart Recovery Training According to Andrew Huberman”
“Stress is only beneficial if you can recover from it.” - Dr. Andy Galpin
Improving your physical condition requires more than just pushing your limits. It's essential to understand the role that recovery plays in the process. In this blog, we will discuss some techniques and recovery methods explained by Andrew Huberman and Dr. Andy Galpin, PhD, professor of kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton, in the episode: Maximize Recovery to Achieve Fitness & Performance Goals.
From pressure manipulation to the power of adequate breathing, discover how you can enhance your recovery protocol.
Stress and Adaptation
🚨 Stress can only cause adaptation if you recover from it.
Stress is a double-edged sword when it comes to physical conditioning. In order to adapt and improve your condition, it is important for your body to recover. Stress caused by training over-load and muscle tears will only lead to improvement if you can effectively recover from it.
“Note that physical training is to some extent destroying your body, so you can build a better one. Every time you exercise, you cause damage to muscle fibers, which prompts the body to repair and adapt.”
There are certain methods that will be discussed below on how to enhance recovery. However, more than looking for “quick fixes”, it makes more sense to take preventative measures and recognize what is a definite sign of overtraining.
Preventative Measures - Overreaching vs Overtraining
Non-functional overreaching is a state where stress doesn’t create adaptation. Exercise performed during this state will only lead to negative physical functioning.
Overtraining is similar, but it is more of a mental state produced by burnout, fatigue, and declining performance.
🤺 The best way on how to avoid overtraining and non-functional overreaching is a self analysis.
You have:
Performance markers — speed tests are the most effective at discovering over-reaching and over-training, indicating lower speed levels.
Biological markers — includes blood tests.
Symptoms — mood, appetite, motivation, and sleep.
Eye movements — measuring eye movement is a fantastic indicator of stress load (rapid movements and pupil dilation).
Enhancing Recovery
Pressure Manipulation
After exercising, muscles can accumulate interstitial fluid due to inflammation. Wearing tight clothes compresses the muscles and helps reduce the swelling caused by fluid. Similarly, foam rolling and massages work by applying pressure to disperse the fluid and promote recovery.
Thermal Recovery
Cold water immersion provides pain relief, and limits inflammation, but it may slightly hinder muscle growth. Heat exposure, on the other hand, increases blood flow, promotes relaxation, and triggers cellular repair. To find the right balance, alternate between cold and heat, adjust timing and duration, and consider individual preferences and goals.
Adequate Sleep
During sleep, the body releases important hormones for muscle repair and growth, promotes protein synthesis, reduces inflammation, restores energy levels, and rejuvenates the central nervous system. Quality sleep also influences psychological factors that impact exercise performance.
😴 How to measure sleep quality? Aim for sufficient sleep, establish a consistent sleep routine, and prioritize sleep hygiene practices.
Additional Recovery Techniques
Active Recovery Techniques
When you're feeling sore, the temptation to laze on the couch is strong. However, light exercise, such as mobility exercises and slow running, help in reducing inflammation fluid and swelling.
Breathing and Yoga
By incorporating conscious breathing, individuals can enhance blood flow. Additionally, yoga helps with improving flexibility and mobility, and fostering a sense of overall well-being.
The Carbs Connection - Comfort Foods
There is research demonstrating the ability of carbohydrates to aid with stress reduction and improve sleep quality, offering a nutritional approach to enhance recovery.
Recovery is the secret ingredient for adaptation. By incorporating the techniques discussed in this blog, you can optimize your recovery system. Remember, it's about how to prevent overtraining, how to effectively recover, and the measures taken for preventing declining performance.
Works Cited
For the full video by Andrew Huberman check out the link below, he shares valuable insights on how to optimize post-training recovery and how to avoid overtraining in order to better achieve your fitness goals!