Time and time again, we get in a great workout only to find ourselves sore the next day, like really sore, and maybe even sore for days. That soreness sometimes just seems to not go away as fast as you would like in order to get back into the gym. Did you know that you could be doing things to help this muscle soreness go away sooner? Well, you can. Here are six ways you can speed up muscle recovery.
6 Ways to Speed Up Muscle Recovery
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Drinking water is essential for post-workout recovery, including muscle repair. In order to achieve rehydration, you need to drink more fluid than the sweat loss. Coupled with electrolytes can improve your rehydration even more. Electrolytes include minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium. These minerals are important for your nervous system that gets used up during muscle contraction. We offer a supplement with electrolytes called SUPER POWDER. Our SUPER POWDER has a blend of electrolytes that helps you stay hydrated and replenish your body from the minerals lost through sweat.
Post-Workout Snack
After a workout, having a snack that contains both carbohydrates and protein can help improve muscle recovery time by providing the nutrients your muscle tissue needs to begin repairing. The body is most effective at replacing carbohydrates and promoting muscle repair and growth in the first ~60-90min after exercise, so being able to get your nutrients in within that window is ideal.
Warming Up Before a Workout
You should include dynamic stretching before your workout to activate the muscles you are about to use. When you incorporate these types of exercises they will gently lengthen and activate the muscles. When you take the time and slowly incorporate the movements it helps to prevent overstretching, strain or injury during your workout.
Taking Cold Baths
Working out can cause micro damage to your muscles. These micro-tears can result in swelling, inflammation, and soreness. This process is very normal and it is how your muscles adapt to becoming stronger. Cold baths can help reduce this inflammation and are especially useful if you are still sore a couple days after your workout.
Schedule Rest Days
Your body needs a good rest day. Scheduling one every seven to ten days is ideal. Depending on how hard you workout, you could need them sooner than this time frame too.
Supplements
Supplements that are designed to help with muscle recovery, can certainly speed up muscle recovery.
We highly recommend a pre-workout that is designed to help your muscles recover after your workout like our POW. POW contains CarnoSyn® Beta-alanine, a natural amino acid that helps support muscle endurance and muscle strength and delays muscle fatigue during workouts. Beta-alanine is one of the most widely used ingredients for workout enhancement. In addition, it contains FruiteX-B®, a clinically researched nutraceutical, that helps provide joint flexibility and comfort in as little as 7 days.
Additionally, a good workout recovery supplement definitely helps speed up muscle recovery.
BCAAs are popular because they help support muscle protein synthesis and can help support muscle recovery, muscle strength and delay muscle fatigue promoting lean muscle protein synthesis. Our post-workout supplement, RESCUE also contains, what we like to call, Watermelon Recovery Matrix™. It is rich in L-Citrulline and helps improve muscle recovery and support nitric oxide production.
