Vern Gambetta on Recovery
Vern Gambetta is a leader in exercise. When he speaks, smart people listen...below are his thoughts on recovery.
Thoughts on Recovery – Part One
I want to preface this series of posts with some global comments . Today recovery has taken on a life of it own, with recovery sessions planned after remedial workouts that minimally stress the athlete. There are now muti-million dollar recovery centers manned by "recovery specialists." Is all this necessary? I have my questions. Recovery must be put in the perspective of the training and the training age of the athlete. In this series of posts I will lend my perspective on recovery which will hopefully provide a better understanding of the role and the process as well as stimulate some healthy discussion.
Recovery is a key factor in performance. It is during the recovery that adaptation to training occurs. Recovery is the process over time needed to repair damage to the body caused by either training or competition. After the work the rest should be easy, sometimes it is not because it is not thought of as part of the training process. To insure the highest quality training and to prevent overtraining, recovery must be planned as part of the training process. In some instances it is beneficial to build the workout around the recovery for athletes who are finely tuned and in absolutely peak condition. It does no good to give an athlete a workout that they could handle and then not be able to come back and do anything significant for days afterward. The key to all of this is the necessity to assess the athletes “recoverability,” which is how well they were able to recover from the different workloads. Do this both subjectively and objectively. No two athletes recover and adapt from the same workout the same way. In fact athletes react individually to different types of work. The recovery strategy must match the type of fatigue. Some athletes are fast adapters and recover quite quickly; others are slow adaptors and take significantly longer. This is easy to address in an individual sport, but can present a managerial problem in a team sport. The means of assessment of recoverability is to closely monitor training and the response to training.
Restoration is a series of planned actions to bring the athlete back to baseline. Activities or external means that help the athlete physically or psychologically overcome the rigors of hard training. Regeneration is an active process, it is the means used to bring the athlete back to baseline. This is an actual planned training unit to help the body recover from training and to return to previous performance levels through removal of mental and physical fatigue due to training and competition efforts.
Rest is time off with no training at all. For the athlete this is a poor alternative. The body is accustomed to a certain level of activity. When that is taken away it is a shock to the body. It interferes with appetite, sleep and general mood state. Complete rest makes the return to training more difficult. Rather than restoring the body the athlete coming off a day or longer of complete rest is flat. A much more viable alternative is active rest. In active rest the “muscles work, nerves rest.” It is time off from the regular activities of training. “Active” refers to other sports activities. For example the play a game of pickup soccer or the swimmer may go for a bike ride. It is absence from abuse not absence from activity but still gives the athlete the stimulus activity that does not stress the system.
Thoughts on Recovery - Part Two
The global objectives of recovery/regeneration and the general strategies to address them are:
1) Restore Glycogen Levels -. The goal of recovery is Glycogen levels to at least to pre exercise levels. In order to be effective carbohydrate (CHO) should be taken within a 2-hr. window after exercise. Low Glycogen will result in fatigue, tiredness, dizziness, light headedness, sleeplessness and muscle soreness. The guidelines for replenishment of glycogen levels to pre exercise levels are: 1grams of carbohydrate per kilogram per hour for first 2 hours post-exercise. 1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight per hour in 15-30 min intervals for up to 4 hrs post exercise.
2) Minimize the Breakdown of Muscle - This is a cumulative process; it is seldom one workout than can cause this. The stress of several hard workouts or a very demanding competition, especially a hard endurance sessions or heavy lifting sessions, put the body in a catabolic state where tissue is broken down. In order to recover the body must repair this damaged tissue by shifting to anabolic or muscle building state. The guidelines to minimize the catabolic effect of training are: Follow the protocol for carbohydrate but use a 1:4 protein to CHO ratio for protein. Research has shown that that six grams of protein will accelerate protein synthesis after exercise.
3) Restore Depleted Electrolytes - This is an ongoing process that must be addressed both intra and inter workout. It is imperative that the athlete has a well planned strategy to address this. Replacement of essential electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, potassium, chloride and calcium to prevent heat illness, nausea, confusion, headaches, sleeplessness, post-exercise fatigue, muscle soreness and GI distress. It is imperative that the athlete avoid colas, coffee, tea and alcohol as these drinks have a diuretic effect which will delay the rehydration process.
4) Hydrate and Rehydrate - This is the easiest aspect of recovery to implement, but perhaps because it is so easy it is often forgotten until the athlete is in a distressed state. It is a factor anywhere the athlete is training, not just in a hot humid environment. Hydration will minimize dehydration, stabilize the blood volume, and prevent muscle cramping. The guidelines for fluid replacement are: Athletes should weigh in before and after training to estimate sweat loss. Each kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of weight loss is equal to one liter of sweat loss. In order to re-hydrate after training drink1.5 times the calculated volume of sweat loss. Use a commercially available drink that combines rapid absorption rates (hypotonic characteristics) with adequate amounts of carbohydrates and electrolytes.
5) Reduce Inflammation – The stress of training produces micro tears and swelling in muscle tissue. Inflammation is a natural protective mechanism of the body to heal and stimulate blood flow to the damaged tissue. There must be a balance between allowing the body’s natural inflammatory response to take place and minimize swelling that could inhibit training in following training sessions. The best way to reduce inflammation and stimulate blood flow in gentle movement combined with ice.
6) Reduce Muscle Soreness – Muscle soreness is the natural result of training Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a well-established phenomenon. With DOMS the athlete is more sore the second and third day post exercise. The steps to control DOMS are a systematic cooldown that stimulates blood flow to the targeted muscles, gentle rhythmic exercise and static stretching. Gentle exercise in a swimming pool is very effective.
7) Boost the Immune System – Systematic high level training will severely stress the body’s immune system. This must be addressed by moderating lifestyle and through proper nutrition. It is recommended to supplement with vitamin C to enhance the immune system. 8) Proper sleep - Get at least 8 hours of continuous sleep every night. Rest more if traveling across time zones and allow sufficient time between training sessions for recovery. If it is determined that somewhat less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep is being achieved, a “sleep debt” is incurred. If sleep debts occurs, then steps should be taken to repay the sleep debt. You can make up sleep debt using all or any of the following: Going to bed earlier each night for an extended period of time. If your schedule permits, take a 30 – 60 minutes nap during the day.
Thoughts on Recovery - Part Three
The key to management of the recovery process is a sound system of monitoring training to accurately assess the stress of training. Monitoring is analogous a compass that keeps training on the correct path. It occurs on several levels, all of which are important. The simplest level is just recording the results of the workout. This is a dual responsibility – for the coach and the athlete. It is not an option, it is essential! Monitoring does not always provide immediate feedback; it takes time for patterns to emerge, so be patient.
In training there is an immediate residual and cumulative training effect, the ultimate goal of training in the long-term adaptation or the cumulative training effect. Monitor each of these effects in order to assess the program of training. Monitoring training will allow control of the training process and ensure a proactive adaptive response. Planning the training and implementing the training are only two prongs of a three pronged attack. Monitoring the training is the third.
Carefully monitor those components of training that are the focus of that particular training period. It is not possible to monitor too much. You must look at the factors of training stress as well as total life stress factors. Monitoring should be both subjective and objective where possible. Monitor and record what is practical.
The most simple and most effective means of monitoring training is a detailed training log. The log represents the athlete’s personal training monitoring tool. It should represent the athlete’s individual input about their response to training. Each log, regardless of the sport or person, should contain certain basic information. Somewhere the log should monitor factors outside of training, sleep diet and other stressors all can have an effect on training. This information is:
Athletes Log
Day and Date
Hours of Sleep
Time of Training
Weather
Duration of the session (Rounded to the nearest quarter hour)
Energy rating – Before workout
The actual exercises
Sets
Reps
Times
Interval
Intensity
Training Demand Rating Scale (Post Training)
The coaches training log should be as detailed as possible and still practical to isolate variables to identify possible patterns. It should incorporate the following:
Evaluate planned work versus work completed
Rate the athlete’s response to the work.
Breakdown of the time duration of each training component
The training demand rating scale is a valuable tool can be easily adapted to use in a team as well as an individual sport. It can be used to rate training demand on individual components of the workout or for the workout as a whole. It really depends how detailed you want to get. Regardless of how you apply it provides very good reliable feedback as to the stress of training. Conceptually, the athlete simply rates how hard they feel they are working by assigning a number to the sensation of their effort. For simplicity and ease of use a 10-point scale is effective in the athlete population if the athlete must is first educated to the effort relative to the assigned numerical value. It must be fine tuned for each athlete to provide reliable feedback on training stress. The following is the Training Demand Rating Scale:
1=Easy - No Effort Required
2=Extremely Light
3=Very Light
4=Moderately Light
5=Light
6=A Little Hard
7=Hard
8=Very Hard
9=Extremely Hard
10=Maximal Effort
Have the athlete rate and record the effort at the conclusion of the workout. It is useful once you orient the athletes to the scale to allow them to develop their own verbal descriptors for the various points on the scale. This will personalize the process which makes the information that much more meaningful.
Monitoring will also help to assess how the performance was achieved. Two athletes can do the same workout; achieve the same results and have polar opposite adaptive responses. One may have to tap deep into the adaptive reserve to achieve the result and the other may require much less effort. That is why it is so imperative to have additional means of monitoring training. Also monitor readiness for the workout. Monitor indices that indicate adaptation. It is imperative to monitor factors outside of training, sleep diet and other stressors all can have an effect.
Monitoring increases training effectiveness. The more consistent the monitoring the more meaningful the information will be. In essence monitoring training allows you to reconcile what was planned for training and what was achieved. Remember it is very specific to the event, the performance level of the athlete, the age of the athlete and the gender. Once a system of monitoring has been implemented the information gathered must be straightforward and simple so that it can be easily interpreted and modifications made easily made as needed.
Thoughts on recovery - Part Four
There are some simple basic guidelines for restoration depending on the timing in relation to the workout. Within the workout, allow adequate rest between exercises and the various types of work based on the type of work. This rest should preferably be active in nature. A major recovery consideration intra workout is proper nutrition. During the workout this should consist of fluid replacement and carbohydrate replacement, preferably combined. Shaking and self-massage can be effective recovery tools between exercises in a workout. Between am and pm workouts it is important to apply recovery methods immediately at the conclusion of the first workout. Between days employ the recovery methods 6 –9 hours after the workout or competition. If the workout or competition finishes late then start the recovery procedures in the morning after rising.
Recovery and restoration is as much a part of the training process as the training itself. The recovery must be part of the training plan from the earliest stages of development. Recovery must be taught by making the athlete more aware of reading their body and understanding how they adapt to training. It is quite a personal process that the athlete must take ownership of in order to insure progressive adaptation. Without recovery the adaptation to training cannot take place.
