http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/recovery/Stress-Tested.html
I encourage you to take a look at it. It may change the way you think about your recovery.
In particular, I found the following quotes interesting:
"We’ve become addicted to enhanced recovery, obsessed with erasing as quickly as possible the pain, fatigue, and inflammation that come from a hard workout. But some top scientists and coaches have adopted a new line of thinking: stress is a good thing, because it forces the body to adapt, repair itself, and come back stronger. "
and
"The roots of the approach go back to 2006, when researchers at Chukyo University in Japan published a small study in which volunteers who took ice baths after training made smaller strength gains than a control group. “It got everyone thinking that maybe too much tubbing can actually inhibit recovery,” says Trent Stellingwerff, a physiologist at the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia. And if that was true, what other postworkout remedies might be doing more harm than good?"
(You'll have to read the article to find out! Dum dum dum!!!!!)
NICE!!! I've been feeling a tad guilty about not ice bathing like I *should* (or so I thought) after all of my long runs. Maybe I don't need to! I have also *not* been foam rolling, getting tons of massages and stretching. Still feeling great!
So maybe just maybe, when it comes to recovery techniques....
What about you? Are you a recovery freak or a recovery minimalist?
Definitely a recovery minimalist here....I used to obsessively take ice baths, but often I was still stiff, so I figured, why bother? (Of course I'm the one with the hurt back, so maybe I abandoned ice bathing too easily....food for thought....)
ReplyDeleteI will go read the whole article. You've got me curious.
I am still not sure on this one. I used to take ice baths after 18-20 milers, sometimes shorter, but not so much anymore. Maye I should have recently! :)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting topic! I used to always do ice baths after really long runs, but I haven't been able to force myself to do it this year, so maybe that's a good thing! But I am really good about nutrition right after a long run and always wear compression socks. Great food for thought!
ReplyDeleteSuper interesting......makes you think..I do believe there is a fine line and I think we do obsess far too much about something that is natural...super thought provoking-thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis is actually making me feel good about not doing recovery stuff. I am going to need to check out the whole article. It is amazing how the pendulum swings on these types of things.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting-- I'm excited to read it. Like you, I often skimp on the ice baths and feel guilty. I do like using some compression socks afterward but don't do much else.
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