Stop Recovering So Much!

[fe.RMT]

An interesting article on over-recovery and recovery timing

http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/re ... ested.html

"Stellingwerff, Magness, and Leeder all advise the athletes they work with, depending on their training stage, to “periodize” their recovery. During periods of heavy training, the main goal is to push the body hard, so anything that interferes with training adaptations should be avoided. As you get closer to a competition, the focus shifts from gaining fitness to feeling good, so that’s when you ramp up recovery."

[babysteps]

Why do you hate me?

[La]

Interesting. The comments are pretty funny, too.

Three key takeaways for me:
- As someone who only runs four days a week, I guess I don't really have to worry about taking any extraordinary recovery measures. I'll save my massages for the two weeks before my marathon.
- SLEEP! It really does do a whole lot of good.*
- NSAIDs - not that I take a lot (and don't take it prophylactically anymore), I may re-consider the Aleve (naproxin) I take for the normal post-run aches and pains.

*With that said, I think I'll go to bed!

[Jogger Barbie]

Very interesting, thanks for posting. I don't tend to do much in the way of recovery and by the end of any given week my body is definitely feeling it. And then typically feels much better after I sleep in on Saturday, getting 8 or 9 hours instead of the more usual 5 or 6. For me anyway, this suggests "it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[jgore]

It's that sleep thing that's the problem. Gotta work on it.

[fe.RMT]

Very interesting, thanks for posting. I don't tend to do much in the way of recovery and by the end of any given week my body is definitely feeling it. And then typically feels much better after I sleep in on Saturday, getting 8 or 9 hours instead of the more usual 5 or 6. For me anyway, this suggests "it ain't broke, don't fix it".

wow! 5 to 6 hours of sleep, I'd kill someone with that little I have been striving to get 8 hours lately... but I tend to get 7.5 hours these days.

[purdy65]

I also need 7 hours, or I'm non functional.

Very interesting article!

[fe.RMT]

I was thinking about this article over coffee this morning... and I was wondering if this is another situation where life vs performance comes into play. So, many recovery strategies help people FEEL better after longer or harder workouts but might inhibit performance gains. But for the average person, feeling better might be more important than performance gains in order to go about their daily life of work and family obligations. But for someone very serious about performance gains they might be able to tolerate the 'natural' recovery more with their eye on the distant prize, or they might have the luxury of things such as naps.

[Jogger Barbie]

But for the average person, feeling better might be more important than performance gains in order to go about their daily life of work and family obligations.

That's a really good point and something I hadn't considered.

[oobinsnaffa]

Very interesting. Now if only I could convince my kids to let me sleep...

[Jwolf]

Interesting about this part:

For example, trainers have long viewed exercise-induced inflammation as an enemy that should be eliminated. But it’s actually a crucial part of the recovery process. Exercise stresses and sometimes damages tissue, and the inflammation afterwards is caused, in part, by white blood cells rushing to the area to help begin healing. So while ibuprofen or ice baths might reduce swelling in the short term, they could also inhibit your long-term adaptation, says Jonathan Leeder, a physiologist at the English Institute of Sport. “You need that damage and inflammation for the body to repair itself.”

There seems to be a lot of controversy about this.

Terri- haven't you posted things before from the "Save Yourself" blog about how inflammation is not helpful in sterile injuries?

[turd ferguson]

The only surprising thing is that this is considered new. I can't provide a citation but I've read this a number of times over the years in mainstream magazines, and I'm pretty sure Noakes says basically the same thing.

In fact, I think it was once scientifically proven that pain is weakness leaving the body.

[fit-kitty]

Very interesting. Now if only I could convince my kids to let me sleep...

+1 my 19 mth old has decided to start night waking again!

[Jwolf]

[quote="turd ferguson"In fact, I think it was once scientifically proven that pain is weakness leaving the body.[/quote]
scientifically proven?

[babysteps]

[quote="turd ferguson"In fact, I think it was once scientifically proven that pain is weakness leaving the body.

scientifically proven?[/quote]

Pretty sure this was tongue in cheek Jenn...

[Jwolf]

In fact, I think it was once scientifically proven that pain is weakness leaving the body.

scientifically proven?

Pretty sure this was tongue in cheek Jenn...

as was the whole post- I got that. Basically making fun of me and the others for cutting down every post. I just thought he could do better than that.

But my point wasn't to cut this one down. I was genuinely wondering about the inflammation thing because it seems that there is a lot of controversy there.

Otherwise I thought the article was pretty interesting- and the comments Terri made about being able to feel better faster while recovering are good too.

[turd ferguson]

In fact, I think it was once scientifically proven that pain is weakness leaving the body.

scientifically proven?

Pretty sure this was tongue in cheek Jenn...

as was the whole post- I got that. Basically making fun of me and the others for cutting down every post. I just thought he could do better than that.

Not at all. The post was mostly serious and wasn't directed at anyone in particular. It just struck me that the findings of the study could be largely summarized in a tshirt.

[Pat Menzies]

I have frequently heard it stated that a hard workout should be done just before you have fully recovered from the previous hard workout. That's where the best gains are found.
Of course everyone knows that full gains aren't realized until after 10 days so everyone is likely following that theory anyway. Unless they are spacing hard runs more than 10 days apart.

[fe.RMT]

Interesting about this part:

For example, trainers have long viewed exercise-induced inflammation as an enemy that should be eliminated. But it’s actually a crucial part of the recovery process. Exercise stresses and sometimes damages tissue, and the inflammation afterwards is caused, in part, by white blood cells rushing to the area to help begin healing. So while ibuprofen or ice baths might reduce swelling in the short term, they could also inhibit your long-term adaptation, says Jonathan Leeder, a physiologist at the English Institute of Sport. “You need that damage and inflammation for the body to repair itself.”

There seems to be a lot of controversy about this.

Terri- haven't you posted things before from the "Save Yourself" blog about how inflammation is not helpful in sterile injuries?

I would need to go back to the finer points of that article, but I don't think his point was that it wasn't helpful, it's that it behaves differently than 'classic' inflammation that little is known right now about the why/mechanism in RSIs

[fingerboy]

I think I'm addicted to massage!

[fe.RMT]

I think I'm addicted to massage!

well, that's good news for me...... or at least my profession.

[fingerboy]

Haha yeah...

I was brought up thinking against them, but after trying a few out this training cycle it really makes a difference (at least for a week or so) in a race. I feel like I was beat up by 20 bullies, but afterwards my muscles all feel so loose and soft It might sound awkward, but when your trying to move them quickly, the looser and softer they feel the faster you can go.

Plus I get it comp'd thru work insurance.

[Jwolf]

Interesting about this part:

For example, trainers have long viewed exercise-induced inflammation as an enemy that should be eliminated. But it’s actually a crucial part of the recovery process. Exercise stresses and sometimes damages tissue, and the inflammation afterwards is caused, in part, by white blood cells rushing to the area to help begin healing. So while ibuprofen or ice baths might reduce swelling in the short term, they could also inhibit your long-term adaptation, says Jonathan Leeder, a physiologist at the English Institute of Sport. “You need that damage and inflammation for the body to repair itself.”

There seems to be a lot of controversy about this.

Terri- haven't you posted things before from the "Save Yourself" blog about how inflammation is not helpful in sterile injuries?

I would need to go back to the finer points of that article, but I don't think his point was that it wasn't helpful, it's that it behaves differently than 'classic' inflammation that little is known right now about the why/mechanism in RSIs

This was a fairly recent article in Save Yourself http://saveyourself.ca/blog/0384.php

Paul basically says that inflammation in sterile injuries (that is, internal injuries) is an overkill and unnecessary response of the immune system and not needed in the repair of tissue. He says this is based on "fairly new science" but there are no citations...

[fe.RMT]

Interesting about this part:

For example, trainers have long viewed exercise-induced inflammation as an enemy that should be eliminated. But it’s actually a crucial part of the recovery process. Exercise stresses and sometimes damages tissue, and the inflammation afterwards is caused, in part, by white blood cells rushing to the area to help begin healing. So while ibuprofen or ice baths might reduce swelling in the short term, they could also inhibit your long-term adaptation, says Jonathan Leeder, a physiologist at the English Institute of Sport. “You need that damage and inflammation for the body to repair itself.”

There seems to be a lot of controversy about this.

Terri- haven't you posted things before from the "Save Yourself" blog about how inflammation is not helpful in sterile injuries?

I would need to go back to the finer points of that article, but I don't think his point was that it wasn't helpful, it's that it behaves differently than 'classic' inflammation that little is known right now about the why/mechanism in RSIs

This was a fairly recent article in Save Yourself http://saveyourself.ca/blog/0384.php

Paul basically says that inflammation in sterile injuries (that is, internal injuries) is an overkill and unnecessary response of the immune system and not needed in the repair of tissue. He says this is based on "fairly new science" but there are no citations...

I would say that that isn't a totally new idea. Inflammation/swelling is not well regulated by the body... it doesn't know how to do it subtly. It's why even a fairly mild ankle sprain can swell up like a balloon. The on/off switch is not very sensitive unfortunately.

[Jwolf]

Interesting about this part:

For example, trainers have long viewed exercise-induced inflammation as an enemy that should be eliminated. But it’s actually a crucial part of the recovery process. Exercise stresses and sometimes damages tissue, and the inflammation afterwards is caused, in part, by white blood cells rushing to the area to help begin healing. So while ibuprofen or ice baths might reduce swelling in the short term, they could also inhibit your long-term adaptation, says Jonathan Leeder, a physiologist at the English Institute of Sport. “You need that damage and inflammation for the body to repair itself.”

There seems to be a lot of controversy about this.

Terri- haven't you posted things before from the "Save Yourself" blog about how inflammation is not helpful in sterile injuries?

I would need to go back to the finer points of that article, but I don't think his point was that it wasn't helpful, it's that it behaves differently than 'classic' inflammation that little is known right now about the why/mechanism in RSIs

This was a fairly recent article in Save Yourself http://saveyourself.ca/blog/0384.php

Paul basically says that inflammation in sterile injuries (that is, internal injuries) is an overkill and unnecessary response of the immune system and not needed in the repair of tissue. He says this is based on "fairly new science" but there are no citations...

I would say that that isn't a totally new idea. Inflammation/swelling is not well regulated by the body... it doesn't know how to do it subtly. It's why even a fairly mild ankle sprain can swell up like a balloon. The on/off switch is not very sensitive unfortunately.

The "new" part seems to be the idea that the inflammation is not needed for healing. This is where there seems to be contradictory information-- other authors seem to say that inflammation is absolutely necessary for the healing process, so reducing it delays healing. I'm still not convinced and I'd like to see the research that supports this (or the opposite, which is what Paul refers to).

But for modern humans, inflammation is … well, it’s overkill. We can afford to “turn it down.” We can ignore the warning of the inflammation to a point. Ice [and anti-inflammatories] can only turn it down so much anyway, so there’s not risk of missing the pain alarm entirely! Cold slows metabolic activity, numbs nerve endings, constricts capillaries. It limits and controls inflammation. It makes it hurt less. It helps us get through the day. And that’s an especially good thing for sterile injuries, where the inflammation is largely pointless.