The hidden costs of over-emphasising recovery in endurance training
Athletes are inundated with a relentless stream of marketing promoting various "recovery" gadgets, protocols, and techniques. From Olympians endorsing ice bath manufacturers to influencers extolling the virtues of antioxidant-rich recovery shakes on social media.
It seems everyone has their own secret formula for rapid recovery, promising to ease aching muscles and rejuvenate our bodies. Amidst the cacophony, it's easy to lose sight of the underlying truth: while these quick-fix solutions may offer temporary relief, the quest for genuine, long-lasting recovery and adaptation demands a deeper understanding of the body.
The allure of rapid recovery can feel like the ultimate win: pushing the limits in today's workout only to wake up feeling fresh as a daisy tomorrow. Yet, beneath this apparent holy grail lies a fundamental truth: every training stimulus we provide the body initiates a complex cascade of signals, each conveying a distinct message and eliciting a specific response. These signals serve as the catalyst for adaptation, prompting the body to embark on a journey of transformation that unfolds not in mere hours, but over weeks and months. We sow the seeds, nurture them through countless training sessions, then finally reap the rewards when it matters most: race day.
It seems logical, intuitive even, that hastening the recovery process would allow us to train harder and elicit greater adaptations. Yet, the reality is far more complex. The most profound gains, the ones that we get to keep, unfold at a more glacial pace. Further, attempting to expedite recovery through artificial means may inadvertently blunt these signals. Take, for instance, the post-training ice bath: while it may leave you feeling great the next day, it could also blunt the stimuli driving long-term adaptation. Similarly, high doses of antioxidants, while celebrated for their purported benefits, may actually impair the body's natural response to exercise-induced stress. And ibuprofen not only blunts your adaptive response it can actually be dangerous (kidney damage, gastrointestinal distress, and a five hold higher risk of adverse effects versus those who took nothing).
Research suggests that excessive antioxidant supplementation can interfere with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), critical signalling molecules that play a pivotal role in triggering adaptive processes such as mitochondrial biogenesis and muscle repair. In essence, the quest for accelerated recovery may unwittingly impede the body's innate capacity to adapt and evolve in response to training stimuli. It's a delicate balance between short-term comfort and long-term gains, one that demands careful consideration and a nuanced approach to recovery strategies.
There are two situations where we do want to deploy enhanced recovery techniques like ice baths and high dose antioxidants:
Rapid recovery takes precedence over long-term adaptations:
a track runner between heats
a mountain runner who is doing a VK and then their main race 1-2 days later
taper into a goal race isn’t quite cutting through accumulated fatigue.
Overdone your training
first day on a training camp and you accumulated your usual weekly downhill on day 1
the life / training balance has tipped you onto the wrong side of the training / fatigue balance.
In essence, the allure of quick recovery must be balanced with the understanding that true endurance adaptations occur over weeks and months, not hours or days. Recovery supplements or protocols offer short-term relief as an occasional solution in specific circumstances, but their indiscriminate use risks dampening the very signals that drive long-term performance gains. As athletes navigate the ever-expanding landscape of recovery modalities, it's crucial to remember that sometimes, the best recovery strategy is simply time – allowing the body to adapt and evolve at its own pace. Time, sleep and food.
Become an Ultra Potential athlete
References
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