It's Sunday evening, you're exhausted because you've just finished the trail you've been preparing for for months. First, congratulations , you can be proud of yourself! Enjoy but still be careful because if you don't take care of yourself, the aches may be more painful than expected. Luckily, we've rounded up our top tips for you to help you optimize your recovery after a trail run.
Whether you are a regular practitioner or a trail novice , recovering will be essential to resume sporting activity quickly. Unfortunately, there is no miracle recipe for recovering from a trail, but you can still optimize it by following the few tips that we are going to offer you in this article.
1 - Recovery starts during the trail
It may seem surprising, but yes, optimizing your recovery can start before you cross the finish line, and it's even a great idea! So remember to hydrate yourself well, drink regularly in small sips to avoid stomach aches. Some athletes even set an alarm every X minutes (from 5 to 15 min for example). This will allow you to compensate for the losses due to sweat and you will therefore avoid dehydration. Small tips also, you can add suitable supplements , tasteless maltodextrin for example , to promote the absorption of mineral salts and avoid cramps . Also avoid water that is too cold before, during and after exercise.
2 - Food and hydration after exercise
On your return home, although you are entitled to a well-deserved beer, then prefer water because it would be a shame to spoil the benefits of a good outing with bad calories. In addition, this is what will help you eliminate the toxins that you have accumulated during your effort more quickly . You can even opt for hot drinks (green tea, infusion) or soft drinks (sparkling water with sodium) because they are assimilated more quickly by the body, which will allow you to recover even faster than with alcohol. plain water at room temperature. That's optimization!
Small tips for those who wish to go further, in case of high heat and/or significant loss of sweat, you can add a few grains of salt to your water. You will be able to compensate for the minerals eliminated by sweat.
We get it, you have to drink a lot, but what should you eat after a trail run? Again, no chips or pizza… replace them with a good pasta dish to fill your reservoir of slow carbohydrates . Good news, you can treat yourself, add the sauce you want. In addition to carbohydrates, it is important to incorporate an appropriate amount of protein which will help you speed up your muscle recovery.
You can meet your protein needs through your diet, meats, legumes etc. or by external supplementation. If you opt for protein powder, choose food supplements made in France , without additives and without sweeteners to minimize the ingestion of synthetic molecules. Although many athletes find it difficult to eat after intense exercise, it is important to fill the stomach to regain energy . Remember that in general, we speak of metabolic window after an effort, but the latter is not eternal.
3 - Stretching
You have certainly understood this but for your recovery, your sofa will not be your best ally. Once again it is valid! Rather than getting comfortable in front of the television, take the time to stretch. This will allow you to restore their flexibility to your muscles and it will circulate your blood , which will facilitate the elimination of the waste they contain. Take this time as an overall relaxation time, unwind and let go. We seek to optimize, so why not work on several aspects of our body at the same time? This is exactly what you will do with your stretches. You will recover both physically and mentally because you will then appear more peaceful than ever.
To recap , optimizing your recovery after a trail is:
- Anticipate by hydrating in quantity during exercise to limit the effects of sweating.
- Hydrate and eat in quantity and quality after exercise to provide the body with everything it lacks.
- Stretch to allow time for mental and physical relaxation.
Now that you have all the advice you need to optimize your recovery after your trail, all you have to do is put on your NOSC pants and your lifestyle t-shirt to apply the advice in maximum comfort .
