Introduction:
Exhausting or intense exercises cause temporary muscle damage, leading to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and reduced muscle functions. The body requires some hours or days to recover after exercise. Many studies were conducted to examine the relationship between nutrition and sports recovery. The 4Rs approach is identified for improving post-exercise recovery.
What Is Recovery?
Recovery refers to returning to good health after an illness or to a normal state after a difficult time. The body prepares physically and mentally to perform actions during the recovery process. Several recovery approaches to improve post-exercise recovery are the 4Rs approach, massage, compression techniques, water immersion(cold or hot), stretching, electrostimulation, and cryotherapy.
What Are the 4Rs of Recovery?
The 4Rs of the recovery approach optimize post-exercise recovery. It includes:
- Rehydration - A fundamental process that refers to fluid replacement.
- Refuel - Refers to the consumption of carbohydrates to meet the body's energy requirements.
- Repair - Post-exercise ingestion of proteins for muscle tissue repair and regeneration.
- Rest - Pre-sleep nutrition that helps the recovery of the body.
The recovery strategy depends on the time available for the next event or session and the degree of physiological damage.
Why Is Recovery Nutrition Important?
Recovery nutrition is the food that helps working muscles recover from damage. Recovery nutrition is important because:
- It helps to repair and refuel the body.
- It helps to build the muscles and repair them to improve performance.
- It supports the immune system.
- The foods ingested should be well tolerable by the body.
What Is Rehydration During Recovery?
Water(hydration) is the primary component of the fluids in the body. It contributes to 75% of body weight in infants and 55% in adults. Water is essential in the digestion, absorption, distribution, and excretion of waste from the body and in maintaining hemodynamics. Rehydration refers to the process of restoring lost water to the body tissues, and dehydration is the loss of fluids from the body.
Sweat after exercise is not only water. It also contains electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which are important in muscle functions. So it is essential to maintain a balance between the fluids and electrolytes. After exercise, dehydration occurs due to the loss of fluids and electrolytes. The symptoms of dehydration are:
- Dizziness.
- Dry mouth.
- Dark-colored urine.
- Headache.
- Increased thirst.
- Fatigue.
Hydration is the first step in the recovery process. Increased intake of fluids and oral rehydration solutions(ORS) post-exercise can compensate for the loss of fluids. People can measure body mass before and after exercise to assess the fluid status of the body. Athletes should drink 3 cups of fluid for 1 pound lost body weight (about 1.5 liters per 1 kilogram).
Sodium-containing fluids help to increase fluid retention in the body and aid in rehydration. Some sodium-containing foods such as crackers, milk, cheese, soups, peanuts, and bread help to regain hydration.
It is impossible to compensate for the fluid loss in hot and humid environments and a recovery time of fewer than 12 hours before the next exercise session. In this situation, moisturizing beverages such as glycerol are used for rapid rehydration. It is not recommended because it can cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
Rehydration depends on the individual and the time interval before the next event or session. Rehydration therapy is planned by the nutritionist and the player or the person undergoing exercise sessions.
What Is Refuel During Recovery?
Eating carbohydrates after exercise is important to replenish the glycogen reserves, meet the energy requirements, and repair the tissues. After consecutive workouts, muscle and liver glycogen regeneration are important. It is planned according to the following:
- Need for muscle repair and growth.
- Time available before the next session.
The carbohydrate intake depends on the individuals and their body requirements as it differs for players. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the daily requirement for carbohydrates is:
- Moderate or low-intensity training - 5 to 8 grams of carbohydrates per 1-kilogram body weight daily.
- Moderate to heavy training - 8 to 10 grams of carbohydrates per 1-kilogram body weight daily.
- Extreme exercise program - 10 to 12 grams of carbohydrate per 1-kilogram body weight daily.
During the post-exercise period, carbohydrates take about 4 hours to digest and absorb. If post-exercise time is low, glucose polymers or a combination of glucose and fructose(sucrose) is recommended for rapid recovery and glycogen replenishment. Because a deficiency of carbohydrates can cause:
- Energy deficiency in sports.
- Reduced metabolic rate.
- Impaired bone health and cardiovascular health.
- Hormonal and menstrual dysfunction.
- Impaired protein synthesis.
- Sports nutritionists and coaches take care of the carbohydrate needs.
The bioengineering process produces new generations of carbohydrates(using microorganisms such as bacteria to produce substances with improved metabolism, which are not found in food)to improve performance in certain athletes. They are isomaltulose, trehalose, cyclodextrin, modified starches, and high molecular weight carbohydrates.
What Is Repair During Recovery?
Protein is important for faster tissue growth and repair. Eating high-quality protein foods before and after exercise improves muscle protein synthesis. Insufficient protein intake causes negative nitrogen balance, which affects recovery. If it happens for a long period, it causes injuries, diseases, muscle wasting, and intolerance to training.
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the required dose of proteins to improve muscle protein synthesis is 0.5 grams of high-quality protein per kilogram of body mass.
Foods such as fruits, vegetables, and fruit supplements improve post-exercise recovery. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Beetroot juice can manage hypertension. Other herbs, mushrooms, pomegranate, cow milk, and chocolate milk also improve post-exercise recovery.
What Is Rest During Recovery?
Sleep is an essential physiological function in post-exercise recovery. Eight hours of sleep is recommended for better recovery. Because lack of sleep causes the following:
- Low energy levels.
- Excessive fatigue.
- Daytime sleepiness.
- Macro and micronutrient deficiency.
Pre-sleep nutrition improves sleep. It includes the consumption of 40 to 48 grams of casein 30 minutes before sleep and ashwagandha supplements to improve sleep quality in both males and females.
Conclusion:
The 4Rs of the recovery approach is one of the several strategies available to improve post-exercise recovery. It is important to consider that each factor excessively influences exercise-induced adaptations and recovery. But further research is needed for definitive conclusions about post-exercise recovery.
