4 Tricks That Actually Work for Muscle Recovery

Want to optimize your workout? Deal with your fatigue and muscle pain after each session.

If you’ve been working hard, you may have experienced a late onset of muscle pain — those sore, debilitating muscles in the days after heavy training. While a fitness hangover can restrict your style, you don’t need to suffer if you put pressure on yourself during your workout.

An overall healthy lifestyle is the most important step you can take to maximize your muscle recovery. However, no recovery method can compensate for a poor diet and lack of rest.

Use these tips to improve the speed and quality of your muscle recovery so you can keep working towards your health and fitness goals!

Eat a post-workout snack

After your workout, a snack that contains both carbohydrates and protein can help improve muscle recovery time by providing the nutrients your muscle tissue needs to start repairing itself.

According to Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA), the urgency of carbohydrates and protein after your workout depends on how much time you have before your next workout.

However, the body is more efficient at replacing carbohydrates and promoting muscle repair and growth within the first 60 to 90 minutes after a workout.

The options for quick, healthy snacks are endless — you can make a coffee smoothie ahead of time or have fruit and yogurt to replenish your energy stores after your morning workout.

If you’re on a plant-based diet, consuming almonds, tofu, chickpeas, and other high-protein foods can give your muscles the nutrients they need to repair themselves. A high-protein snack at night can help repair muscles quickly.

Do a stretch using a foam roller

A meta-analysis of the effects of foam rolling on performance and recovery published in Frontiers of Physiology in 2019 found that foam rolling before exercise can help improve performance.

You should also use dynamic stretches as part of your warm-up to prepare the muscles you will be using in your workout.

For example, stretching and activating your glutes before and after a leg workout can help improve flexibility and maximize your workout.

Taking the time to stretch those tight hips on rest days can relieve discomfort, improve flexibility, and promote muscle regeneration.

Sometimes after exercise, one side of the body may be tenser than the other. These imbalances can arise due to your lifestyle and habits.

After your workout, take a moment to breathe and focus on how your body feels. You can then adjust your recovery based on what your body needs that day.

Take workout supplement

Some coaches and athletes use branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). A 2010 study showed that women who take BCAAs before exercise may experience less pain and shorter muscle recovery time.

For those who already eat a healthy diet, taking supplements may not have noticeable effects.

This is because BCAAs are found in whole foods like eggs, tuna, yogurt, and milk- so what you eat before you workout can impact your muscle recovery too.

Massage your body with an electric massager

It’s a common practice to turn to massage for relief when your muscles are sore or tense, but that’s not a reality today in many ways, and it’s not a reality for many either, due to price or availability.

While electric massagers aren’t exactly like someone’s hands — which you wouldn’t want to do right after a workout — they do act like them.

You can turn on the device with the push of a button and use it on a specific part of the body.

Electric massagers help decrease muscle density. The best electric neck and back massagers are more specialized and should be designed specifically for these muscle groups.

The Acupressure electric massager is heaven when your muscles are sore after a hard workout or just sitting too long at your desk. It is effective for chronic back pain, decreased blood flow, and a sluggish lymphatic system.

Why you should allow your body to recover after exercise

Not letting your muscles recover between workouts puts you at risk of injury.

The repeated stress caused by exercise causes small tears called microtears, which cause muscle pain and inflammation. If you have a buildup of tears, you risk developing torn muscles, also called muscle strains or pulled muscles.

Muscle strains can range from slightly uncomfortable fractures to complete fractures that may require surgery. If you don’t fully recover, you will likely notice that your athletic performance deteriorates over time.

The time it takes for your muscles to recover from a workout depends on your level of fitness and the difficulty of your workout.

The volume, intensity, and duration of your workout all play a role in your body’s fatigue.

After a relatively light workout, your muscles can recover in 24 hours, while a more demanding workout can take two to three days. Very intense workouts can take even longer.

Getting regular exercise allows you to work out various muscle groups and improve your cardiovascular health.

An optimal workout routine or training program also includes a post-workout recovery process. If you want to improve muscle tone and practice a healthy lifestyle, download my free workout routine with full strength workouts and a nutrition guide to have you feeling healthier in no time.

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