I've recently gotten some questions about speeding up muscle recovery. The question is basically, "I want to workout more often, but I’m too sore. Is there something I can take to help me recover more quickly?"The answer to the question is, "Yes, there are things you could take. But the real question is should you be taking them. Perhaps your body is sore to slow you down so you don’t develop a long-term injury."
The trouble here is that overworking your body can result in numerous problems. For one, constantly breaking down the muscle without giving it time to recover can result in a loss of strength. You can recover from being sore in 3-4 days, but if you overdo it too much and develop micro-tears in your tendons (tendonitis) you could be sore for months or years. That’s just one of many examples of long-term injuries that can come from overtraining.
So with that said, the best recovery method is simply to rest the parts of your body that are sore. Stretch them out and get a massage to promote better blood flow when it’s tolerable. Also make sure you get enough protein in your diet to rebuild all the muscle you’ve been working.
Really this should be enough for most people. But if you’re a high-level athlete, bodybuilder, or someone similar you may still want more. I would say it’s even more imperative in these areas to use caution because you can afford long term injuries even less than those who just workout to stay healthy. Listen carefully to the signals your body gives you so you don’t take it too far.
The next thing is your diet. Take a multi-vitamin and omega-3 pills/liquid. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and provide a multitude of other health benefits. This may give some support to quicker recovery. Also by reducing your Omega-6 intake (most common oils), you will also gain a benefit in reducing inflammation throughout the body.
If you’re experiencing joint pain and not just muscle soreness, then you should consider taking glucosamine HCL/chondroitin sulfate/MSM. Be careful with joint pain, as it could be a sign of serious joint injury. It could also be a signal that you are exercising with improper form, such as allowing the knee to cross beyond the foot. For injuries such as these remember RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
I know, you still want a magic bullet, and I’m going to give it to you. It is the last thing I’d recommend, but the #1 supplement for muscle recovery is HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate). Here is where you can learn more about it and get some.
Let me review the steps toward quicker recovery:
1. Adequate Protein Consumption. Proper diet, multi-vitamin, Omega-3s.
2. Proper diet, multi-vitamin, Omega-3
3. Joint supplements if you have joint problems
4. Rest, Stretching, and Massage
5. Ice to combat inflammation
6. Ask yourself if you really need to recovery any quicker, or if it's your body telling you to slow down to prevent permanent overtraining injury
7. HMB or other recovery supplements
