We have been spending dozens of hours in research to fine tune our treatments and recommendations for our athletes in order to give them the best experience and knowledge. Along the way we found a ton of facts that we found surprising. Here is the list of those facts.
- Females have a lower thermolytic capacity than males so they can benefit from cold immersion more than males
- Cold water immersion may be more beneficial for sprinting and power performance with lesser benefits to endurance and strength athletes
- Cold water immersion reduces body temperature greater in athletes with low body percentage but its effects are greater in athletes with higher body fat percentage (i.e. female endurance athletes)
- There is no difference in muscle soreness between immersing the whole body versus the legs
- Types of massage affect the perception of fatigue
- From a functional perspective, stretching has been used in an attempt to restore strength and reduce soreness/pain during recovery from exercise [56]. However, the findings of a recent systematic review and meta-analysis do not support these anecdotal beliefs in the benefits of stretching
- The optimal amount and type of protein to consume after exercise may depend on the timing of meals. Around 20 g of rapidly digestible protein is optimal for relatively short intervals between meals (i.e. 3–5 hours), whereas ≥40 g of slow digestible protein may be more appropriate for longer periods between meals (e.g. overnight)
- Older athletes—particularly females—may require more than 20 g protein after exercise to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis
- Co-ingesting protein with carbohydrate after exercise does not enhance muscle protein synthesis compared with consuming protein on its own
- Consuming animal-based protein sources after exercise stimulates higher rates of muscle protein synthesis compared with plant-based protein sources
- Co-ingesting 0.3–0.4 g/kg protein with 0.5–0.8 g carbohydrate/kg/hour enhances muscle glycogen resynthesis
- Consuming high glycemic index foods results in faster muscle glycogen resynthesis compared with low glycemic index foods
- There is no difference in the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis between consuming solid versus liquid forms of carbohydrate
- Because athletes may continue to lose fluid for a brief period after exercise (as a result of sweating), it is recommended that they consume 150% of fluid lost during exercise
- Water is the most convenient fluid to drink after exercise. However, because water reduces blood osmolality, some of it is simply excreted, potentially resulting in negative fluid balance. Instead, consuming fluids containing 20–50 mmol/L sodium is the most effective
- Napping for more than 20 min later in the day, and at a suitable interval after preceding exercise, may assist mental preparation for subsequent performance
We hope you learned something! If you are interested in learning more feel free message us anytime!
Recent Comments