Our 100-point Recovery System
In the world of sports science, we’ve seen a shift away from “aggressive “ mentality of pushing athletes to their absolute limits every session, only to result in burn out, stress responses, and other overuse injuries. We now know, that when it comes to being at the top of your game, athletes need to find that sweet spot between pushing themselves hard in training and giving their bodies the chance to bounce back.
A study in 2003 [1] dug into what it takes to reach peak performance, highlighting how stress, fatigue, and recovery all play into it. They call this whole balancing act the "stress/fatigue state," which basically means how your mind, body, and social life all handle the grind of training.
So, us therapists need to figure out what's stressing our athletes out and how it's wearing them down. By keeping tabs on their stress levels and fatigue, we can step in with the right recovery tricks to keep everything in check. But here's the kicker: even though recovery is super important, it often gets brushed aside.
We often spend way more time planning workouts than we do planning recovery time.
That's why we're always on the lookout for practical ways to help athletes recover faster after hitting the gym or the field. Because without proper recovery, athletes can hit a wall and not reach their full potential due to building up too much fatigue. That's where things like compression therapy, eating right, chilling in a cold bath, getting a massage, and keeping an eye on lifestyle factors all come into play. It's all about making sure athletes are bouncing back strong so they can keep crushing it!
Over the past few years there have been a few 100-point recovery menus / protocols / programs that have been suggested – and we developed our own! You should aim to attain 100 points within 24 hours of a hard workout or game/tournament.
Some helpful additional notes:
For more info our sleep hygiene, check out our blog which goes more in depth!
Active recovery involves engaging in low-intensity exercises or movements, such as walking or gentle stretching, to promote blood flow and aid in the recovery process after intense physical activity, helping to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. It's a way for athletes to keep moving without putting stress on their bodies, allowing them to recover faster and get back to peak performance sooner.
Passive recovery on the other hand include far less movement - things like using the foam roller, doing lactic acid flushes, hold/cold showers or using a sauna.
Drink 3L over water - over the course of the day!
