How to recover after a workout: 7 tips for athletes

To improve your recovery after a workout, focus on the basics. Eat. Sleep. Rest.

Recovery boots, ice baths, and massage guns won’t matter if you don’t refuel, drink plenty of water, and get 8-9 hours of quality sleep. 

And while the latest tech can help you achieve that final 1%, it won’t matter if you don’t achieve the basics first.

This blog post explains how to recover after a workout. No gimmicks. This is a list of actionable, non-expensive things you can do to improve your recovery and fuel your performance for tomorrow.

What you will learn: 

• Why and how to refuel after a workout

• The importance of electrolytes in post-workout recovery

• What is active recovery, and how it can help you 

Refuel your body

After exercise, you want to refuel to help the muscle repair and recovery process. 

If you're doing a multi-day event or plan to exercise the following day, this is even more important. You want to replenish your energy to sustain performance the next day.

Here’s how to refuel correctly.

Replenish glycogen stores

During exercise, your body uses glycogen to fuel the muscles.

This is especially true for endurance athletes like cyclists and runners.

Your glycogen stores will be depleted after a long run or ride, even if you eat during exercise.

Complex carbohydrates like sweet potato, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, or pasta are excellent options. You can have other types of carbs, but ideally, avoid refined carbs and sugars to avoid blood sugar spikes.

Get protein for muscle repair 

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends you get 1.2 to 2.0g of protein per kilogram of body weight. 

If you are more active — perhaps you cycle several times a week and strength train, I would aim toward the higher end of these recommendations

If you weigh 70kg, you would need between 84 and 140g of protein a day. Ideally, spread this protein intake throughout the day in 3 to 5 meals.

Post-workout is one of the more important meals.

Aim to get 30-40g of protein after your workout. 

If you are on the go or pushed for time or find it difficult to eat after exercising, consider a recovery bar like BAR50. It contains 15g of protein and 45g of carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores and kickstart the recovery process.

To further improve recovery, you might want to use L-Glutamine. This amino acid plays a key role in muscle and exercise recovery by aiding protein synthesis and muscle repair. STYRKR GEL 30 contains L-Glutamine and can be used to boost performance during aerobic exercise, lessen fatigue, and kickstart the recovery process.

Rehydrate and replace lost electrolytes

After exercise, you want to rehydrate.

You don’t just lose water during exercise, but you also use electrolytes. These are essential for proper hydration and recovery. Electrolytes help sustain muscle function, fluid balance, and nerve signalling.

Replacing electrolytes is even more essential if exercising in the heat or doing a long run or ride, for example. 

For rapid rehydration, consider a product like STL07. You can also use these during exercise on hot days or if you’re a salty sweater.

Avoid alcohol 

Alcohol can negatively impact your recovery, especially the quality of your sleep.

Ideally, avoid alcohol to improve your recovery and exercise performance.

However, balance is key. If you enjoy the occasional glass of wine or a beer, that’s fine.

But if you want to improve recovery, limit alcohol intake when training for big events or the days leading up to a race, like a marathon, for example.

Get quality sleep

During sleep, the body repairs and rebuilds.

If you’re not getting enough sleep, you short-circuit the repair process.

This is true whether your goal is muscular hypertrophy — to get bigger muscles — or to recover from a long ride.

If you're big into your training, sleep is one of the most essential life aspects to optimise.

Some of the best athletes treat sleep like a workout. And if you want to improve your recovery, you should too.

Here are a few tips you can implement today to not only fall asleep faster but to get better quality sleep:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day

• Avoid caffeine at least 6 hours before bed

• Don’t drink alcohol 

• Avoid eating 2-3 hours before bed

• Get daily morning sunlight to help set your circadian rhythm 

These are just a few simple but very effective tips to improve your sleep.

To get more advanced, you can experiment with popular sleep supplements like magnesium glycinate. This is great for improving sleep and may prove beneficial if you either struggle to fall asleep quickly or if you frequently wake up multiple times in the night.

But before you experiment with supplements, focus on getting the basics right first.

Try a sports massage

These are not a necessity but can be a good option following a particularly gruelling workout or event.

A sports massage can help alleviate muscle tightness and reduce DOMS so you can recover more quickly.

Stretch and foam roll 

Sports massages are more of a luxury than an absolute necessity. 

Alternatively, you can stretch and foam roll after exercise. 

This is a lot more affordable and can be done at home.

Regular stretching and foam rolling after exercise increase blood flow to the muscles, which may decrease muscle soreness and help reduce DOMS.

Also, over time, regular stretching and foam rolling may help alleviate issues such as tight hips and muscular imbalances. This will reduce your injury risk. So it’s worth adding to your post-workout routine.

Experiment with active recovery

Active recovery involves light aerobic exercise like walking, easy cycling, or swimming.

Similarly to stretching and foam rolling, low-intensity exercise helps increase blood flow to the muscles to flush out metabolic waste like lactic acid. This can help reduce DOMS.

Getting active on rest days — but not doing anything too intense — can help keep the muscles loose while maintaining a full range of motion and flexibility.

Examples of active recovery activities include:

• 20-30 minutes of low-intensity cycling 

• 30-45 minutes of easy walking or hiking 

• Swimming 

• Yoga or mobility exercises 

FAQs

Is it okay to workout when muscles are sore?

Yes, it is okay to workout when your muscles are sore. But if your goal is to gain muscle, you are better off waiting until a muscle group is no longer sore. For other sports, you can workout as long as the soreness does not affect your movement and cause pain.

What is the best recovery after a workout?

The best recovery after a workout is eating a meal with plenty of protein and carbs to begin the rebuilding and recovery process. You should also drink water and replace electrolytes. Focus on getting high-quality sleep and reducing stress if possible.

How can I speed up my muscle recovery?

You can speed up muscle recovery by focusing on the main recovery factors like sleep, nutrition, and hydration. You can also do active recovery like walking or swimming to help flush out waste products from the muscles.

Key takeaways

• Proper recovery after a workout reduces muscle soreness and ensures you have enough energy to exercise the next day (ideal for athletes)

• Focus on replenishing your glycogen stores by eating complex carbohydrates like white and sweet potatoes, rice, and wholegrain bread

• Aim for 1.2 to 2g of protein per kg of body weight and 25-40g of protein after a workout to improve muscle repair and recovery

• Focus on improving the quality of your sleep to best recover after a workout

• Experiment with active recovery, like a short walk, hike or swim, to help the recovery process