REST, RECOVER AND REAP THE BENEFITS

Rest days and general recovery can be seen as lazy or worse, a hindrance to your progress. However, regular breaks and recovery periods are actually where the body can reap the full benefits of exercise, and helps promote fitness gains and muscle development.

Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain or improved fitness, progress comes as a result of physical stresses. Each time you exercise the body is put under stress, which then requires time to recover from. The type, intensity and frequency of these stresses is subjective to your goals, and need adequate recovery time to adapt, recharge and return to the next session with a reduced injury risk and increased ability to perform.

Recovery plays an important yet underestimated role in progress. Rest days and recovery strategies prevent muscle fatigue, reduce injury risk and boost the body’s ability to consistently work at its full potential.

REPAIR AND RECOVERY RANGE

MICROTEARS AND MUSCLE GROWTH

When it comes to muscle growth, microtears are part of the physiology that make it all possible. These tears occur when the body is pushed harder with every session — whether that be a faster run, a heavier lift or an extra set, every effort places the body under stress.

As a result, small microtears form in the muscle tissue and must be repaired during recovery for increased growth and strength.

During rest, cells called fibroblasts repair these tears to heal and grow muscles. Protein also plays a role in this process by helping to synthesise new cells and assist in microtear recovery. The body sends blood and nutrients to the area to heal, which explains why you can often experience muscle soreness from 12-48 hours post-exercise. This soreness, otherwise known as DOMs, is the feeling of the microtear tissue repairing to build up and replenish the muscle.

Where standard DOMs will usually subside after a day, prolonged muscle soreness is not only a sign of high muscle stress but also indicates that the body hasn’t had enough time to recover. However, muscle soreness doesn’t always signify the body’s need for recovery. Although muscles may not feel physically sore, microtears exist after most workouts, especially where muscles have been challenged during resistance training.

HOW TO RECOVER

Factors like fatigue, a poor or insufficient diet and stress can affect the speed and efficacy of muscle recovery. While regular rest days are the easiest way to achieve maximum progress, certain methods and practices can expedite the recovery process.

Nutrition

The best post-workout refuel should be high in carbs and protein, to restore energy and kick start the muscle recovery process. What’s more, high protein foods before bed can boost overnight muscle repair. In case you haven’t noticed, protein is a big part of recovery — without sufficient amounts, the body begins to break down the muscles instead of repairing them.

Ice Bath

These post-exercise muscle microtears often cause mild inflammation. Here, cold water immersion can help mitigate inflammation, and promotes recovery by changing how blood flows through the muscles.

Warm Up

Particularly when it comes to resistance training, an effective warm up can help reduce both muscle soreness and the risk of injury. Pre-workout dynamic stretches are the key to improving your range of motion, while helping you to perform at your best.

Cellular Repair

Peptides can help manage the internal stressors that accumulate as a result of repeated muscle strain and inflammation. Whether to support muscle restoration and growth or assist the body in injury healing, peptides possess a unique potential to help heal muscles on a cellular level. Our repair and recovery range showcases these peptides, and features doctor-prescribed medications and programs to support muscle recovery.

Repair and Recovery Range

REPAIR AND RECOVERY

Curated by our Medical Team, the repair and recovery range features peptides for every stage of muscle recovery. These single products, programs and bundles offer complete support for the body and muscles, and can support efficient recovery and help maintain injury-free health. 

For more on the range and access to expert advice, please contact our Patient Care Team.

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