As age group triathletes, we know that prioritising rest and recovery can be just as important as actually nailing our workouts and training sessions. But more often than not the disciplined recovery routines of the PROs, complete with 8pm bed times and post-session ice baths, just aren’t realistic when you’re managing the triathlon-work-life juggle.
However, there are plenty of things we can be doing to give ourselves the best chance to recover effectively, absorb our training load and stay consistent. Plus some bad habits we can all fall into that might be hindering our progress more than we think!
We spoke to Exercise Physiologist and Master Trainer at Firstbeat, Tiina Hoffman to get her top tips on the dos and don’ts of recovery for age-groupers.
Do: Focus on refuelling and rehydrating in the 30-60 minutes after a training session
“The longer and harder the training session, the more important it is to promptly replenish the energy used and hydrate well,” Tiina explains. “A snack that contains both protein (to repair muscle tissues) and carbohydrate (to replenish energy stores) within 30-60 minutes is optimal, alongside plenty of fluids. Consider a recovery drink with electrolytes if the weather is hot and/or there was a lot of sweating.”
Don’t: Go straight from workout to work
“When dealing with recreational athletes, the big problem is often a lack of time. You do the workout, but then it’s straight back to work or life’s other duties!”
As much as it can be tempting to save time by skipping the cool down or putting off grabbing that post-workout refuel until later in the day. You could actually be costing yourself time in the long run, Tiina says. “If you just plop down at your desk and start working right after the workout, muscle stiffness and cramping are very likely to be a problem.”
“Even if you don’t have a lot of time to invest in post-workout steps, taking the time to do a light cool-down. Ingesting enough high-quality calories, and hydrating well within 30-60 mins of the workout can significantly speed up recovery and prevent soreness – and save time in the long run”
Do: Use active recovery wisely and incorporate full rest days, too
Active recovery can be a really beneficial way to maintain overall training volume and consistency, while also promoting blood flow that helps to speed up muscle recovery. But, Tiina highlights, while “it’s an important of a balanced training program, especially after highly intensive training days. Many high achievers have a tendency to do these easy recovery activities too hard or for too long. So in the end, the effect is not all that easy.”
“Full rest days, with plenty of sleep, allow the body to recover and rebuild more comprehensively. Although there are individual differences, I’d say that most people benefit from both active recovery days and at least one rest day per week, to keep the overall program balanced.”
Make sure you actually go easy during your active recovery sessions. And don’t be afraid to take a day off when your body needs it!
Don’t: Forget to take steps to calm your nervous system after evening workouts
Age-group triathletes can be famously sleep deprived. Our schedules often mean that early morning and late night training sessions are a necessity, not a choice. But smashing out those evening workouts, especially when we rely on caffeine to hype ourselves up for them, can have a knock on impact that could be more detrimental than we realise.
“Data clearly shows that sleep quality is at least somewhat compromised after intensive evening exercise. This is physiologically normal but means that sleep is not as restorative as it could be. Bedtime is also often pushed back to a later than normal time after evening exercise.”
“That said, sometimes evening exercise cannot be avoided. The main thing is to plan your training so you don’t have to exercise late on too many nights of the week. Ideally, time your most intensive workouts for days when you can exercise earlier.
“When you need to exercise in the evening, make sure you hydrate and refuel well afterwards. Avoid foods that are hard to digest, and avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol. They keep your nervous system active and can further delay good recovery. Do some calming activities before you try to go to sleep, such as relaxing stretching, meditation, or breathing exercises.”
Do: Use HRV data to guide your training load
Heart rate variability (HRV) can be a really useful window into how our nervous system is coping with our overall stressors – life, work, training. It can be a good wider picture look at how the body is adapting. And whether you’re in a good place to push on, or if you need to scale back. Because your training plan doesn’t know about that stressful Monday morning meeting that knocked you for six!
“It’s important to know one’s baseline HRV at rest by tracking HRV in a systematic manner,” says Tiina. “Use the same device/app and in as standardized conditions as possible to make it comparable.”
“HRV often drops acutely after an intense workout or competition but should return to baseline within 1-2 days. If an athlete’s HRV trend is dropping, it’s important to make sure the training and ‘overall load of life’ (including all the other stressors in life outside of exercise) is not too heavy. Scale back harder workouts for a few days. Try to ease the general load life, too, if possible). Prioritise recovery, easy exercise, sufficient sleep and good nutrition.”
Is unusually high HRV something to worry about?
“Interpreting unusually high HRV is less straight-forward than low HRV, and the accuracy (quality) of the data must be considered. Being able to increase one’s HRV level is considered, in general, a good sign. Reflecting improved fitness and good health (stronger vagal tone). But if HRV is significantly higher than one’s normal values, it can also suggest some kind of overload, imbalance or health problem. I would recommend keeping an eye on it and as with low HRV, focusing on easier training and good recovery practices for a few days.”
We can get hung up on trying to implement extensive recovery routines. And when we can’t hit the gold standard of recovery, we can sometimes abandon the concept altogether. But as Tiina has explained, just focusing on the basics – the ‘small wins’ like refuelling properly, not skipping the cool down and building a good evening routine with a few minutes to properly wind down before trying to hit the hay. Can all add up to much improved recovery that will have you training stronger, feeling better and staying consistent.
