manajemen kelelahan (fatigue management)

 

How to Recover from Post-Workout Fatigue? 

When it comes to recovery after a tough workout, focus on replenishing energy and using techniques to help avoid chronic fatigue and the need for anti-inflammatory medications.

Replenishing Energy

One of the main ways to emphasize calorie consumption is to figure out what your client currently eats. Accommodate their current food preferences into post-workout snack ideas to make it easier for them to consume.

Provide your clients with examples of good sources of post-workout snacks. Diet and nutrient timing is important, especially after a workout. The body needs to receive adequate amounts of carbohydrates to help replenish muscle glycogen. Quality sources of protein also help with muscle rebuilding and repair.

Protein provides the body with branch chain amino acids or BCAAs, which are the building blocks of muscle. Chocolate milk and peanut butter sandwiches on whole-wheat bread are great examples of post-workout snacks with the necessary combination of protein and carbohydrates. 

Rehydration 

Hydration is just as important as food after a workout. Remind clients to consistently drink water throughout the day and especially after a workout. The body can only absorb at most, four cups of water in an hour. Chugging a gallon of water isn’t to help. 

Encourage your client to drink smaller amounts after a workout for the next few hours after their workout to help rehydrate. A good rule of thumb to follow post-workout is for every pound of weight lost during exercise, consume two cups of water.

Active Recovery Techniques

Implement active recovery into your client’s program to help with fatigue and soreness. This can include light cardio, stretching, and foam rolling. 

Foam rolling is a great way to release muscle knots, increase blood flow and shorten the time of muscle soreness. Post-workout stretching helps increase blood circulation to the muscles, assists the body in cooling down and prevents injury in future workouts.

Sleep

Eight hours of sleep each night is the general goal. Quality sleep includes adequate amounts of REM and deep sleep to ensure muscle tissue repair and recovery. 

Sleep will help prevent chronic fatigue symptoms from intense workouts. During deep sleep cycles there is a surge of blood flow that helps tissue grow and develop. As clients achieve consistent sleep, they decrease cortisol and increase human growth hormone. 

Cortisol is a stress hormone that is catabolic and human growth hormone is anabolic. These levels are necessary to maintain for proper recovery and energy.

Understanding the amount of stress each of your clients can undergo before experiencing too much post-workout fatigue can be difficult. However, if you can guide your clients through these techniques pre- and post-workout, you can help them find the optimal balance between training intensity and recovery.

All clients want to perform their best. But intense exercise and other factors can break down this potential over time. Personal trainers who use exercise recovery techniques in their sessions build the most holistic health and fitness programs available on the market today. Get certified as an ISSA Exercise Recovery Specialist today!

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