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Recovery: after the race The way you look after your body after a race or hard run will influence how quickly you recover. Preparing your post-race programme will help to put into practise what you know will enable you to recover more quickly. A combination of different factors will enable your body to work at its best at recovering as well as performing: What you do immediately after you finish Recovery starts the moment you finish your run. Cool down in a controlled way, keep warm. Keep moving gently for a while so your muscles do not get clogged with the waste products from the demands that you have made on them until a moment ago. Stretching gently but thoroughly while they are warm will encourage permanent flexibility and resistance to damage. Have clothing ready to put on so that you do not cool down suddenly. Food for energy, food for repairing After a long race eat some complex carbohydrates, eg pasta, rather than sweet instant high energy bars as you wind down. Wholemeal pasta supplies many more vitamins/useful nutrients than white. The same is true of whole rice and bread. Protein is important too for replacing cells so you could have ham/tuna/tofu in the pasta. Fruit and vegetables supply important nutrients that are not available in other foods, eat some raw thus keeping the vitamins C and E intact. Fruit as a supply of energy is used well by the body during exercise as fructose (fruit sugar) is used differently than sucrose. So for example bananas are a supply of energy including useful minerals and vitamins. Water is the best drink for repair of the muscles. Two litres a day is a guideline. | ||
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CATHERINE HOLLAND Tel: 0701 7415310 Email: catherine@catherineholland.co.uk | |
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