Muscle Recovery for Athletes

The intensity levels required to successfully train for a triathlon or marathon eventually take their toll on a body in one way or another. Athletes involved in training at this level need to look at their nutrition, overall body conditioning, and recovery as well keeping up to date with the training for the event itself. As training levels intensify and athletes begin to cover longer distances and increase speed, muscle recovery between sessions becomes vital.

RICE - rest, ice, compression and elevation works for most muscle injuries,

Rest: Rest is vital to protect the injured muscle, tendon, ligament or other tissue from further injury. Resting the injured area sufficiently is important to promote effective healing.
Ice: If you are involved in intensive training for a sporting event, investing in a reusable hot and cold gel pack is really worthwhile. Cold provides short-term pain relief and also limits swelling by reducing blood flow to the injured area. Make sure not to apply ice directly to the skin as it will 'burn' and never leave ice on an injury for more than 20 minutes at a time. A good rule of thumb is to apply cold compresses for 15 minutes and then leave them off long enough for the skin to re-warm.
Compression: Compression helps limit and reduce swelling, which may delay healing, so use with caution. Some people also experience pain relief from compression. An easy way to compress the area of the injury is to wrap an ACE bandage around the swollen part. If you feel throbbing, or if the wrap just feels too tight, remove the bandage and re-wrap the area so the bandage is a little looser.
Elevation: Elevating an injury help control swelling. It's most effective when the injured area is raised above the level of the heart. For example, if you injure an ankle, try lying on your bed with your foot propped on one or two pillows.

After a day or two of treatment, many sprains, strains or other injuries will begin to heal. But if your pain or swelling does not decrease after 48 hours, make an appointment to see your doctor, or in an emergency visit your local casualty department.

RICE will usually take care of most muscle injuries, but what about recovery for tired and overused muscles? Performing at your best requires muscles to get back to peak performance levels as quickly as possible. Many athletes take muscle recovery supplements to help them with this, but many more don't like to fuel their bodies artificially.

Recognising that very little existed in the marketplace that was an alternative to supplements Greg Muller and Gena Brewerton set about developing products and formulas that were not only good for the body but also good for recovery and ultimately performance. At the heart of their development was the principle that their solution be both 100% natural and specifically formulated for athletes and active people.

Being conscious that everything we put onto our skin is absorbed into the body they had a strong desire to formulate ingredients that would have both a positive effect on athletic performance and muscle recovery. In life, sport and athletic pursuits the demand for high levels of achievement and the margins between good and great performance can be attributed to even the smallest detail.

Combining the healing powers of Epsom Salt and a fine blend of 15 essential oils, they developed Pure Athlete Sports Recovery Bath Salts; they have been specifically developed with athletes in mind. This 100% natural blend is designed to assist the body in its natural process of healing and recovery for a faster return to training and competition.

Good for your body and good for performance because in life, sport and athletic pursuits everything counts.

Sue Palmer
EzSales
http://www.ezsales.ie

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