Swimming and The Art of Recovery
Most of us associate increases in training load with increases
in fitness level. What we often overlook is the fact that the
real gains in exercise capacity occur when the body and
muscles are at rest. While practice is where we see times
improving, the underlying adaptations to this training actually
occur while the body recovers from this workload. So, while
workout is the all-important stimulus that initiates the
adaptation process, the majority of the body's "metabolic
rebuilding" occurs while the body is at rest (i.e. during
recovery).
Cool Down – Eat – Stretch – Massage – Sleep
These are the five key components to an optimal recovery
that all swimmers should understand, believe in, and most
importantly, practice on a regular basis. Here's why:
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Cool Down and Recovery
Swimming at high intensities, such as during racing and
tough sets, can cause metabolites like inorganic phosphate,
ADP, hydrogen ions, and of course, lactate, to accumulate in
the muscles. A build-up of these metabolites is associated
with conditions that can compromise the next swimming
performance.
Cool down (active recovery) facilitates the removal/ utilization
of lactate after a race or tough set. The intensity of the cool
down influences how quickly this removal/utilization of lactate
occurs. Too high an intensity may produce additional lactate,
while too low an intensity may not create enough circulation
to remove/utilize the lactate any faster than standing around
would (passive recovery).
Because sprinters tend to have and engage more fast-twitch
muscle fibers than distance swimmers, they tend to produce
larger amounts of lactate than distance swimmers. This also
means that it tends to take longer for sprinters to
remove/utilize accumulated lactate after races and other
tough swims.
Therefore, the recommended intensity and duration of a
swimmer's cool down depends on the individual's distance
orientation and event:
Distance
Orientation
Duration of
Cool Down
Intensity
(Heart Rate)
Sprinter
(50-100 m/y)
25 min
Easy
(120-130 bpm)
Middle Distance
(200-500 m/y)
20 min
Easy-Moderate
(130-140 bpm)
Distance
(+500 m/y)
10-15 min
Moderate
(140-150 bpm)
At meets where a warm down pool is not available,
swimmers should complete their active recovery on land.
This should include active stretching, light jogging, arm
rotations and/or other land-based exercises that engage the
same muscle groups used during the swim. Even on land,
this type of activity increases the blood circulation and
removes/utilizes metabolites faster than passive recovery alone.
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Nutrition and Recovery
The primary fuel source for most swimmers during training is
carbohydrate. During high intensity swimming, such as
racing and completing tough sets, this carbohydrate comes
from circulating blood sugar and glycogen, the storage form
of carbohydrate. Over time, as glycogen is used, it must be
replaced to avoid depletion. Should glycogen stores become
low or depleted, circulating blood sugar shares the burden of
supporting the demands of tough workouts and races with
the body's last resort high-intensity fuel source, protein.
Since this protein usually comes in the form of muscle
protein, it is easy to see how long-term failure to replenish
glycogen can lead to tissue breakdown. Combined with the
tissue breakdown that is a normal result of hard exercise
(and an important part of the adaptation stimulus during
training), it is also easy to see why poor nutritional recovery
usually rears its ugly face in two forms:
1. Daily Training Indicators (chronic/long-term)
• complaints of "lead legs" and/or "can't keep up"
• elevated resting heart rate
• elevated heart rate on typical sets, and/or
2. Meet indicators (acute/ immediate; usually on the
back end of a meet)
• lower post-race peak lactate
• diminished lactate recovery
• feelings of fatigue
• elevated resting heart rate
• longer post-race heart rate recovery
Effective nutritional recovery maintains energy and limits
tissue breakdown, especially during periods of high
volume/high intensity training, and both carbohydrate and
protein are essential to the plan. One of the key factors to
keep in mind is that the "window of opportunity" for
maximizing glycogen repletion starts to close as soon as
exercise stops and lasts for about two hours. Therefore, the
most effective ways to make the most of your recovery time
and maximize the training adaptation are:
• Start the replenishment process during practice if
workout is longer than an hour.
• Eat a substantial carbohydrate snack with some
protein immediately after practice or within 20-30
min of finishing a workout.
• During hard training, add another post-workout
snack 45 minutes to 1 hour later.
• Eat a main meal within 2 hours of finishing workout.
• During meets, eat a high-carb/moderate-protein
snack immediately after your prelims race and
immediately after your finals race, then again after
cooling down.
Swimming and The Art of Recovery
• Substantial means 1.2-1.5 g of carbohydrate and
.25-.4 g or protein per kg of body weight
(*kg=lbs/2.2)
• Include all sources of carbohydrate, such as colorful
fruits and juices, milks, yogurts, breads, cereals, etc.
• Include various sources of protein, such as meat,
peanut butter, milks, yogurt, cereals, legumes, etc.
• Include liquids to replenish lost fluids.
During its time off, the body will adapt, but only if provided
with the right fuels at the right times. For many swimmers,
ensuring good nutrition is like a full-time eating job! Not only
is the goal to replenish glycogen, but also to ensure a high
level of circulating protein, vitamins and minerals to combat
tissue breakdown during subsequent swims and recovery
periods and maintain hydration to optimize metabolic
efficiency (a fancy way of saying that water allows the body
to access the nutrients it needs when it needs them).
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Stretching and Recovery
Stretching is a key component of the daily training plan for
athletes. It plays an important role in the recovery process
and in preparing for the next training session. Stretching
increases blood flow to muscles, stimulates the passage of
amino acids (building blocks of protein) into muscles,
accelerates protein synthesis in cells, and inhibits protein
breakdown. These processes help the muscle repair itself
and improve the body's ability to recover in time for
subsequent practices or competitions. Stretching as part of
recovery can also reduce the chance of injury and enhance
stroke technique during subsequent swims. Its effects on
increasing flexibility and range of motion allow the arms and
legs to move freely and unencumbered.
A few important directions for stretching:
• Stretch when muscles are warmed-up.
• Stretch major muscle groups (lower leg, upper leg,
back, shoulders, neck).
• Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
• Do not bounce.
• Do not stretch to the point of feeling pain. If you
stretch and feel pain, you may be at risk of tearing a
muscle.
• Do not hold your breath. Breathe freely and stay
relaxed.
Keep in mind that not all athletes are built the same. A
stretching routine that works for one person may not work
equally as well on another person. A stretching program
should be designed for the individual, taking into
consideration individual needs and body type.
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Massage and Recovery
Many swimmers face chronic muscle soreness, fatigue and
tightness around peak training times and during multiple-day
swim meets. Sports massage, which involves the rhythmic
compression of muscle tissue, stimulates blood circulation
during recovery. Similar to active recovery, the blood
circulation can help cleanse the tissue of metabolic wastes
and reduce the delayed onset of muscle soreness.
Massage during recovery can alleviate muscle tightness and
induce mental relaxation. This can improve power output
efforts and/or subsequent swimming performances that may
otherwise be compromised by psychological tension or a
muscle's inability to fully contract or relax. By alleviating
muscle discomfort and spasm, massage during recovery may
also improve training and racing performances that have
been compromised by strength, endurance, flexibility and/or
technique limitations associated with pain.
The appropriate use of massage, both post-race and postworkout,
can facilitate the overall recovery process and
contribute to the prevention and management of overuse
injuries.
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Sleep and Recovery
As mentioned previously, the majority of the body's muscle
rebuilding occurs while the body is at rest. Therefore, in
order to benefit the most from the work done during practice
and to perform optimally, it is important for athletes to get
sufficient sleep during their time away from the pool.
Getting too little sleep can hinder recovery from exercise by
impairing glucose metabolism, increasing cortisol levels
(causing decreased tissue repair and growth), and
compromising immune function. Not only is protein
breakdown reduced during sleep, growth hormone is
released during this time. Sleep also helps maintain optimal
emotional and social function during the day.
Due to individual differences in recovery time, there is no set
duration of sleep that every athlete should get. An important
point to keep in mind when it comes to sleep is that every
athlete has a different optimal amount of sleep (7 hours of
sleep may be optimal for some, while 9 hours is optimal for
others).
It is recommended that athletes keep a sleep log that
tracks the number of hours of sleep per night. This should be
correlated to how they feel during the day and their ability to
recover after practice. Over time they will be able to
determine their individual optimal amount of sleep based on
parameters/correlations from their daily sleep log.
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Cool Down – Eat – Stretch – Massage – Sleep
Remember: Whether it's daily training or the biggest meet of
the season, what you do with your recovery time can and will
affect your next swimming performance. Incorporate
recovery into your training plan. Understand it. Believe in it.
DO IT! Train smart…Swim Fast!
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For more information on swimming physiology, nutrition, and
sports medicine, visit www.usaswimming.org