Recovery & Regeneration
Shane Pizzey MKin, CSCS, CEP
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Quotes
‘Recovery….that’s the name of the
game….. Whoever recovers the fastest
does the best’ Lance Armstrong.
‘The hardest thing for an athlete to do is
not to train. You can’t sit still. You feel you
should be out there working’ Graham
Obree – World Champion Cyclist
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Introduction




There is a very fine line between being a
World Champion athlete and an also ran
athlete
The key question is, how can you push
yourself to the limits of human
performance without tipping over the
edge?
How can you train hard without falling
apart?
The answer: one of the simplest yet most
neglected training principles - RECOVERY
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Definition
Recovery: gradual healing (through
rest) after sickness or injury
 Regeneration: growth anew of lost
tissue or destroyed parts or organs
so that the original function is
restored

pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Progressive Overload






Training is designed to progressively overload the
body systems and fuel stores
If the training stress is inadequate to overload the
physiological system then no adaptations will occur
If the workload is too great (applied too quickly,
performed too often without adequate rest) then
fatigue follows and the following performance will be
reduced
Work alone is not enough to produce the best results.
Your body needs time to adapt to training
To encourage adaptation to training it is important to
plan recovery activities that reduce residual fatigue
The sooner you recover from fatigue and the fresher
you are when you complete a training session, the
better the chance of improving
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Fitness vs. Fatigue
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Adapted from Grantham
Fitness vs. Fatigue




If we present a recovery method at the
point of fatigue we can expect to reduce
the amount of time it will take for the
athlete to recover from training
The broken line represents the improved
recovery rate
The yellow shaded area represents the
increased window of opportunity for the
presentation of the next training stimulus
We can then present another training
stimulus sooner
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Types of Fatigue
Fatigue is multi-factorial – depending
on the type of training stimulus, an
athlete can experience a number of
different forms of fatigue
 Before we can introduce a recovery
strategy we need to know what type
of fatigue we are dealing with

pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Types of Fatigue

Metabolic Fatigue (energy stores)
•
•
•
•

High volume training
Repeated workloads
Aerobic/Anaerobic conditioning
Multiple training sessions throughout day
Tissue Damage
• Plyometrics
• Eccentric loading
• Contact sports
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Types of Fatigue

Neurological (peripheral nervous
system)
• High intensity work
• Resistance training (strength and power
development)
• Speed work
• Skill sessions and introduction of new
training techniques
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Types of Fatigue

Psychological (CNS & emotional fatigue)
•
•
•
•
•

Training monotony
Lifestyle issues
Heavy game/competition/training period
Pressure plays
New training techniques
Environmental
• Hot and cold environments
• Travel (local, national, international)
• Time differences
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies
Adapted from Grantham
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies


You should NOT be considering Levels 3 &
4 recovery strategies if you have not even
established the basics at Levels 1 & 2
Level 1
• Sleep/Rest (passive and active)



Sleep is one of the most important forms of rest and
provides time for the athlete to adapt to the physical
and mental demands of training.
Other forms of passive rest include reading, listening
to music
Other forms of active rest such as walking, cross
training and stretching are also beneficial to an
athletes overall recovery
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies

Level 1
• Nutrition (refuelling and rehydration)



The most important components for nutritional
recovery are fluid and fuel replacement. You should
avoid drinks containing caffeine and drink enough
fluid (water or sports drinks) before, during and after
training to replace sweat loss.
There is a 45-minute window of opportunity for
refuelling. The ideal recovery nutrition strategy is a
meal or liquid supplement containing high glycaemic
index carbohydrates and quality proteins in
approximately a 4:1 ratio
This includes 10-20% if the athletes total daily caloric
intake of these two macronutrients
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies

Level 2
• Periodization


One of the fundamental components of any training
program
An athlete’s ability to recover will be enhanced through the
use of a well planned training program, which allows time
to recover from the training that is being undertaken
• Reactive Programming




Once you have a plan (see Periodization), accept that there
will be times when you need to deviate from it in order to
recover!
The ability for a coach and athlete to react to a given
situation is crucial to the success of the program
If the athlete is fatigued there is little point training for the
sake of sticking to the program
Athletes and coaches need to be able to program reactively
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies

Cool down and stretching
• The cool down is a group of exercises performed
immediately after training to provide a period of
adjustment between exercise and rest.
• Its purpose is to improve muscular relaxation, remove
waste products, reduce muscular soreness and bring the
cardiovascular system back to rest.
• Stretching is often combined with the cool down. Many
athletes lack sufficient flexibility to perform their sports
movements efficiently and the elevated temperatures
following exercise provide a good opportunity to improve
ROM and reduce the risk of injuries
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies

Level 3
• Compression Skins



This is the latest boom business in terms of recovery,
and leading sports apparel manufacturers are
producing garments with ‘compression qualities’
Heavy training can cause muscle damage resulting in
soreness, swelling, pain and impaired athletic
performance (Kraemer)
Recent scientific research has indicated that external
compression can be an effective treatment that
minimizes swelling, improves the alignment and
mobility of scar tissue and improves proprioception in
an injured joint following eccentric damage and
DOMS
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies

Level 3
• Massage

The idea behind massage is that it can have the following
impact:
• Physiological benefits:
 1. Increased blood flow, enhanced oxygen and nutrient
delivery to fatigued muscles, increased removal of lactic
acid
 2. Warming and stretching of soft tissues increasing
flexibility, removal of micro trauma, knots and adhesions
• Psychological benefits:
 1. Improved mood state
 2. Increased relaxation and feeling less fatigued


Massage also improves an athlete’s body awareness –
which muscles have been stressed
Athletes should spend 10 minutes at the end of a training
day performing some self massage (particularly legs and
shoulders)
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies

Level 3
• Contrast Showers


Alternating hot and cold showers/baths provides an increase in
blood flow to the working muscles and accelerates the removal of
lactic acid
Contrast showering also stimulates the nervous system because
the brain has to receive and recognize two different types of
information (hot and cold). The changes in temperature also help
to increase arousal
• Guidelines:







Complete within 30 minutes of training/competition
Hot - 35-40ºC
Cold 10-15ºC
Shower – hot 1-2 mins, cold 30-60 secs (repeat 3-4 times)
Bath/Spa – hot 3-4 mins, cold 30-60 secs (repeat 3-4 times)
Bath – cold 30-60 seconds immersion, followed by 60 seconds dry
rub (vigorously rub the cooled areas) with a towel (repeat 2-4
times)
Begin and end with cold
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Recovery Strategies

Level 3
• Cold Baths
 Cold baths have primarily been used for their pain relieving
properties
 Rationale is that when you plunge your body into a bath full of icy
cold water vasoconstriction occurs and the blood will be drained
away from the muscles that have been working (removing lactic
acid)
 Once you get out of the bath the capillaries dilate, ‘new’ blood
flows back to the muscles bringing with it oxygen that will help the
functioning of the cells
 Recent research by Sam Erith at Loughborough University has
shown that treatment with cryotherapy improves muscle function,
reduces muscle damage and decreases soreness associated with
DOMS
• Guidelines:
 Cold 5-15ºC
 Duration 7-10 minutes to cool the muscles (shorter if looking for
short term pain relief)
 Keep the body parts moving to prevent a ‘barrier’ of warm water
forming around the limbs.
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Matching Fatigue & Recovery
Strategy

Metabolic Fatigue & Tissue Damage
• Sleep, rest (passive and active)
• Nutrition
• Hydrotherapies (contrast showers)
• Massage
• Compression clothing
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Matching Fatigue & Recovery
Strategy

Neurological (peripheral nervous system)
• Sleep, rest (passive and active)
• Hydrotherapies (cold baths)
• Massage

Psychological(CNS and emotional fatigue)
• Sleep, rest (passive and active)
• Meditation
• Counseling
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Matching Fatigue & Recovery
Strategy

Environmental
• Sleep, rest (passive and active)
• Hydrotherapies (contrast bathing, cold
baths)
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Most popular method is the Foam Roller
• Available in many densities


Other methods include “The Stick”, various
balls and other commercial products
Rationale
• Muscles need to be lengthened
• Muscles develop “knots”
• Muscles need to be pliable
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Science behind
• Autogenic Inhibition


Pressure place on the GTO at the tendons sends a
signal to the muscles to relax
While the muscle is relaxed, we can more easily
create the change in length and tone
• Better than stretching?


While stretching no doubt helps to increase length of
muscle fibres, it does not decrease muscle tone and
increase pliability
SMR can also break up soft tissue adhesions and scar
tissue
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Tools
• Foam Roller
A foam roller is the largest implement we
would use from a pressure perspective
 The foam roller is very versatile, as you can
work almost every muscle group using a
foam roller alone
 Rollers also come in varying densities, which
allows for progression as well

pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Tools
• Medicine Ball
While not as popular as the foam roller, the
medicine ball may actually be a more
versatile tool for SMR purposes
 Not only is it more focal when compared to
the roller (the surface area being worked is
smaller, which increases pressure), but it
also allows you to work in a more threedimensional fashion

pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Tools
• Tennis/Lacrosse Ball
A tennis ball is generally the smallest
implement we would use for SMR purposes
 It’s very convenient for muscle/fascial
groups with smaller surface areas (such as
the plantar fascia, calves, and peroneals) as
well as upper body muscles where the ball
must be placed against a wall (such as the
pecs and posterior shoulder capsule)
 Once the tennis ball becomes easy, move on
to a lacrosse ball.

pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Techniques
• Positioning



Poor alignment may stress the supporting muscles
and/or joints (e.g., if the elbow is too far away from
the shoulder, instead of being placed underneath it,
you could strain the muscle/joint)
Improper placement can lead to excessive fatigue of
the supporting musculature
Improper placement can lead to excessive pressure
on the trained area, which decreases compliance. (If
it hurts too much, you won’t want to do it again!)
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Techniques
• Duration
Better quality tissue = less time
 More problems = more time
 General rule of thumb is at least 10 strokes
per area
 Typically spend 5-10 minutes pre/post
training

pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Gastrocnemius
• Sit on the ground with your legs straight and calves on
top of the roller
• Using your arms, press yourself up so that your buttocks
are hovering over the ground
• From the starting position, roll back and forth, keeping
the knees locked
• Focus the pressure on the medial and lateral portions of
the calf to work the medial/lateral heads of the
gastrocnemius
• Roll for 30–60 seconds
• To increase the pressure, try stacking one leg on top of
the other and rolling only the bottom leg
• To further increase pressure, actively dorsiflex the toes
(pull them toward your shin) to place the gastrocnemius
on stretch
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

TFL/Glute Medius
• Lie on your side on the ground with the roller
underneath the front portion of your hip
• Place the same side elbow and the opposite
hand/foot on the ground
• From the starting position, press up and roll
back and forth over the outside portion of your
hip
• To really hit the anterolateral hip musculature,
adjust your body toward a face down position
• Roll for 30–60 seconds, and then switch legs
• To increase the pressure, take your opposite
leg off the floor
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

IT Band
• Lie on your side on the ground with the roller
underneath the outside portion of your thigh
• Place the same side elbow (or hand) and the opposite
hand/foot on the ground
• From the starting position, press up and roll back and
forth over the outside portion of your thigh
• It may help to work from the bottom of the hip to midthigh, reposition, and then work from mid-thigh to just
above the knee versus using long, broad strokes to hit
the entire IT band at once
• Roll for 30–60 seconds, and then switch legs
• To increase the pressure, take your opposite leg off the
floor or stack it on top of the opposite thigh
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Rectus Femoris
• Lie on your stomach on the ground with the roller
underneath the front of your thighs
• Place your elbows on the ground underneath your
shoulders
• From the starting position, press up and roll back and
forth over the front of your thighs with the knees
straight
• It may help to work from the bottom of the hip to midthigh, reposition, and then work from mid-thigh to just
above the knee versus using long, broad strokes to hit
the entire RF at once
• Roll for 30–60 seconds
• To increase the pressure, cross one leg over the other
• To really increase the pressure, try flexing your knees—
this will put the RF on stretch and really crank up the
intensity
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Gluteus Maximus
• Sit on the roller with your hands behind
you on the floor
• Your feet should be on the floor
throughout
• From the starting position, roll back and
forth over the gluteals
• Roll for 30–60 seconds
• Shift your weight to one hip or the other
to increase the pressure
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Piriformis
• Sit on the roller with your hands behind you on
the floor
• Lean to your left side, taking your right hand
off the ground. Place your left ankle on your
right knee
• Your right foot should be on the floor
throughout
• From the starting position, roll back and forth
over the piriformis
• Roll for 30–60 seconds, and then switch sides
• Try altering your body position throughout to
hit the piriformis from multiple angles
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Pecs
• Stand next to a wall and place a tennis ball on
the wall at chest height
• Push your pecs into the ball to hold it in place
• With the tennis ball pinned between your pecs
and the wall, roll it back and forth. It may help
to work in small sections as the tennis ball
doesn’t have a large circumference
• Roll for 30–60 seconds, and then switch sides
• To increase the intensity, horizontally abduct
and externally rotate the arm to place the
pectoralis major on stretch
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Latissimus Dorsi
• Lie on your side with the foam roller in
your armpit
• Externally rotate your arm to place the
lats on stretch
• Glide the roller up and down the outside
portion of your back
• Roll for 30–60 seconds, and then switch
sides
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Thoracic Spine
• Lie on your back with a foam roller placed in
the middle of your back
• Your feet and buttocks should be on the
ground, with your hands placed behind your
head
• From the starting position, slowly extend the
upper back. DO NOT extend the low back; it
may help to think of “bracing” the stomach to
ensure that the movement comes from the
upper back
• Slowly work the roller up and down the back,
repeating the extension at the various spinal
levels
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete
Self Myofascial Release

Rhomboids
• Lie down with the foam roller placed
lengthwise along your spine
• Cross your arms in front of you, resting each
hand on the opposite shoulder to move the
scapulae out of the way
• Roll from the inside border of your
scapula/shoulder blade to just outside your
spine, working on the rhomboids
• Roll for 30–60 seconds, and then switch sides
pinnacleelite.com
facebook.com/pinnalceeliteathlete