Important Aspects of Recovery
Over the past few articles, I have been discussing the various components of the SRRR profile. The letters SRRR represent the components that consist of:
S=Stimulation of strength
R=Recovery from a workout
R=Retention of strength between workouts
R=Readiness of one’s body for stimulation of strength
For the last two articles we have been considering the various factors that are involved in the S component which stands for stimulating strength. In this strength training article, we shall consider the first R which stands for recovery.
Of all of the components of the SRRR profile, recovery seems to be more of a moving target than any other as it can vary greatly according to how you train, and according to how your own physiology works. Because of this, there is a wide degree of variance in the approach people take in regard to recovery. During their weight lifting heyday, the Bulgarian lifters were known to do the same exercise three times per day, six or seven days per week. Of course this much training is not even a consideration for most people who have a normal daily schedule. At the other extreme are people who believe that the longer you wait between workouts, the more you will recover in order to be assured of gaining strength. These are the guys that may work a body part once every ten to fifteen days. In most cases, this goes beyond recovery and transitions into a state of detraining where maximum strength is lost, not gained.
In my way of thinking there are at least three aspects to recovery. These consist of:
- Regaining the energy components that fuel muscle contractions such as ATP creatine phosphate and glycogen.
- Rebuilding muscle fiber tissue (protein synthesis).
- Giving the nervous system time to recover its ability to fire with full force in order to produce maximum muscle contractions that lead to maximum lifting strength.
My big issue with these three aspects of recovery is that they don’t necessarily occur at the same rate and this can complicate recovery. Research varies in its findings in regard to the recovery of energy components that fuel muscle contractions, but some of the most recent studies show that it occurs within 24 hours after a workout provided that sufficient carbohydrates are consumed after a workout. Insulin sensitivity is highest for two hours after a workout which greatly aids in reloading the muscles with glycogen when carbohydrates are ingested, so eat carbs soon after working out.
Protein synthesis must also occur in order to rebuild the muscle fibers that have suffered damage from working out. One of the key factors to protein synthesis is the increase in anabolic hormones that are naturally produced by the body in response to working out. Some of these hormones include testosterone, growth hormone, insulin and insulin growth factor 1. I’m sure we are all different in regard to the level that these hormones increase, and the length of time that they remain increased in response to a workout. Nonetheless, Brian Haycock who is the founder of HST, which stands for Hypertrophy Specific Training, believes his research indicates that these natural anabolic hormones generally stay elevated for 36 hours after a workout. This is the window of time where protean synthesis is most active.
Nervous system recovery must also be considered for recovery. This can vary greatly according to the severity of the workout. A fairly easy workout will make it easy for the nervous system to recover within a day, but serious strength athletes often do strenuous workouts. When it comes to strenuous workouts, one of the most common power lifting perspectives is that is takes 72 hours for the nervous system to recover, and if the workout is severe enough, it can take even longer than that.
To summarize the amount of time it takes for the 3 different types of recovery:
- Replenishing muscle fuel: 24 hours
- Rebuilding muscle tissue: 36 hours
- Nervous system recovery: 72 hours
The above example is by no means a rule of how recovery works for everyone. But it demonstrates a potential problem that can occur with recovery. In the example above, if your muscles stop growing after only 36 hours, but you have to keep waiting for a total of 72 hours for your nervous system to recover, then you’re muscles will be needing exercise at the same time that your nervous system needs rest. In this instance, the different aspects of recovery are out of sync with each other. However, if someone is fortunate to possess the physiology that allows their level of anabolic hormones to remain elevated for 72 hours to match the recovery time of their nervous system, then they have it made in terms of recovery. If you are such a person, then you can workout hard and give yourself 72 hours of recovery without any loss in muscle. What if you are like me and are not so fortunate?
For me the solution was precision point training. Please refer to the basics of PPT and other articles on this website if you are uncertain as to how precision point training is done. It provides training that is hard enough to elevate the level of your anabolic hormones, but the training is not so severe that recovery of the nervous system takes 72 hours. This means you can fully recover and workout again before the increase in anabolic hormone level takes a dive. It also allows the different aspects of recovery to fall into sync with one another.
In the end, each person must find a recovery period that works for them as we can compare successful lifters and see that they have used a great variety of recovery times. The main thing is to find a way of training and recovering that allows the various aspects of your recovery to compliment each other. More on recovery next time. Best of training to you.