Swimming and The Art of Recovery - From USA Swimming
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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:
_______________________________________________
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 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.
_______________________________________________
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.
• 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).
_______________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________
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!
_______________________________________________
For more information on swimming physiology, nutrition, and
sports medicine, visit www.usaswimming.org
