1. Healthy diet
Your diet is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and has an undeniable effect on the way your body works. Why is it so essential for muscle regeneration? The efficiency of the process of rebuilding muscle fibers weakened during strenuous activity depends on the nutrients the body receives.
Proteins enable the development of muscle tissue, while at the same time preventing its decomposition. It is estimated that the optimum amount of protein that needs to be supplied to the body every 24 hours is ca. 2-2.5 g per kilogram of body weight.
[Translate to English:]
1. Zdrowa dieta
Dieta – podstawowy filar zdrowego trybu życia, który niezaprzeczalnie wpływa na funkcjonowanie całego organizmu. Dlaczego ma niebagatelne znaczenie w procesie regeneracji mięśni? Ponieważ od dostarczanych organizmowi składników odżywczych zależy proces odbudowy osłabionych w czasie wysiłku włókien mięśniowych.
[Translate to English:]
[Translate to English:]
Proteiny umożliwiają rozwój tkanki mięśniowej, zapobiegając jednocześnie jej rozpadowi. Szacuje się, że optymalna ilość białka, jaką należy dostarczyć organizmowi w ciągu doby to około 2-2,5 g białka na każdy kilogram masy ciała.
What else is important? Avoiding highly processed pro-inflammatory foods which generate an additional burden on the body in the form of toxins which must be neutralized. During the period of regeneration, follow an 80/20 diet, which consists in eating 80% of healthy wholesome products with small exceptions, such as sweet or savoury snacks (20%).
Make sure that your diet includes milk, hard cheese, cottage cheese, fish, poultry, pumpkin seeds, soy and bananas, which are an important source of tryptophan – an amino-acid which, in a series of transformations, is converted to melatonin, which regulates the sleep rhythm. Vitamin B6 and magnesium supplementation is recommended to additionally promote the conversion of tryptophan into melatonin.
Interestingly, research by the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports has found that drinking cherry juice a few days before an intensive workout and two days afterwards improves muscle efficiency and speeds up muscle regeneration*.
2. Quality sleep
It would be impossible not to mention sleep which helps to regenerate not only the muscles, but also the brain. Although sleep is often underestimated, research clearly shows that a regular circadian rhythm and roughly 8 hours of sleep are required for efficient and quick regeneration of the body. The profound sleep phase is associated with an enhanced release of somatotropin, a hormone responsible for, among other things, muscle mass increase, the regeneration of damaged tissue, bone formation and fat burning.
While we sleep, the central nervous system activity is periodically subdued, which allows it to be repaired on a physical level. Any damage to the brain caused during the wakeful phase and any prior excessive stain, is repaired.
As observed by Pilcher and Huffcutt, two scientists researching the neurobiology of sleep, insufficient amounts of sleep hamper the body’s ability to detect and process stimuli, thus triggering a vicious circle of psychophysical overexertion.**
How you prepare for sleep is also important. For sleep to be fully effective, avoid exposure to blue light several hours before turning in for the night, sleep in dark and quiet rooms with a low temperature of between 16 and 19 degrees Centigrade.
3. Body massages and rolling
Massages and body rolling are another well tested solution to help regenerate tired muscles and erode trigger points which cause sharp and radiating pain. Thanks to massages and rolling, the body is well nourished and regenerated and the risk of lesions caused by excessive strain is reduced. Physical therapists agree that massaging and self-massaging techniques can help to alleviate delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
While professional massages may be more time-consuming, self-massage in the form of body rolling is relatively quick and easy to perform. Get some easily accessible body rollers or balls and use them during your daily stretching routine to feel blissfully relaxed.
4. A relaxing bath
A warm bath or a quick cold shower is an unparalleled way to restore your vitality. Research has shown that warm or hot baths should be recommended to people after low-intensity workouts. Cold showers should be preferred following intensive workouts which cause muscle damage. What are the reasons behind this difference? Researchers have noticed that warm water relieves tension and prevents muscle stiffness, while cold water improves blood flow and stimulates muscle fiber regeneration.
5. Sauna session
Would you like to feel better, improve your immune system function and relax your body? Add some sauna sessions to your agenda. Researchers from Korea University observed that short sauna sessions after resistance training lead to faster muscle buildup and muscle size increase***. Regular sauna sessions improve blood flow, reduce sensitivity to psychological stress and cleanse the body of harmful substances through the skin, thus accelerating the regeneration process. Studies by Finnish researchers have shown that regular sauna use is a guarantee of longevity****.
Make sure you try some of the five regeneration techniques and experience the benefits and surprising results which come with their regular use.
*https://fitnessplatinium.pl/blog/7-sposobow-na-szybsza-regeneracje-miesni/
** https://journals.viamedica.pl/advances_in_respiratory_medicine/article/viewFile/27934/22748
*** https://www.menshealth.pl/zdrowie/Czy-sauna-przyspiesza-regeneracje-i-budowe-miesni,13205,1