- The Rundown
- Posts
- Recovery Tips for Summer Runs
Recovery Tips for Summer Runs
In partnership with
Recover from your summer runs
Summer runs are great! The weather is beautiful. But now you're feeling the pain? Focusing on rest, hydration, and nutrition is key to supporting your body. Building a running recovery routine sets you up for healthy habits and improved performance.
In this week’s Tuesday newsletter we we share tips to recover from summer runs, so that you can get back to running – and feeling good again – faster.
Why run recovery is important
Many runners think that more is better when it comes to running. Consistency is a key component of running success. But if you want to improve your performance, you’ve got to take the time to recover.
Running is a high-impact sport that takes its toll on your body. Your muscles work hard while absorbing the impact of your body hitting the ground. Long-distance and marathon running can be particularly tough on the body because your body is working harder, for longer.
Running causes muscle damage and strain. Muscle damage, combined with glycogen depletion, leads to inflammation. A recent study found that marathon runners have increased markers of inflammation post-marathon. The more miles ran, the higher the levels of inflammation.
Muscle damage and inflammation might seem a cause for concern, but it’s a normal physiological response to strenuous activity. It’s something the body is able to repair post-run provided it gets the recovery time it needs.
5 tips to recover from summer runs
Here are five tips to recover from summer runs.
Stay hydrated: Proper hydration keeps muscle cramps at bay while replenishing the fluids and electrolytes you continue to lose after your run ends. Drinking plenty of water is great, but for best results, look to replenish the electrolytes your body sweats out during physical activity. This could be a sports drink, oral hydration solutions, coconut water, or simply adding salt to your water.
Focus on nutrition: High-protein snacks speed up the muscle protein synthesis process that builds and maintains muscle. Pairing these proteins with complex carbohydrates enables your body to repair and rebuild. Unsaturated fats are also part of a runner’s ideal diet. Edamame, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, and hummus are a few examples of grab-and-go high-protein snacks you can reach for after a run. Don’t rule out a shake with protein powder either if smoothies are more your speed. If you have time for a meal after your run, build a protein-packed plate with chicken, fish, or tofu and a healthy grain, like quinoa. Timing makes a big difference, too: Eat a few hours after your run to maximize the running recovery benefits.
Stretch, stretch, and stretch: Post-run stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. This stretching opens up the blood vessels around the body part you’re focusing on, which lets more blood through and yields anti-inflammatory effects. It also helps reduce muscle soreness, also known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This is the scientific term for the pains and aches you can experience in your muscles and joints after running. Dynamic stretches — those that involve motion — before your run can lower your risk of injury. Static stretches — those with no motion — can fend off DOMS. Professional runners make time for both.
Sleep: Sleep is how your body repairs itself, muscles included. A lack of sleep can get in the way of optimal muscle recovery. Prioritizing healthy sleep habits will go a long way if you want to beat your PB. The importance of prioritizing consistent, quality sleep to improve endurance has been proven time and again. Most experts recommend getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Take an ice bath: If alternating between warm and cold plunges can be a key part of athlete's post-sprint recovery. Embracing frigid temperatures can reduce inflammation and soreness after training or competing. Many elite athletes swear by ice baths for recovery.
Run recovery hacks
Your Daily Dose Of Usain⚡️
Usain high fiving
Words To Run By 🏃♀️🏃🏽♂️
I like trails more than roads. I’ve jumped over my share of rattlesnakes. I’ve seen mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, hawks.
Feel the Day 1 Difference backed by Science...
Recover with sfh whey protein
Hitting a wall in training? It's time to break through with better recovery.
SFH supplements are doctor formulated, ultra clean, and trusted by elite runners for the difference they see in their recovery time and overall performance.
It's not fancy hype, it's real science that you feel on Day 1.
SFH's RECOVER protein is the only all-in-one solution for feeling better after a run and getting the most out of your training.
Use code "RUNDOWN" for 20% off your first order.
