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What does muscle recovery consist of?
Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer. All articles by the author ➤
Many have heard the term "muscle recovery." But not everyone understands what it entails. In this article, I will try to explain in simple terms the biochemical processes that occur in the muscles during training and subsequent recovery. So, muscle recovery consists of three components: The fact is that during physical exertion, muscles wear out, losing energy reserves and part of their structure. Further muscle growth is only possible after the complete recovery of all these components. Now, let's discuss everything in order. Recovery of creatine phosphate stores During short and intense work, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) serves as fuel for the muscles. ATP breaks down into ADP (adenosine diphosphate) with the release of one phosphate group and a large amount of energy. This energy is used for muscle contraction. But the reserves of ATP run out very quickly. Literally within a few seconds. And then creatine phosphate comes to the rescue. Creatine phosphate donates its phosphate to ADP, thereby converting ADP back into ATP. And ATP is again broken down, releasing energy for muscle work. And this continues until... Correct! Until the reserves of creatine phosphate in the muscles run out! And they also deplete very quickly. But they are restored just as quickly. Complete recovery of creatine phosphate stores occurs within a few hours. That is, by the next morning after the workout, your creatine phosphate stores will be restored. "Then why is creatine monohydrate sold everywhere instead of creatine phosphate? And what is its purpose if the muscles can quickly replenish its loss?" many will ask. The fact is that creatine phosphate is not absorbed by the body. Therefore, consuming it is useless. Because of this, a slightly modified formula of creatine (monohydrate) was developed. Which, although not very well, is still absorbed. And then in the body, it converts to creatine phosphate.
As for the second question, it seems correct. But! By consuming creatine from external sources, you increase its reserves in your muscles. And this means that you can perform a few more repetitions in each set. This will create additional stress for your muscles and provoke an increased training effect. Here are a few products for you to consider: Recovery of glycogen stores In addition to ATP, muscles also use their glycogen (carbohydrate) stores during work. This provides less energy than ATP. That is, muscles cannot contract as strongly. However, glycogen can sustain several hours of continuous activity. It turns out that glycogen in muscles is consumed much more slowly. But it is also restored much more slowly, averaging over 2-3 days. After intense workouts, it can take up to a week.
To speed up the recovery of glycogen, you need to consume more carbohydrates. Either through food or by taking gainers. You can check out the best gainers here: TOP 10 gainers. I can also recommend some decent options at both lower and higher prices: True Mass gainer (higher price) - 32% protein and 52% carbohydrates (of which 9% sugar). Mutant: Mass - 20% protein and 70% carbohydrates Weider: Mega Mass 2000 (lower price) - 19% protein and 67% carbohydrates. Restoration of muscle tissue structure During activity, muscles wear out. Microtraumas and ruptures of the muscle structure occur. If these microtraumas are significant, you will feel pain in your muscles the day after training. Typically, such pain goes away within 2-3 days. But this does not mean that the muscles have completely restored their structure. After intense workouts, this process can take up to a week.
To help muscles recover faster, amino acids or protein are needed. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscles. Taking protein or amino acids significantly accelerates the recovery of damaged muscle tissue. Specifically for recovery, amino acids are more suitable because, while protein is made up of amino acids, it still needs to be broken down. I can recommend these amino acids for you: Conclusions Now you know that muscle recovery is a multi-level process consisting of several components. And that each component requires its own micronutrients. But I want to emphasize the main point of this article once again: Until the muscles have fully recovered in all three of these aspects, they will not increase in size. The phase of supercompensation (over-recovery) follows only after the phase of complete recovery. So let's give your muscles enough time to rest and help them recover. Try to eat properly. Sports nutrition is not mandatory, but it can be very helpful, especially in cases when there isn’t enough time or opportunity to eat properly. SIMILAR ARTICLES
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