Optimizing Recovery
Foods, supplements and methods to help with maximizing your recovery, hormones and health.
These are some things that I’ve found extremely helpful recently and throughout the years. Things that can actually make a noticeable difference in your training, how you recover from it and things to support the body and brain in your everyday life.
Periodic Deload from Intense Training
When training hard and often it’s important to get adequate rest for continued progress. Rest and work are synergists.
Every fourth week it’s beneficial to do a deload period for 1-2 weeks. This is where you reduce your training volume by 30-50%, don’t go to absolute failure (can’t lift the weight for one more complete rep) or near failure (within 1-3 reps of absolute failure) and use less than 85% of your 1RM (one rep maximum).
For example: If you were doing 4 sets of 8 reps then just do 2 sets and use less than 85% of your 1RM.
You can keep the intensity and effort level high by still lifting explosively and lifting moderately heavy (up to 80% of 1RM) to retain most of your performance gains you achieved during your previous 3 weeks of hard training. You just want to reduce the volume (sets and reps) of work and use a lighter load (weight) to allow your body and nervous system to recover. This can allow for a super compensation and allow you to achieve even greater gains when you get back to your normal training volume and training load. Whether you do 1 or 2 weeks of deloading is up to you. Gauge your body and do 1 week or 2 weeks based on your energy levels, mood and how you feel.
Supplements For Recovery and Detox
What to have in your health and wellness tool chest.
Taurine: Taurine has shown promise for reducing symptoms of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and accelerating strength recovery after exercise.
L-Glutamine: One of the best supplements for muscle recovery because of its ability in reducing muscle breakdown, increasing hydration status, immunity and reducing post-workout soreness. Less soreness and all the other benefits means faster recovery and allows you to increase training volume which leads to greater and faster muscle gains. The reasons glutamine is good for recovery are the same reasons it’s good for performance during exercise.
Ashwagandha: Helps reduce cortisol, anxiety, stress. Can reduce cholesterol, helps increase serum level thyroid hormones, can improve athletic power output by helping to increase muscle mass and strength and can also reduce blood sugar levels. It is good for skin health, heart health, inflammation and can help increase immunity. Ashwagandha has been reported to improve VO2max and evidence suggests that it improves upper body and lower body strength, lower body power and recovery. It’s unclear whether these effects persist in well-trained athletes. Ashwaganha has shown to have a decreasing effect on cortisol and an increase in testosterone in males.
Chlorella: Boosts immunity, helps lower blood pressure, kidney protective, is a complete protein, rich in vitamins A, C, D, B1, B2, B9, B12, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, iron, zinc. Helps clear harmful toxins out of the body, helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, supports cardiovascular health and has even more vitamins, minerals and plant based omega 3s than its cousin spirulina. Chlorella should be produced with a broken cell wall to ensure bioavailability.
CoQ10: Provides energy and support to mitochondria due to its role in generating ATP and facilitating energy transfer in our cells, serves as an antioxidant protecting cells from oxidative damage, acts to preserve nitric oxide (a vasodilator) thus helping to reduce blood pressure and increasing blood flow. Good for the brain, heart, lungs, stabilizes blood sugar. Has also been shown to have an increasing effect on testosterone in men.
Creatine: Creatine is fantastic for a number of reasons. It’s great for strength and performance. It’s phenomenal for the brain too. It improves cognition, memory and mood. Older adults or anyone looking to boost cognitive performance can benefit from creatine. Be it physically or mentally creatine gives you strength, energy and focus. Creatine has been shown to increase testosterone, power output, lean muscle mass, hydration levels and has even been shown to decrease DNA damage.
Creatine+CoQ10 Combination: Either one alone has recovery and health benefits by helping to produce ATP and energy production especially if taking part in activities that demand high levels of energy such as intense athletics or cognitively demanding tasks. Interestingly, the two combined can be a powerhouse of energy and recovery. Their combined effect seem to be very promising. One reason could be is that CoQ10 reduces the excretion of creatinine (a byproduct of protein breakdown and creatine consumption) by the kidneys. If less creatinine is excreted, resulting in more creatine being retained, then more of that creatine is able to be recycled and used in the energy production and recovery process. This has the dual benefit of increasing ATP stores for intense athletics even further and increasing energy in the mitochondria of the cells even further. Also, the beneficial recycling of creatinine can help prevent dehydration because water in the body is not expelled with the creatinine. The combination of Creatine + CoQ10 = more energy and ATP, bigger gains in muscle mass and increased athletic performance, less excretion of creatinine from creatine, reduced risk of dehydration (creatine itself increases hydration and water content in the muscles) and even better brain power and cognition.
Glycine + NAC (can also use Alms Bio Glutathione and PQQ CoQ10) helps detoxify body and reverse the aging process. A study on mice aged 65 weeks or more (equivalent to about 40 years of age in humans) had improved markers and functionality for mitophagy (regeneration of mitochondria in cells) and improved functioning and repair of liver, heart and kidney. Collagen and EAAs (essential amino acids) also have good amounts of glycine precursors to make glycine.
SeaMoss: Helps the body get rid of excess mucus and great for joint health. It boosts energy levels, can improve mood, can increase male libido, helps regulate hormones, thyroid function, helps relieve congestion, boosts immunity and helps in total body detoxification. Rich in Vitamins K, C, D, E, and A and great for overall health.
Techniques, Remedies and Therapies
You can implement these anytime but try for 3-4x per week. Making these practices a part of your daily or weekly routine can work wonders for how you look, feel, perform and your overall health.
Dry Brushing: Stimulates lymphatic drainage (waste fluid), improves circulation, removes impurities from skin.
Hot/Cold Contrast Showers: Increases circulation and lymphatic drainage. Do this by turning the shower to hot for 10 seconds and then cold for 20 seconds for 5-10 rounds of alternating hot/cold water. Not too hot, don’t burn yourself.
Rebounding/Shaking: Jumping up and down on a rebounder (small trampoline) or just light jumping such as jumping jacks or plyometric exercises stimulates lymphatic drainage and helps detoxify the body. Even things like cartwheels are extremely good and getting that lymph fluid dramatically moving. Movement is detox!
Sauna: The best benefit comes with 4 times per week but you still receive benefit from fewer sessions. Removes impurities, toxins and boosts mitochondrial health and reduces inflammation. Sauna use creates heat shock proteins which allows the proteins in our body to refold correctly. Basically, that means it’s anti-aging.
Sunlight: Prioritize morning sunlight and try to get at least 20-30 minutes per day. Maximizes testosterone production, fat loss, sleep quality and detoxification.
Circadian Eating: Avoid having a large or full meal at least 3 hours prior to bedtime. You will sleep and repair better and go thorough glymphatic (different from lymphatic) drainage better where the brain detoxifies and repairs. Ok to have something light and easily and quickly digestible that will not cause a digestive strain that leads to increased body temperature and interrupted sleep or impaired sleep quality.
Another good practice is to leave enough time to cleanse and detoxify your liver in the morning. Try to stick to fruit and fiber in the morning until 12 noon or at least 11am and avoid eating fat. Healthy fat is a good way to start to the day and helps keep you satisfied. But it can be helpful for even just a few days out of the week to allow additional time for the liver to cleanse by abstaining from it for a just a few more hours. Fat stimulates the production of bile in order to breakdown the fat that we eat and this is good for the gall bladder as it helps to clean it out. However, once the process of fat digestion starts then detoxification of the liver stops. Even just allowing the liver to cleanse in the morning 2-4 days per week is very helpful in keeping the liver healthy and functioning well. If the liver is never allowed to cleanse fully then energy levels drop, toxicity increases, repair and recovery of the whole body is hindered and greater health complications can arise in the future. Just a few days per week is good, you don’t have to do it everyday.
Active Rest: This is extremely beneficial to do during training sessions to help get a jump on recovery and get a greater benefit during your workouts. Walking, pacing or staying moving during rest periods in between sets helps to keep the blood and oxygen circulating and heart rate from dropping too much. This all helps to prevent adhesions from building up the muscles that can cause tightness, stiffness and reduced flexibility in the future and it can also help you burn more fat during your workouts.
Some Of The Best Foods to Eat Daily
Good to have a few servings daily or at each meal to support optimal health and nutrition.
Ginger: Speeds gastric emptying, can help increase testosterone.
Raw Cacao: Rich in magnesium which helps with sleep and detoxification and repair, can increase testosterone.
Beet root: Increases circulation, produces NO2 (vasodilator), cleanses the blood and skin.
Spinach: Rich in chlorophyll ,vitamins ,minerals and can help boost testosterone.
Leafy greens in general: Blood cleansing and detoxifying ,eat an array of different types.
Cilantro: Great for removing impurities and detoxifying the body from heavy metals and other toxins.
Wild blueberries: Also known as low bush blueberries - different from regular blueberries and can find in frozen section.
Papaya: Natural digestive aid and helps improve production of stomach acid which helps to break down food and improve nutrient absorption. Improved nutrient absorption leads to better body and organ function which improves the body detoxification abilities.
Pineapple: Natural digestive aid, helps with protein digestion, high in vitamin C and minerals.
Cucumber: Extremely naturally hydrating which will improve every function of the body and support detoxification.
Lime/Lemon: Detoxifying and supportive to the liver. Contains good amounts of vitamin C for immunity. It’s especially good to start your morning with warm lemon or lime water with a dash of sea salt. Hydrating, cleansing and good for the skin.
RawHoney/Manuka Honey: Contains natural enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. A fantastic option for a healthy natural sweetener.
Aloe Vera: Great for gut health, hydration, minerals and amino acids.
Cayenne Pepper: Helps burn fat and boost immunity and blood circulation.
Pulses - Seeds from legume plants such as lentils ,beans ,peas, chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Teff, amaranth, millet, quinoa (a complete protein): Highly nutritious ancient grains.
High fiber foods: Help keep arteries clear. blood flowing and the bowels clean and regular.
Other Supplements and Foods For Detox and General Nutritional Support
Great to take or consume daily
Milk Thistle for liver support
Digestive/Proteolytic enzymes: Taken with food the help to improve digestion. Taken on an empty stomach to break down old protein and scar tissue in the body. Can help heal old wounds and injuries when taken on an empty stomach and improve recovery when taken before bed away from food (about 1-3 hours after dinner or your last meal).
Wiley’s Finest Catch Free Omega: A full spectrum and completely plant based omega 3 supplement that contains EPA and DHA for brain, eye, heart and cardiovascular health and regulation of hormone levels. This omega 3 soft gel also contains ALA, SDA, GLA, vitamin D3, vitamin K2 (important to always take with D3) and vitamin E. You can also use a high quality fish oil for omega 3s such as fermented cod liver oil.
Super Colon Cleanse: Helps keep the colon clean and clear from old waste matter and toxins that may accumulate in the body. Make sure you plan ahead as you will need to use the restroom frequently or suddenly anywhere from 1-4 hours after taking depending if you take on empty stomach or not. This can be a bit uncomfortable but it will clean you out.
Activated Charcoal: Absorbs toxins and carries them out o the body. Take away from food or any other supplements (about 1-2 hours before or after) as this will bind to nutrients and supplements rendering them less effective. However, can be taken after meals to reduce gas/bloating if needed. Take with plenty of water to prevent constipation and ensure effectiveness (12-24 ounces of water for every rounded 1/4 tsp).
Beet root or beet juice for improved blood flow.
Burdock root (contained in Great Sea Moss) for blood purification.
Spirulina for detoxification, protein, vitamins and minerals.
A high quality whole food based multi-vitamin such as Multi Complete from Bodyhealth or Ancient Nutrition’s multi vitamins.
All the foods, supplements and techniques listed above will all help to support and repair the body and optimize muscle gain, fat loss and nutritional status. Always check with a healthcare professional for any interactions or contraindications.