Being an athlete is a science and recovery is a crucial component of training. As a sporting (performance-driven) culture, we spend a considerable amount of time looking at how we can get faster, become stronger, and endure for longer.
Consequently, we often neglect one of the most vital and easy-to-access performance enhancing strategies. At Waveblade, we believe that recovery is as important as movement efficiency and performance.
As we set goals and strategies for what we want to achieve, we believe it’s valuable to use the same awareness and drive to nurture our body with the right dose of recovery.
Recovery is the most important but yet one of the most undervalued aspects of training and performance. For athletes, recovery is both an art and a science. It is a process that requires a level of understanding of one’s own body’s strengths and weakness.
If you are experiencing fatigue, it generally means that you need more time to recover.
Current research does not yet have a full understanding of exactly what fatigue is. It is evident though that athletes experience reduced performance across a range of measures after a hard workout or competition. The period of reduced performance is called a state of fatigue. However, research does not fully understand why it happens or what it involves. The stress from causing the body fatigue comes from many different systems. It is a cumulative effect that has contributions from muscular, neural (nervous system), neuro-endocrine(hormones) and the environment.
A common mistake is to resist fatigue. Fatigue is not the enemy. When the body is fatigued, it is giving you important information that is worth paying attention to. Feeling signs of fatigue the day after a training session is normal and most often indicates positive stress adaptation.
However, if you are constantly fatigued and your everyday symptoms include low energy, tired aching muscles, irregular sleep patterns, low focus and even loss of appetite, you may be experiencing chronic fatigue.
Chronic fatigue is a debilitating medical condition. It’s a multifaceted disorder characterised by profound fatigue which is not improved by bed rest and may be worsened by physical or mental activity.
Symptoms affect several body systems and may include weakness, muscle pain, impaired memory and/or mental concentration, as well as insomnia that can result in reduced motivation.
If you are experiencing the above symptoms consult your medical practitioner, particularly if it has been going on for several weeks or months. The symptoms of fatigue basically inform you that more recovery time is needed!