Importance of Recovery in Athletic Training

Effective recovery practices are critical for player performance and well-being, especially given the theme of increased fixture congestion periods in players seasons now. This recent review out of Portugal offers a structured guide for medical providers and sports scientists in optimizing recovery post-match for both male and female athletes. Key Takeaways: - Prioritize Sleep & Nutrition: Sleep and nutrition are fundamental to recovery. A focus on hydration, glycogen replenishment, and protein intake immediately post-match aids in tissue repair and inflammation reduction. - Cold Water Immersion (CWI): CWI is widely used but should be carefully applied due to its mixed effects on muscle recovery. Immediate post-match immersion is recommended to improve perceptual recovery. - Massage & Compression Garments: Massage aids in psychological relaxation, while compression garments support muscle recovery and can when tailored to individual needs. - Active Recovery & Stretching: Although less effective for physiological recovery, these methods help with socialization, motivation, and well-being among athletes, which are crucial for overall team performance. - Personalization is Key: Every recovery method should be periodized and tailored to individual players, taking into account their physical and psychological responses. At the end of the day, an athlete needs to feel what they are doing is effective. This increases buy in and engagement from the athlete ultimately leading to a more successful outcome measure (recovery). With all of this in mind, there is a body of evidence mounting that supports newer methods in recovery (examples like BFR/Hytro or NMES/Firefly Recovery), that are also able to be utilized and combined with recommendations from the article attached. While we shouldn't jump into utilization and recommendation of modalities we aren't familiar with, I personally see value in the development of newer strategies such as these for athlete recovery. By strategically combining recovery methods, we can maximize recovery and enhance player readiness for subsequent matches.

Rest Days: Where Long Lasting Success Is Built One of the most persistent and harmful beliefs I come across in professional football is this: more is more. That any moment of stillness means falling behind. That doing less is equal to not doing enough. And nowhere does this belief show up more clearly than on rest days. For many of the players I work with, rest days don’t bring peace. They bring stress. Guilt. Anxiety. A sense of losing control. It’s so deeply ingrained: if I’m not working, I’m not improving. Even worse, rest days often come with restrictive eating—“I didn’t train today, so I can’t fuel the same way.” But that mindset takes away one of the most powerful elements of recovery: nourishment. Here’s the truth I work hard to help players understand: The mind doesn’t rest simply because there’s no session. It rests when we mentally disconnect—when we allow space from constant performance thinking. The body doesn’t only build during training. It builds in the moments of pause—when it has enough energy and time to repair, adapt, and grow stronger. And food isn’t only fuel for training. It’s the material your body uses to recover and prepare for what’s next. Rest is not a step back. It’s where success is built. I practice what I preach. I intentionally carve out moments of rest in my own week and I make them my priority. These are the moments where I restore, reflect, and reset—so I can bring my full energy and presence into the work I do. Learning to truly rest—physically, mentally, emotionally—is one of the most powerful (and underrated) tools in an elite athlete’s arsenal. It requires just as much trust, courage, and discipline as stepping out onto the pitch. Let’s break the idea that rest = weakness. Let’s stop romanticizing burnout. Let’s teach players to honor rest the way they honor hard work. Because in the end… the ones who last are the ones who know when to pause.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 15 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀. I've met dozens of high-performers who thought they needed to eliminate stress from their lives. Wrong approach. 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵: Stress is the enemy. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Poor recovery is what kills performance. The highest performers I know don't avoid pressure. They recover from it faster than their competition. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀: Your nervous system has two modes: fight-or-flight (sympathetic) and rest-and-digest (parasympathetic). Most executives LIVE in sympathetic overdrive for 12+ hours straight. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. Just like muscle adaptation, you need the stress stimulus. But the magic happens in recovery. Without intentional downtime, you're not building resilience. You're accumulating damage. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 15-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Elite performers have strategies to flip the switch from stress to recovery. I’m not just talking about apps or retreats. Active protocols that shift physiology in real time. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲: 🫁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 second inhales, hold for 7 seconds, long exhale for 8 seconds. This shifts you from sympathetic to parasympathetic in minutes. 🧘 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: A few minutes of targeted stretches signals your nervous system to downshift. ⚡ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀: The best operators I know don't wing their downtime. Schedule your recovery sessions, whether a sauna or something else, like you schedule board meetings. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 + 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 = 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. Every top performer has systems for this equation. Your HRV (heart rate variability) trends tells you if it's working. And when your nervous system is recovered, you make better decisions under pressure. The companies who understand this are building an unfair advantage. Their people have clarity in hour 12 that competitors lose in hour 3. What's your non-negotiable recovery practice? (The one you actually stick to, not the one you wish you did 😉)

The Omega-3 Index is a key biomarker for injury risk, recovery, and performance in athletes. This index measures the percentage of EPA and DHA in red blood cell membranes, with research showing that levels below 4% are linked to higher injury risk, slower recovery, and increased inflammation. In contrast, an Omega-3 Index above 8% is associated with lower cardiovascular injury risk, better muscle repair, and improved resilience to head trauma. One of the biggest advantages of maintaining an optimal Omega-3 Index (>8%) is its ability to control inflammation, which is critical for muscle recovery, injury prevention, and soft tissue repair. Chronic inflammation increases the risk of tendinitis, muscle strains, and joint issues, making omega-3s essential for athletes in high-impact sports. Omega-3s also play a major role in brain health and concussion recovery, as DHA supports neuronal function and reduces neuroinflammation. Studies show that athletes with higher DHA levels experience less severe concussions, faster cognitive recovery, and less invasive brain trauma from impact. For muscle recovery and endurance, omega-3s reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and enhance protein synthesis, helping athletes train harder and recover faster. Additionally, they improve oxygen efficiency and mitochondrial function, supporting endurance athletes in maintaining higher energy output with less oxidative stress. Omega-3s also contribute to bone health and joint integrity by reducing bone resorption, improving calcium retention, and enhancing joint lubrication, which lowers the risk of stress fractures and cartilage damage. Given the strong correlation between Omega-3 Index levels and sports-related injuries, athletes should regularly test their Omega-3 Index and AIM for levels above 8%. Optimizing intake through seafood, fatty fish (salmon, sardines, scallops, mackerel) or high-quality supplements (which I only initiate below 8) can take 4-6 months to significantly improve Omega-3 Index levels. #functionalsportsmedicine

Here’s a key section missing from the Solutions in the new MLB study on pitching injuries: Integrating Somatic Modalities Somatic tools address root causes of injuries and should be essential components of pitcher health and development programs: • Performance Yoga:  - Improves flexibility and joint mobility throughout the entire body, reducing strain on key areas like shoulders and elbows.  - Enhances core strength and balance, creating a foundation for efficient and safe pitching mechanics. • Mindfulness Practices:  - Helps pitchers manage the mental strain of high-pressure situations and avoid overexertion.  - Encourages body awareness, enabling early detection of fatigue or discomfort before it leads to injury. • Brainspotting:  - Processes mental and emotional stress related to injury or performance pressure, aiding in psychological resilience.  - Supports recovery from trauma, whether physical (injury-related) or mental (performance setbacks). Integrating these practices can: • Prevent Overuse Injuries: Promote balanced body mechanics and mitigate stress from repetitive motions. • Enhance Recovery: Shift athletes into the parasympathetic nervous system ("rest and digest" mode), speeding recovery and reducing inflammation. • Build Long-Term Resilience: Equip pitchers with tools to adapt to the evolving demands of the sport, both physically and mentally. • Enhance Pitching Finesse: Allow pitchers to move beyond brute force and velocity, cultivating a strategic, nuanced approach that emphasizes skill, precision, and consistency. How?  - Body Awareness: Developing a nuanced understanding of their body's movements allows them to detect and correct subtle inefficiencies, optimizing pitch delivery for greater precision; helps in identifying early signs of fatigue, preventing performance dips and injuries.  - Rhythm: The synchronization of energy and motion in pitching is crucial for generating controlled velocity and movement. Somatics encourage a flow state where pitchers can maintain a smooth, consistent rhythm throughout their delivery and improves breath control and balance, essential for the repeatability of complex motions.  - Enhanced Feedback Loop: Brainspotting addresses mental clutter and emotional stress, which can disrupt focus and rhythm. By clearing these mental blocks, pitchers can better execute fine motor tasks and maintain composure during high-pressure moments, refining their overall technique. — Health and Performance Are Not Mutually Exclusive! One of the most damaging assumptions in the conversation about the injury epidemic is that health and performance are mutually exclusive. This simply isn’t true. In fact, they are deeply interwoven. Performance without health isn’t performance—it’s a prison for players, trapping them in cycles of overexertion and injury. Research consistently shows that happy and healthy players perform better. When athletes live well as people, they thrive as competitors.

I've spent years studying elite athletes, and I've noticed something CRUCIAL that most people miss: You can't perform if you're not well. And I'm not just talking about physical health. Let me break down why mental wellness is the foundation of elite performance... Western culture has created a DANGEROUS myth: That mental toughness means pushing away your feelings. We can see a physical injury, but mental struggles remain hidden. The result? Athletes (and all of us) trying to power through when we should be healing. This approach is UNSUSTAINABLE. The good news: Pro sports is finally changing. Athletes like Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, and Naomi Osaka are prioritizing mental health publicly. Their message is clear: "I can't give you my best right now, and I need to rebuild before I return." This isn't weakness. It's WISDOM. Meanwhile, the most successful athletes have been quietly doing this all along. Lewis Hamilton, the winningest F1 racer ever, puts it perfectly: "The better you feel, the better you are at doing your job." Isn't this true for ALL of us? So what's the science behind sustainable excellence? It's called ADAPTIVE CAPACITY. Think of it like building a muscle: → Exercise → Rest → Grow stronger → Repeat with greater challenges This applies to mental conditioning too! The key insight most miss: High performance isn't about going hard 24/7. It's about making sure: 1. You have enough in your tank 2. Your tank is big enough for your toughest challenges This requires the right mindset AND consistent self-care. Leaders, this applies DOUBLE for you. Research shows leaders who prioritize recovery have: • Higher-performing teams • More engaged employees By modeling self-care, you're teaching your team how to sustain excellence. This isn't time OFF. It's an investment IN performance. The foundation of adaptive capacity is wellness. And the #1 performance enhancer? SLEEP. (I'll dive deeper into sleep strategies in my next thread) Remember: Elite performance requires complete wellness. You can't reach your potential if you're running on empty. Building your capacity isn't just about pushing harder—it's about recovering smarter. That's how champions are made. Not in a day, but day after day. What's one way you'll prioritize your wellness this week?

Steroids work because they accelerate recovery. Accelerated recovery allows more training load to be sustained over time. I'm calling it here first - in the next 5 to 10 years, we’re going to see a category of coaches available to athletes — ones focused exclusively on recovery. Recovery is the secret ingredient that athletes are only just beginning to unlock. We’re seeing world-class athletes invest hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, not just in their training, but in their health and fitness outside of the gym. And for good reason—training alone can only push them so far - and often it pushes them too far. Faster and more comprehensive recovery means more training with less downtime. It’s not the strength-building aspect of steroids that’s most valuable—it’s their ability to shorten the recovery window. That’s why they’re so effective. I believe we will see an entirely new wave of professionals emerge—recovery coaches, who solely focuses on optimizing an athlete’s recovery process. These specialists will work alongside traditional coaches, focusing not on miles run or weights lifted, but on sleep cycles, inflammation management, nutrition, and cutting-edge recovery technologies. This shift could be the next major development in endurance sports. And it won’t just be for elite athletes. As recovery tech and knowledge become more accessible, every athlete will be looking for ways to make their downtime more productive.

“I think I’m overtrained.” Doubt it. Unless you're an elite athlete training HARD 2x per day, 6 days per week, the chance of you overtraining is next to zero. *You're under-recovered* And that's a simple fix... Just tackle these common culprits: 1. POOR SLEEP Maybe you just had kids. Maybe you haven't kicked your energy drink habit. Maybe you've developed an addiction to the TV show 'Vice Principles' on HBO Max ("just one more episode!"). Whatever the case, a lack of sleep is the number one driver of poor recovery. Before you change your program, make sure you're consistently getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night. Some things that will help: -Sticking to a consistent routine -Keeping your room cool (67-68 degrees) -Not eating 2 hours before bed time -Using a fan for white noise -Not doom scrolling .. 2. LOW CALORIES Food is fuel. It may be delicious, an art form, and the center piece of every social engagement, but at its core it's the fuel that drives your athletic performance. Imagine a Formula One Driver racing a car without any gasoline. He wouldn't get very far (if anywhere at all), and neither will you if all of your training time is spent in a calorie deficit. Eat! At maintenance, or in a slight surplus, with a balance of macronutrients. Avoid restriction diets at all costs. ... 3. POOR STRESS MANAGEMENT This is a massive topic, and too nuanced to cover in great detail in a single post. Just remember that your body can't differentiate between one form of stress compared to another. Workout stress? Dieting stress? Relationship stress? Job stress? Financial stress? Commute stress? It ALL pulls from the same 'bucket' of recovery, and none of our buckets are unlimited. Eliminate stress in other parts of your life, and the workout stress tolerance will skyrocket! .... 4. BAD PROGRAM DESIGN Finally, imagine trying to dig a massive hole with your hands (that would suck, and take forever). Now imagine doing it with a shovel (easier, but still sucks). Now imagine doing it with an excavator (WAY easier, with little time or effort on your part). The structure of your training? That determines which one of those "tools" you're using, which determines how quickly you're able to achieve results (better strength, size, endurance, etc.). All of your training is done with similar activities, similar movements, at similar intensities? And it's haphazardly thrown together? You're digging with your hands. Your training alternates between different activities, movements, and intensities? And they're placed in a way that complement one another, allowing you to build one area while simultaneously recovering from another? Now you're digging with an excavator. Train hard AND smart. Because if you bust your butt in the gym, at least make sure it gets you somewhere. Don't waste your time! ..... P.S. Need help with your training? Send me a DM, or book a call at the link in my bio. Happy to help! 💪 🔥

There’s been a noticeable resurgence of hustle culture with some companies talking about assembling “super teams” or working at the “intensity” of elite athletes. There’s a certain allure to that framing. Hard work, relentless effort, a refusal to settle are all deeply motivating ideas. But respectfully, many of the loudest voices have never been high-performing athletes themselves, let alone trained alongside elite athletes. This narrative is often reinforced by investors drawn to the idea that harder work always means higher returns. As someone who swam competitively in college, still trains for endurance races, has had the privilege of training alongside incredible elite athletes and now helps lead a company, I can’t help but feel we’re misapplying the metaphor. To be clear, this isn’t an argument against hard work. Going above and beyond is table stakes. But the conversation too often gets flattened into a false binary (work vs. rest, drive vs. laziness). In reality, performance is cyclical. Building a culture around constant intensity without recovery is like training for a marathon by sprinting every day. In sports, that leads to burnout and injury and, I believe, the same holds true at work. The highest-performing athletes I know design their habits around recovery. It’s part of the plan. (Just look at the estimates of how much LeBron James or Patrick Mahomes invest annually in recovery.) They know that elite performance is about coming back, day after day, and staying at the top. Maybe what these companies are really chasing is the idea that working more than your peers gives you an edge. Fair, I agree. But I think we should be talking more about what it really means to “work like an athlete.” We need to recognize that elite performance is sustained by structure, feedback loops, and deliberate recovery. If we’re aiming to build generational companies, the real test is how reliably our teams can recover, adapt, and show up at a high level again and again. Thanks to Ashley Beckwith and Grace Tiao for sparking the reflections that led to this post. If this topic hits home, I highly recommend checking out the recent conversation between Rich Roll and Will Ahmed. As always, curious how others are thinking about this.