Supplementary recovery: by combining traditional medicine with modern fighters’ recovery protocols

Feeling after an intense martial arts training session is something that all fighters refer. The rubbery legs, the sore shoulders and the aching arms are often signs you put in the gym. However, you will want this sensation quickly so you can return to the gym and continue to improve your combat game.

The fighters are constantly looking for new ways to accelerate the recovery process and an increasing number of modern fighters is turning to supplementary recovery, which is a mixture of modern sciences and ancient remedies to optimize recovery.

Everything you should know about supplementary recovery

If you are more than 18 years old, some time has probably passed since you could sleep intense physical activity and wake up as if it had never happened. Muscle recovery begins to slow down over the 20ths. The production of collagen begins to immerse themselves by 1% once you are over 25 years old, making your tendons and ligaments more rigid.

Approaches supported by science such as cryotherapy and heat therapy help to accelerate the recovery process, but this does not mean that you should exclude traditional practices such as acupuncture, herbal supplements or cup therapy. Integrative medicine can reduce injury rates of combat sports athletes. Some examples of traditional recovery tools that are popular among the fighters include:

1) Acupuncture: not only for Zen Masters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1huxjk3vn3c

Yes, acupuncture is not only for people who own crystals collections; It is a popular recovery tool that science states that it reduces muscle inflammation, improves blood flow and darts the signs of pain. It is an excellent way to relax after disappearing wars.

How it works: Small needles are used to stimulate the nerves and connective fabrics during acupuncture. It triggers the release of endorphins (natural painkillers made in the brain) and increases blood circulation, accelerating the repair and recovery of the muscles. It is quite popular among MMA fighters as a recovery tool.

2) Herbal supplements: nature painkillers (but less frightening)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uq_7gm6zqk

What do herbs such as turmeric, ginger and arnica have in common? They are not only spices, they are supported by research to reduce inflammation, facilitate pain and support muscle recovery.

• Turmeric: Curcumin, the compound active in turmeric, is a powerful anti -inflammatory agent. A study conducted by Harvard Health He revealed that he was comparable to bench painkillers for joint pain. Add some to some of your post-training meals to enjoy their benefits.
• Ginger: Maintain the pain in the delayed onset muscles to a minimum, drinking ginger tea with your post-workout meal. Research It shows that ginger can reduce Dom up to 25%.
• Arnica: This gel helps with bruises to collect fighters during training. Rub some in tender points after exhausting sparring sessions. Arnica should be used topically as ingestion can be harmful. The chemicals active in Arnica help reduce pain, decrease swelling and act as antibiotics.

3) Massage therapy: because the muscles deserve a holiday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zomtxgovdrg

Intense training sessions often cause usury on muscle fibers, which reconstructed stronger during recovery. This is where massage therapy comes into play; It helps to accelerate the recovery process from:

• Break the scar tissue: Deep fabric massage help to break the scar tissue in the muscles, improving flexibility.
• Increases lymphatic drainage: Massages help to eliminate metabolic waste such as lactic acid after training.
• Reduces cortisol levels: Massages help to relax the muscles, dropping cortisol levels.

The most popular types of massages between the combat sports athletes include:

• Sports massage: This type of massage focuses on the attachment of the areas subject to tension, making them ideal for preparing your body for competitions.
• Thai massage: Thai massages combine stretching and fasting techniques to relax muscle fabrics and improve circulation.
• Cup therapy: Cup therapy lets you look like an alien attached your back, but it is known to improve blood flow to the painful muscles. “It has become quite popular among the mixed martial artists in recent years, as it is common to see fighters with cup signs on the back. Some famous fighters who have used cuping therapy include Anthony Joshua and Conor McGregor.
• Massage tools: Recovery tools such as massage guns, bearings, foam chairs and rollers help recovery, especially if combined with monthly professional massages.

4) Sleep: The Original Recovery Hack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csidywkmuse

Get quality sleep regularly remains the most effective recovery hack. Traditional cultures have understood the importance of rest – ayurvedic thoughts of sleep rituals – and modern fighters use devices as sleep tracker to evaluate the quantity of rapid sleep of the eye movement (Rem).

The simple things you can do to improve the quality of sleep include:

• Lowered before bedtime: Abandon anything with an electronic screen at least an hour before bedtime. Do something else, like reading a book while listening to relaxing music.
• Take the Pisolini: A nap 20 to 30 minutes after training can help reduce fatigue.
• The temperature matters: Keep your room about 18 ° C to help you fall asleep. Studies show that most people sleep better at colder temperatures.

5) Contrast therapy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecqsbtdu004

The contrast therapy has been in circulation since the Romans built the lifeguards everywhere. The idea behind the contrast therapy is to spend some time at an extreme temperature and move quickly to the opposite extreme, shocking your body.

Modern fighters often use ice baths and saunas for contrast therapy; You just need a shower with heated water. Try spending from five to ten minutes to each extreme.

Research shows that contrast therapy helps to reduce muscle fatigue, pain, accumulation of lactic acid and inflammation after intense exercise. It also helps to increase the functional mobility of the joints.

Contrast therapy triggers the responses of your body to heat and cold. The heat causes the expansion of the blood vessels, improving circulation, while the cold narrows them. Going back and forth between the two reduces inflammation, which, in turn, reduces muscle pain while improving mobility. It is also known that contrast therapy increases the oxygenation of the fabrics.

Giving priority to recovery allows you to get more from your training

The supplementary recovery does not concern the abandonment of modern recovery tools in favor of the most recent ones. It is about taking advantage of any recovery tool you have access to. The supplementary recovery will allow you to train more, heal faster and have more than enough energy for other aspects of your life.

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