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After a tough workout, athletes who don't sit much recover faster
Athletes who sit for relatively few hours after heavy training recover faster than athletes who spend relatively many hours sitting. But before we claim that we have discovered a new recovery strategy, we would like to know what exactly is 'cause' here - and what is 'effect'.
Study
Physiologists from California State University Fullerton had nine physically active students train their legs with an intensity that makes severe and long-lasting muscle pain inevitable. During the days after the session, the subjects kept careful track of how often they sat and what they ate. The researchers also monitored the test subjects' blood.
Results
In the days after the session, the concentration of creatine kinase and myoglobin in the blood increased. These are classic markers for muscle damage.
Click on the tables below for a larger version.
Mechanism
The increase in muscle damage markers was greater as the subjects spent more hours sitting after the session. The table above tells us that. The table also shows that the intake of carbohydrates and proteins had no influence.
Conclusion
"Minimizing extended periods of sitting throughout the day may be beneficial for reducing recovery time after a strenuous exercise protocol", summarize the Americans.
We ourselves, the rather dim-witted compilers of this free magazine, are not yet convinced. Is it possible that the subjects who sat less simply had less muscle pain? Maybe because they suffered less muscle damage from their workout?
We think back with nostalgia to times gone by, when scientists still published old-fashioned RCTs.
Source:
J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2024 Jan 29;9(1):24.
More:
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Microwaves speed up muscle recovery after strength training 07.05.2015
Stressed out strength athletes take longer to recover post-workout 05.08.2014
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