Recovery, what your genes (are trying to) tell you

Genetic impact has been established to be ~50% heritable. Recovery is adaptation, or getting stronger…it’s well understood and yet under-executed. 

TLDR; Balance training load (exercise, stress of any kind) with recovery (i.e rehydrate, refuel, rebuild, rest) for GROWTH. Don’t forget about stabilizing the foundation - nutrition, sleep, stress

Just some of the signs to be mindful of are higher resting heart rate, higher blood pressure, increased muscle soreness, decreased motivation for activity. There needs to be a balance of training load and stress with recovery for reaction and growth, the magic sauce. To truly understand and monitor your recovery it involves perceptual and physiological factors with outside influences on these patterns. Genetics is one of these influences, involving post training inflammation and oxidative stress. Its foundation to replace the base of the recovery needs pyramid before adding “extras” at the top (infrared light, cryotherapy, massage). Nutrition, sleep, stress builds upon a training program that is balanced with recovery and adapting to the growth. 

If your genes point to low needs for recovery, you are less prone to post-training damage, and need less rest days. However, if you are very high or high *like me*. I have high recovery needs and am more prone to post-training damage. I listen to my body, decrease my intensity when needed. I make sure to have rest days and prioritize recovery strategies. Who’s with me? I'm working on adapting and growing physically too.

Ask me about some of the perceptual and physiological signs for monitoring your own recovery!