It’s Transition Week! AKA a week between training cycles intended to allow time for our bodies to recover from the previous cycle. You will notice that loads are lighter than usual, intensity should be dialed back and we are focusing on different energy systems to give our central nervous system a break.
As an athlete, it’s important to recognize that ‘Transition Week’ is only a piece of the recovery puzzle. While we generally think that we are building hard earned muscles inside the box, the reality is the process of muscle recovery and muscle building occurs between the time you’ve left the box and the time you return. It is imperative that you have a strong recovery plan in place, through the form of supplementation, food and rest.
While food should always be your primary source for nutrients, supplements play an important part in providing the right building blocks for muscle repair and growth due to their fast rate of absorption. We personally take Fish Oil, Magnesium and Vitamin D daily to aid in our recovery. Together these supplements do everything from maintaining heart health and immune function to reducing fatigue. Here’s a run down of each of them:
OMEGA 3s (FISH OIL)
Fish oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids which offer numerous health benefits including keeping your heart, brain and eyes in good working order. Most importantly, fish oil decreases inflammation in the muscle and enhances body composition. Inflammation in the body is not only damaging for ones health, but severely impacts your ability to recover, lose fat and build muscle. By getting the optimal percentage of your dietary fat from fish oil, you will reduce muscle inflammation and improve oxygen delivery, allowing your muscles to recover faster.
MAGNESIUM (with ZINC AND VITAMIN B6)
Not only will magnesium allow you to sleep like a baby through its ability to relax muscles, but it is another critical supplement to help speed up recovery. Incorporating magnesium into your diet will help you improve muscle function, maintain electrolyte balance and reduce fatigue. Combining magnesium with zinc and vitamin B6 will have an even greater reaction in the body, as they have extremely high immune system values.
VITAMIN D3
While we naturally get Vitamin D from the sun, 57% of the American adult population is deficient. Vitamin D is involved in so many physiological functions and maintains our health in so many different ways that, once you start to count its benefits, you might begin to wonder if there’s anything this vitamin doesn’t do. It helps us absorb calcium – which, in turn, affects bone development and growth, nerve signaling, immune function, blood pressure, and even muscle strength and mass, especially as we get older.
Take some time this week to reflect on your recovery plan. Are you getting adequate sleep, proper nutrition and supplementation to support your body’s recovery? If you are interested in adding these supplements into your recovery plan, let us know! We stock Puori and SFH supplements. We personally prefer the 30-day supply packs of O3, M3 & D3 from Puori simply for the convenience factor!