Post Marathon Recovery

You may or may not FEEL sore or tired, but there is much going on physiologically.

“There are many muscle breakdown byproducts in the blood that will certainly be elevated for at least a week and may still be higher than normal up to four weeks after an event like a marathon,” she says.

“That’s a reason to take it easy. You want to flush all the chemical effects of that long race out of your body. That includes lactic acid, creatine kinase, and other things that are elevated after a marathon.”

Put simply, your body is “out of whack” after a marathon, Dr. Gardner adds.

“It’s compromised and needs time to get over that trauma. As your body is flushing these enzymes out, your muscles aren’t working as well as they normally would, and you therefore can’t recover from workouts as quickly, which puts you at risk for injury,” she says.

whether your goal is to get back to your daily running/training schedule or to race again soon,

Active participation in specific recovery practices ensures your body bounces back quicker, so follow these tips to get back to flight.

ReFuel Immediately.

Replenish nutrients and hydration. Dr. Gardner says, "This is a continuous process over at least the next several days,” she says. “You also want to make sure you get a healthy mix of carbohydrates and protein as you will need both to repair your muscles.”

Get in an ICE BATH.

Normally I would not recommend during training too often due to the dampening of the inflammatory process that we want as part of the adaptation process, after a marathon, in hopes of recovery faster (whatever your motivation is) icing may help you to feel better so you can do light activity for blood flow and not get super stiff.

COMPRESSION SLEEVES, Percussion Therapy, Dry Needling.

Get as much blood flow as you have time for. If you can get in a pair of Normatec Sleeves every day for 20 plus minutes, that is ideal. Many chiro offices provide this service. Emerge Fitness also provides this service. Reach out 314-412-5517 to schedule an appointment.

SLEEP.

This is where we repair our torn down muscles and get those cortisol levels (stress hormones) turned off. Our bodies produce human growth hormone and grow stronger from all the hard work we have done. This is why you read about elite marathon runners often reporting sleeping 10 plus hours a night then augmenting that with a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoons between 2 runs a day. They know that nutrition and sleep will help them replenish and get ready for another session of break down.

Break from Running

I advise taking 5-7 days off completely. Walking on day 3 is fine for blood flow. Also, "Swimming is one option, Dr. Gardner adds. “There’s no impact because you are floating,” she says. “But you are contracting your muscles, which helps blood to circulate. Biking is another good activity.”

Don't Just Sit Though

Gentle stretch, mobility, no hard massages or foam roll- think gentle for blood flow while your tissues repair. “Doing absolutely nothing after a marathon isn’t the answer either,” Dr. Hanke says. “It’s a good idea to rest but also to do some low-impact cross-training. That could be an elliptical machine, a bike, swimming, stretching, or yoga. The idea is to find something that isn’t impacting your joints. When you run, your body weight rests entirely on your legs, which puts a lot of stress on your body.”

Running Again.

Reintroduce running gradually and stay in tune with your body - everybody is different in the level of muscle break down on any given marathon event. So, take it easy and shorter than a typical run for the first couple runs. Then, after 2-4 days with adequate recovery between runs, you may introduce a more typical run. I would not advise any run for a "training effect" 2 weeks pots marathon- THINK- joint health, loading the musculoskeletal system progressively again, and neurological function.

Lifting Weights

It is ok to add in a routine again during week 2 or 3. BUT, no lifting for hypertrophy or muscle break down. Lift for neurological function, core strength and stability along with some good fresh blood flow. Reintroduce a more intense weight routine post 4 weeks of marathon racing.