Recovering from a massive training session is not always technical. When it comes to nutrition, hydration and warm down, there are rules you can follow but, ultimately it’s about getting to know your own body and what works for you.
However, there is tech out there that can help you take your recovery - and performance - to the next level. After each training session you want to optimise the way your muscles grow and repair so you can be ready to hit the ground running next time you train - and if you’re still sticking to simple stretches and foam rollers, you are missing out. Here are some of the best tools that can level up your recovery.
Percussive Therapy
Why it works
Percussive massage is not something you’re likely to find at a spa day. It’s a serious technique that provides rapid bursts of pressure to the muscle. Athletes love it because it speeds up muscle growth and repair by stimulating blood flow to the muscles that need it the most - meaning they can keep their progress moving on up. This form of massage has a long list of benefits including:
- Breaking down scar tissue after injury, easing stiff joints and increasing range of movement.
- It also helps to elongate muscle fiber and relax fascia.
- It also helps reduce DOMS quickly
- Reduces pain by disrupting the nerve signals to the brain that cause that post-race burn.
- Allows you target a specific set of muscles and work on them as much as needed
The tech
Sports masseurs traditionally use a series of light strokes to give this effect, but when it comes to percussive therapy, nothing does it quite like a massage gun. They can work faster, harder and - unlike sports massage or manual myofascial release tools, like foam rollers - they can hyper-target a specific area.
Another huge benefit is that athletes can take full control over their recovery - with different heads for different niche issues - and means they can optimise their recovery in the comfort of their own home.
If you’re looking for real power, nothing matches the MyoPro - which penetrates 70% deeper into the muscles than other percussive massage tools on the market. For a slightly lighter pressure, and if you’re after something you can use on the go, the compact MyoLite is the perfect addition to a big training session kit.
