Simple Recovery Guide

by Flosha, 16.-17.04.2025

In order to recover the best from our training (apart from not training too much too soon or overloading too suddenly) we have to keep our sleep, hydration and nutrition in check. As athletes we need to get specific things (often more than non-athletes) and avoid others (preferably more strictly than non-athletes).
Also there are a few habits and, as far as needed, supplements, that can boost the immune system. In simple terms we can say, we can say: The “healthier” we are and the better our immune system works, the better we will recover from our training.

1. Breathing: To breath well and to improve ones breathing may be the most important and yet the most overlooked factor in health and recovery. There are several defective breathing patterns, which can and should be worked on and which are often not recognised. Breathing is an important factor in cardio-vascular health and endurance as well as in managing tension during performance. By improving cardio-vascular endurance (which, in parts, involves the improvement of breathing) our recovery and overall fitness can also be improved immensely. Since there is no room here to elaborate on cardio training, we will dedicate a future article to this topic.
2. Sleep: We need to sleep to recover. Sleep is of the utmost importance for recovery. We should aim to get enough sleep (quantity) as well as improve sleep quality. Quantity-wise we aim for 7 to 9 hours. 7 hours are the minimum in most cases while athletes due to their high levels of activity and stress may often need (or at least have advantages by) 9 or more hours to properly recover. To improve our sleep there are simple rules of sleep hygiene:
   1. Fixed wake-up time: We should try to have a fixed wake-up time everyday, at weekdays the same as on weekends, which will also define the time we go to sleep in order to meet our target of 7-9 hours of sleep.
   2. Fixed bed-time: We should have a fixed bed-time in order to be able to reach our sleep target when waking up at our consistent wake-up time. We may at least try to go to bed before 10pm. When it is time to sleep we may consider it the highest priority; everything else is less important and can wait till we recovered through the night. One reason to do so may be: Because whatever has to be done will be done better when fully recovered.
   3. Device-Free Time-Window: We may introduce a strict 30-60 minute time window before going to bed without using any electronic devices. We may not allow our phone in or close our bed and give it a place elsewhere. In this time we may also dim or remove electronic lights to prepare our mind for sleep. If we can, we can block the lights from outside as much as possible during the night. Closing the curtains, using extra dark curtains that block light effectively, wearing a sleep mask when sleeping elsewhere and so on. We can also use this 30-60 min time window to do diverse device-free, relaxing activities or follow some kind of a routine. All of this can help to relax more, prepare us for sleep physically and mentally and when we can relax better and calm our brain down, it will have positive effects on recovery. The before mentioned measures surely aren’t necessary, but in some cases they can improve our sleep quality immensely over time, since modern life changes (often negatively) diverse conditions, that influence our hormones, rhythms and cycles.
   4. Room: We should keep it warm enough but not too warm in the room we sleep in. Also trying to reduce distractions. The before-mentioned device-free time window can for instance help us to get all kinds of things done in the household which are otherwise often kept undone. This can result in a feeling of accomplishment and we can thereby create a better, more calm and clean and less distracting sleep environment, which again can improve our sleep. We also should ventilate before going to bed to have fresh air in the room if we do not have a system in place that lets this happen automatically.
   5. Daily Activities: Sleep is also improved by daily exercise and exposure to sun light. So if we are training in the hall all day and otherwise work inside, we may at least use some time inbetween these activities to walk by foot in daylight between our destinations. Walking regularly and for longer distances is one of the most important human activities and movement patterns which can both heal diverse minor issues as well as serve well as a pre-warm up that can reduce the required warm-up time and can become an important factor in injury prevention compared to just driving everywhere by car and then jumping right into strenuous activity.
3. Hydration: We should not forget to drink enough water. Just clean water. It is important in douzens of ways. For our muscles, for our brain, for injury prevention etc.
4. Nutrition: To nourish our body for acrobatics, we have to give our body enough energy. In a sports like acro we have to have access to energy fast and replenish this energy if exhausted in training; therefore carbo-hydrates serve us best (such as rice or oats or millet, properly made sourdough bread or fruit). If we feel exhausted during training we may not have given our body enough energy beforehand. So we should make it a priority to do so. Without energy no training. In the acute case of a sudden energy-deficency we may drink or eat something that gives us energy fast (such as dates or grapes, which would be preferred over jelly beans, honey or drinks with sugar). Other than that sports acro is very strength-focused. In order to become strong (apart from all its other essential functions) we have to get enough protein (plant-based sources would be diverse lentils, beans or nuts and nut-butter (preferably without any oil, sugar and other additives)). Some fats are essential and absolutely necessary, therefore we should get some fat too (like olive oil, joghurt, cheese, butter, lineseed oil, coconut oil, seeds and nuts), but not too much and preferably not immediately before or during training, as it may let one feel sluggish. Therefore we should plan (if anything is planned at all) protein and carbs first and add the necessary fat in well-dosed ways. To get enough vitamins and minerals and for digestion it is crucial to eat enough vegetables, preferably from different colours (as they contain different nutrients) and especially so leafy greens, about 300-400g a day. If we want to eat healthy, nutritious food, we should avoid eating junk food and avoid eating outside, instead prepare our food ourselves in order to control all the ingrediences and to know what we are putting into our body. If we do so consistently we may have no need to count calories as we can control our weight easily by our food selection and the rough sizes of portions. If we follow this advice we do more things right than most and have done more for our recovery than any supplement can do.
   1. Supplementation: To additionally assist our training and health after having met the targets above, it can be reasonable to take some supplements that are highly recommended in our time, partially due to changed ecological conditions or due to specific geographical conditions (depending on where we live), due to the decreased nutritional value of modern food and/or simply due to increased needs of our bodies in a strenuous sport:
      1. A protein powder w/o any additives, such as a rice/pea mix, if we cannot easily meet our protein targets with food. It makes life easier and we don’t have to eat as much, if that is a concern, depending on our situation.
      2. Vitamin C + Zinc: ~250mg Vit C and ~20-40mg Zinc in the morning e.g. with the protein shake (many males are deficient and athletes need more).
      3. Vitamin D3, 1000-2000IU, as most people don’t get enough exposure to sun light.
      4. Magnesium: ~500g of Citrate or Gluconate (no Oxide) before sleep (it’s a common deficiency and athletes need more).
      5. Creatine: ~0.1g per kg of body mass (seems to add some mass by improved muscle hydration which helps with injury prevention) and has diverse other proven positive effects for almost everybody, but only if taken very consistently.
      6. Collagen: 20-30g, in some cases seemed to help tremendously with tendon recovery/healing and joint health.
      7. DHA/EPA: ideally in form of clean algae oil (reduces inflammation, good for brain function, eyes etc.).
      8. A Multivitamine can be taken if for whatever reason the diet does not contain enough raw vegetables.
      9. Inulin can be very useful for the microbiom and digestion if the diet lacks fibre, such as, again, from vegetables and leafy greens.
   2. Avoid any intoxicants: No Alcohol, no smoking, no other drugs, including sugar. Pure Sugar is an intoxicant. It may have its place in situations where we need a lot of energy fast during training, but we should avoid it in other situations. Even then we could try to eat some dates, grapes and similar stuff instead of drinking or eating pure sugar. In general we may think about it as something we have to “deserve” through training and consume in fairly restricted amounts if needed by feeling.
   3. Caffeine and Theine can have positive effects on training, but will affect sleep and recovery negatively if drinking too much, too late and too regularly. In order to preserve the positive effects of caffeine or theine and to increase its effectiveness we must make sure to not drink any coffee/tea at all every now and then for a few days and reduce our caffeine/theine tolerance. Then will lower dosages suffice to help us feel awake and we will avoid negative effects by taking too much too regularly. For reasons of health and effect, theine may be preferred over caffeine for several reasons. Tea, especially green tea, comes with many other benefits. But it is important to choose well controlled, high quality tea, since tea can be contaminated in different ways depending on production processes. One should ask ones tea dealer for the contaminant loads in the tea and choose one that is regularly tested.
5. Inurement Methods: There are a few things we can do that have been proven to have positive effects on the body that are generally described to “inure” us. One of the easiest things that can be done is to shower cold, carefully and slowly increasing tolerance and time under cold water.

Nutrition for Bases vs. Tops

As a Base please note: If you need to gain weight and have to force yourself to eat and have a hard time gaining any weight, it may not feel natural at first to eat more than you are used to and you may wonder if it is healthy. Be aware that your perception of appetite and hunger may not work well due to lack of sensitivity. Many people have lost their sense of thirst simply due to some prolonged or recurrent period of ignoring it. They are often dehydrated and don’t recognise it. In the same way you may be underfueled and may not feel well but do not sense or recognise it as an energy- or nutrient-deficiency because of prolonged periods of fasting and/or irregular eating patterns in the past. Thus allow yourself to eat more (maybe not more in volume, but more frequently, like adding breakfast if you usually skip it), even if it feels like forcing at times in order to give your body the opportunity to re-adjust its sense of hunger. Compared to your top you just have to eat more. Both more carbs and more protein; otherwise the nutritional principles are the same.

As a Top trying to stay light and lean, please note: Staying light and lean is not the same as underfueling. You can stay light and lean and still give the body everything it needs and enjoy food. Just eat in moderation. If you feel constantly hungry it will negatively impact training and recovery and won’t serve anyone. The main problem is over-indulgence. There is nothing wrong in making it a principle to only eat until the hunger is gone, which most people do not seem to do. They almost always overeat. It can more easily be achieved by eating more slowly and may result in eating just 80% of how much you would eat otherwise if eating faster. Thereby you will not feel completely full. This simple principle combined with eating healthy food prepared at home, no junk, enough carbs in moderation and protein, a bit lower fat and enough vegetables, may already suffice to give you that light and lean body you strive for for performance as a top and still let you feel fine.

Due to the existing problem of eating disorders among tops their diet has to be approached in a sensitive manner. Proper nutrition of children depends on the cooperation and a sensitive approach of the parents; it must be avoided to make children responsible or to make remarks about their weight or eating habits. Instead the parents should be educated if they are willing to accept advise.

back to the top