Tracking Recovery Components for Athletes

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Tracking Recovery Components for Athletes

• Vitawolf Nutrition

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• A lot of the time what separates the top athletes
  from a podium spot is their ability to recover.
  The faster and better an athlete recovers then
  the more they will be able to do in competition.
  Now recovery is a large topic that should be
  addressed in many ways, in this article we are
  going to address 10 components you should be
  keeping track. They are important to know how
  much and how hard you should be training to
  optimally recover.

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The following 10 components should be measured
every morning before starting the day.

• Each component is allowed to fall into a certain
  range, when a component is out of range we will
  call it a negative and it will affect your total
  score by -10. Athletes who are in the green,
  score of 80 - 100 should follow their program
  to the best of their ability and effort. Athletes
  who are in the yellow, score of 60 - 70 should
  be wary of over-training or the current ability
  of their body to recover from the previous
  training session. Athletes in the red, score of
  50 should take a rest day as the training may be
  counterproductive toward their progress.
• 1. Resting Heart Rate (/- 5)
• -10 added to score if heart rate is within 5 of
  the normal range when athletes first wakes up in
  the morning
• 2. Weight (/- 2)
• -10 added to score if body weight is within 2
  of the normal range in the morning
• 3. Urine (Dark, Yellow, Pale Clear Yellow) i.
  first urine in the morning
• -10 added to score if urine is Pale Clear Yellow
• 4. Sleep Hours (8)
• -10 added to score if athlete slept 8 hours
  within last 24 hours

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5. Sleep Quality (Deep, Occasional Toss,
Restless) Naps -10 added to score if athlete
had a deep sleep 6. Appetite (Very Hungry,
Hungry, Not Hungry) -10 added to score if
athlete is hungry in the morning 7. Mood (Good,
Normal, Bad) -10 added to score if athlete is in
a normal or good mood 8. Immune System
Status -10 added to score if athlete has no
extra symptoms i.e. cough, sore throat, 9.
Soreness (Not Sore, Sore, Very Sore) -10 added
to score if athlete is not sore or mildly
sore 10. Previous Day's Performance (Good,
Normal, Bad) -10 added to score if athlete's
previous day performance was normal or good
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What Different Factors May Mean

• Please Note When this article uses the word
  "over-trained," it is not meant to imply a bad
  training session. It simply means the body has
  been pushed passed its' normal limits to the
  point that extra effort or time may need to be
  taken for recovery. The better and faster an
  athlete recovers, the more efficient each
  training session will be.
• Heart Rate - A high heart rate may mean the body
  was over-worked the day before
• Weight - A low body weight may mean the athlete
  is dehydrated A high body weight may mean the
  athlete is bloated from over-training
• Urine - Dark urine means the athlete is
  dehydrated Clear urine means that athlete is
  over-hydrated
• Sleep Quality Hours - An athlete who suffered
  from insufficient sleep may nap during the day to
  make up for some of the lost rest
• Appetite - Not hungry may mean the athlete has
  over-trained the day before and the body is busy
  focused on recovering
• Mood - Bad mood may be an effect of over-training
• Soreness - Very sore after even moving around in
  the morning may mean the body needs extra
  recovery work
• Previous Day Performance - Bad previous day
  performance may be a clue that something is off,
  especially if other factors or not normal