Experience the benefits of active regeneration and improve your performance! (part I.)

Whether you are a top or recreational athlete, you should not forget about proper regeneration. Athletes often don't take regeneration seriously, either because their career or season doesn't give them a choice, or simply because the exercise or sport they do is so fun that they don't realize how important an aspect is. However, this excessive burden will sooner or later take its toll - it can be an injury, overtraining, exhaustion and even a reluctance to train. Like training or nutrition, regeneration procedures are evolving. Today, it is no longer about sitting the whole day on your ass, even today it is perhaps the least useful approach.

In order to feel the regeneration process, we first need to go through physical exertion. During exercise, microscopic cracks occur in the muscle fibres, which subsequently regenerate, making the muscles grow larger and stronger. And it is the renewal that allows them to manage other trainings more easily. This process also involves the development of minor inflammations. Furthermore, energy resources are drawn and thanks to that we feel tired after training. Optimal regeneration is a necessity of every sports person who wants a certain performance on his body. However, during the regeneration process, not only the physical strength but also the psyche is restored, hormonal balance is restored and the nervous system is relaxed.

WHAT OPTIONS DO WE HAVE TO REGENERATE?

There are a number of popular methods used by athletes to improve recovery. How many days a week you need to take a break is purely subjective. The answer depends on many factors, such as sleep, age, training load, training intensity, fitness level and other external stressors that can affect the athlete. For professional athletes, the equipment of their club, or trained staff and its level also play a role. The ego also plays a role, because a bunch of especially beginning exercisers have set in their heads that the more they train, the more muscles they will have. When your body begs for rest, allow it. During rest days, you should pay the most attention to getting enough sleep. We also distinguish two basic types of regeneration - active and passive. And we can use various techniques for regeneration - among the most popular and most used are

- hydrotherapy

- active regeneration

- stretching

- yoga

- compensatory exercise

- massage

- sleep

- nutrition

WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE ACTIVE REGENERATION?

Active regeneration generally consists of aerobic exercise, which can be done in lots of variations, such as cycling, walking, or swimming. Active regeneration is often considered a better way for

quality regeneration than passive regeneration. This is due to the fact that during active movement (albeit undemanding) there is an increase in blood flow to the used muscles, which results in faster removal of accumulated lactate and other metabolic waste products by increasing oxygen supply. Active regeneration usually takes place through low-intensity activities, but high enough (about 60-70% of maximum heart rate) to wash away lactate and other undesirable substances that are responsible for muscle pain and fatigue. Active rest plays a major role in minimizing the delayed onset of muscle pain called DOMS.

Muscle pain is caused by accumulated lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid molecules break down in the blood to form hydrogen ions, which lower the blood's pH - which in turn causes something called metabolic acidosis, which leads to the pain you feel during exercise and subsequently in DOMS. And that's where active rest comes into play, as it can help "cleanse" this lactic acid by increasing the metabolic rate that generates oxidation of lactate. That's why relaxation after a strenuous workout using some lightweight technique, such as pedalling combined with mobility, is so valuable in reducing the effects of DOMS and enabling performance at similarly high levels throughout the week.

However, lactate washout is not the only benefit of active rest. Another benefit is improved mobility, which can falter a bit, especially for strength athletes. If we choose suitable activities, we can work very effectively during the active regeneration to increase mobility and flexibility. Not only will this help us feel better, but choosing the right exercises can also improve our overall quality of movement and mobility.

And last but not least, active rest has a positive effect on strengthening your fitness. Aerobic exercise may not be favourite in your training plan, but it does play a vital role, especially if you want to train often and intensely. Aerobic activities facilitate regeneration at the level of the muscular and nervous systems. There is a close connection between the aerobic system and the parasympathetic nervous system, so the inclusion of active rest can also play a major role in influencing the nervous system.

You don't just have to use aerobic activities for active regeneration. You can go to the gym for a lighter workout and work out a circuit with minimal or ideally no load at all. A key factor in training as active rest is the fact that it must be of limited intensity. It is therefore ideal to use your own weight, light dumbbells or, for example, resistance rubbers. Use complex rather than isolated exercises. Choose exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups and so on. Such exercises stimulate blood circulation and oxygen circulation, but they also help eliminate stiffness and muscle pain, so you can return to intense training much faster.