Focus on the “Recovery Pyramid”

Physical recovery is fundamental to everyone’s physical and mental well-being.

It receives particular attention in sport, especially elite sport, where it is considered as important as training for long-term performance and limiting the risk of injury.

Despite all the scientific studies on the subject, many people are still unaware that effective recovery is based on simple but essential complementary physiological principles.

So which one are they?

The NSCA’S (National Strength and Conditioning Association) has created a ‘Recovery Pyramid’ to illustrate the key recovery strategies that should be adopted:

Photo Credit: @YLMSportScience

Solid foundations: illustrated by the first two floors, which include:

Quality sleep (at least 8 hours a night) and relaxation ,
A balanced diet,
Regular hydration…

These are the undeniable pillars of good recovery. These fundamentals have a massive impact on your recovery and performance and must be properly managed.✅

Complementary strategies: illustrated by the following three stages and including:

Immersion cryotherapy and contrasting recovery using high performance solutions such as those offered by Cryo Control ❄️
Active recovery, such as stretching or exercise,
Therapeutic massage or self-massage…

These strategies complement and improve recovery, but in no way compensate for the shortcomings of the first stage.✅

The top of the pyramid: illustrated by the two upper levels.

There are few studies and research that prove the real benefits of these tools. So whether they are short-lived marketing trends or proven benefits, opinions differ… You be the judge…