20/11/2015
The Recovery Principle
The natural biology of most living organisms is centred around the processes known as metabolism. Metabolism is the machinery of breaking down living tissues (called catabolism) and subsequently building up those tissues (called anabolism) to maintain life. There is a natural balance between catabolism and anabolism controlled by a mysterious biological intelligence known as homeostasis. Without homeostasis the organism suffers, surviving in a sub-optimal condition and becoming unwell or dying.
A second important biological principle is called adaptation. This is the remarkable ability of an organism to respond to the changing conditions of its environment, adjust metabolism and consequently maintain homeostasis. For example, if we get too hot, our body sweats cooling us down and bringing down our body temperature and keeping it at the set point of 37 degrees Celsius. The human organism is highly adaptable given favourable conditions. This forms the basis of the third principle; biological resources.
Biological resources represent the vital conditions required for an organism to maintain homeostasis. This principle considers the importance of biologic energy. All biology is driven by energy. An organism must produce energy and ultimately this energy is derived from the environment. For plants the energy is sunlight and for humans the energy is derived from nutrition.
Knowing these three biological principles establishes the basis of the Recovery Principle which is defined as the enhancement of homeostasis by the optimization of biological resources.
In essence this principle clarifies the strategy that is central to health because health depends on homeostasis. In other words, recovery is the process of returning to homeostasis. This equate to a good balance between catabolism and anabolism. Now apply this principle to the example of athlete recovery.
Athlete recovery is the process of maintaining homeostasis by facilitating anabolism. In other words, supporting the process of rebuilding the body after the body has been subjected to catabolic pressures. These catabolic pressures include such activities as athletic training, competition and stress. Therefore, to improve recovery it is helpful to support anabolism and to avoid or negate any catabolic influence.
The process of athletic recovery is very individual. In other words, it is not possible to prescribe a ‘one-fits-all’ approach. Each athlete is unique and the best recovery strategy must account for multiple changing variables. Furthermore, a recovery strategy is dynamic, meaning the strategy may vary constantly depending on these multiple variables. The variables are endogenous biologic (internal physiology), exogenous (external environmental) and behavioural (the individual’s psychology and behaviour). If we want to develop the best recovery strategy for an individual athlete, is necessary to optimize conditions for each variable.
Endogenous physiologic variables include; neuro-endocrine, nutritional, inflammatory, and circulatory. Exogenous variables include; temperature (heat/cold), pressure (massage, compression) and sensory (environmental conditions e.g. noise, travel). Behavioural variables include; activity (movement/rest), sleep (volume/quality), hydration (volume/quality), mobilization (stretching) and mental processing (patterns of positive/negative thinking).
By addressing an athlete’s recovery process and optimizing the conditions for each variable it is expected that this would result in an increase in anabolism. To support this hypothesis a measure is needed to provide empirical evidence. Increased anabolism and improved recovery would be reflected by several measurable outcomes. These include; increased muscle/fat ratio, increased fitness (VO2max/beep test/heart rate), decreased recovery time between exercise sessions, positive perception of recovery, decreased Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and improved performance (improved personal best).
The challenge of athlete recovery centres on evaluating the variables that impact on the individual’s metabolic process, then optimizing conditions that enhance anabolism and negate catabolism. This can be monitored by measuring outcomes that reflect anabolic dominance. Therefore, a well designed recovery strategy can assist the athlete in speeding progress towards their goals.
Stephen John Walters
