Recovery Fundamentals: Sleep, Training and Nutrition

Training sets the challenge; the hours and days between sessions are when you get ready for the next one. Recovery rests on three everyday pillars: sleep, a sensible training load and good nutrition. None of them needs special equipment, and together they matter more than any single product.

Key points

• Many athletes sleep less than they need. An expert consensus recommends an individual approach to sleep rather than one fixed number of hours (Walsh et al., 2020).
• Plan training so that harder sessions are followed by easier days, and adjust when signs of fatigue build up.
• Sports nutrition guidance sets out the type, amount and timing of food and fluids for different training situations (Thomas et al., 2016).
• For most exercising people, the ISSN recommends a daily protein intake of about 1.4–2.0 g per kg of body weight, spread across the day (Jäger et al., 2017).
• Food supplements cannot replace sleep, sensible training and a varied diet.

Sleep

A 2021 expert consensus on sleep and the athlete notes that elite athletes are particularly likely to sleep too little, typically less than seven hours a night, and to have poor-quality, fragmented sleep. Athletic performance is reduced by a night or more without sleep; the effect of a few nights of shortened sleep is less clear. In the wider population, habitually sleeping less than seven hours a night has been linked with greater susceptibility to respiratory infections (Walsh et al., 2020).

The authors caution that a one-size-fits-all recommendation such as 7–9 hours a night is unlikely to suit every athlete, and recommend an individual approach that takes each athlete's own sleep needs into account, supported by sleep education and screening for sleep problems (Walsh et al., 2020).

Simple sleep habits

• Keep regular bedtimes and wake-up times, including at weekends where possible.
• Make the bedroom dark, quiet and comfortably cool.
• Give yourself time to wind down after late training sessions, and limit screens before bed.
• Notice how caffeine late in the day affects your sleep, and adjust when you have it.
• Plan ahead for early sessions, competitions and travel, which often cut sleep short.
• If you snore heavily, often wake unrefreshed or struggle to sleep for weeks, speak to a doctor.

Training load and rest

Progress comes from training that is challenging enough to drive adaptation, followed by enough recovery to absorb it. In practice:

• Alternate hard and easy. Follow demanding sessions with lighter ones or rest days instead of stacking several hard days in a row.
• Increase gradually. Raise training volume or intensity step by step, not all at once.
• Plan lighter weeks. Many training plans include easier weeks at regular intervals.
• Watch the signs. Persistent tiredness, falling performance, poor sleep, low motivation or soreness that does not settle are signs to ease off. If they persist despite rest, seek advice from a doctor or qualified coach.

Nutrition

The joint position statement of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine states that performance in, and recovery from, sport are enhanced by well-chosen nutrition strategies, and gives guidelines on the type, amount and timing of food, fluids and supplements for different training and competition situations. It also recommends that athletes see a registered dietitian or nutritionist for a personalised plan (Thomas et al., 2016).

Protein

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand on protein and exercise concludes that a daily protein intake of about 1.4–2.0 g per kg of body weight is sufficient for most exercising individuals. It suggests doses of about 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kg of body weight, or 20–40 g, ideally spread evenly every 3–4 hours across the day (Jäger et al., 2017). Meals built around foods such as dairy, eggs, fish, meat, legumes and soy can provide this.

In the EU, authorised health claims state that protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass and to the maintenance of muscle mass (Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012).

Carbohydrate and overall energy

Carbohydrate is a main fuel for intense and prolonged training, and needs rise with training volume and intensity. Eating enough overall matters as much as any single nutrient: regular meals that match your training load help you arrive ready for the next session. The joint position statement gives detailed guidance on carbohydrate amounts and timing for different training loads (Thomas et al., 2016).

Fluids

Replacing the fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat is part of recovery. Our guide to electrolytes and hydration explains how to estimate your own sweat losses.

Where supplements fit

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you use creatine, our guide to understanding creatine explains what the EU-authorised claims say and what to check on a label.

A weekly recovery check

• Did I sleep at regular times, and do I wake up feeling reasonably refreshed?
• Did harder sessions alternate with easier days or rest?
• Did I eat regular meals that matched my training, with protein spread across the day?
• Did I replace fluids after training, especially in the heat?
• Are performance, mood and energy stable or improving? If not, what should I change next week?

References

1. Walsh NP, Halson SL, Sargent C, et al. Sleep and the athlete: narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recommendations. Br J Sports Med. Published online 3 November 2020. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-102025
2. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):543–568. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852
3. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
4. Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods (consolidated version). EUR-Lex

This article is general information and is not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medication, speak to a healthcare professional before changing your diet, training or use of food supplements.