The Marketing of Sports Recovery for Everyday Athletes
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July 13, 2021 — Maybe it was Tom Bradyâs infrared pajamas, but for a lot of sports fans and weekend-warrior athletes, the moment when ârecoveryâ science reached head-scratching heights came with an Instagram post from Knicks forward Amarâe Stoudemire. He was soaking in a tub of red wine. The caption partly read, âRecovery Day! Red Wine Bath!! #Kinging.”
He said the wine (mixed with water) soothes his body and âcreates more circulation in my red blood cells.â And whoâs to say it doesnât?
But everyday runners, weightlifters, and other recreational athletes looking to elite ranks for recovery tips might do better with a little pocket-protecting skepticism. In the emerging art and science of exercise recovery, the sophisticated marketing techniques of a multibillion-dollar industry can leave you wondering: Will this really help me recover from workouts?
Could it give me a performance edge? Maybe prevent injury? In short: Maybe — but it depends.
Why Recovery Matters
In an earlier age, we were advised to exercise and eat well to achieve physical fitness, adjusting effort to reach certain goals.
But now, from the worlds of elite athletes, science, and marketing, the suggestions keep growing, often without reaching the level of blanket recommendation. That is, while one thing might help some people, it probably hasnât been proven to be effective across the board.
The process of recovery is important for active people because it lets your body rebuild itself after the stress of exercise and helps prevent injuries. It helps us avoid dangerous overtraining. Some studies link factors such as sleep with performance levels.
âThe recovery period is crucial to maximizing the healthy changes your body goes through in response to a workout,â according to The Mayo Clinic.
Proper recovery also helps make you stronger and faster.
“If the rate of recovery is appropriate, higher training volumes and intensities are possible without the detrimental effects of overtraining,” says Lance C. Dalleck with the American Council on Exercise.
From Water to Red Wine Baths
Hereâs a range of products and services, ranging from âsounds logicalâ to âOh, really?â
Hydration. We need water after exercise. But drinking too much water can be dangerous, although youâd have to go to extreme lengths to get there. Does this mean we need to guzzle Gatorade after every workout? Absolutely not.
Sleep. Professional athletes started talking about their sleep schedules a few years ago, proudly dedicating time to serious slumber along with training. Despite what you mightâve been told in high school PE, getting up early to train an extra hour might not be the best idea.
Warming up, stretching, and cooling down. Before and after exercise, attention to your muscles can improve mobility and decrease delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.
Rest days. These can include âactive restâ like yoga or light training.
Eating properly. Our bodies get most of the nutrients they need from a healthy diet, rendering most supplements unnecessary for most people. Pay attention to the levels of macronutrients youâre getting. (That means grams of fat, carbohydrates, and protein.) Avoid processed foods and sugar, which can contribute to muscle weakness and decreased cardiovascular endurance.
Foam rolling and massage. Some trainers and athletes swear these techniques help relieve DOMS and improve blood flow. The science is less clear. If it makes you feel good and doesnât hurt more than your wallet, then itâs up to you.
Cold therapy. This means exposing your body briefly to super-cold temperatures or immersing your body in cold water. It can relieve inflammation, but inflammation is a part of your bodyâs natural healing, and some experts say we generally shouldnât interrupt it.
Compression garments. Some people swear by them, and some claim they can improve blood flow deeper into muscles.
Red wine bath. See top of this story.
Infrared sleepwear. Tom Brady might be the NFLâs greatest quarterback ever, even now into his 40s. So, naturally, millions of people wonder what tips they can pick up from him. The GOATâs website says, âThis multi-tasking recovery apparel is infused with minerals that return infrared energy to your body and restore muscles faster.â The long-sleeve top goes for $90 for men.
How to Tell Whatâs What
Journalist Christie Aschwanden takes a skeptical approach to many such claims in her book, âGood To Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery.â
She says consumers should focus on the basics of self-care and be aware of the marketing that links celebrity privilege and corporate-driven research. If someone is recommending a product or service — and will make money from it — then thatâs a clue. And that can be said for everything from protein bars on up.
âPeople are looking for some magical trick that will make their lives perfect, and marketers are ready [to] capitalize on that and sell us the stuff that will make our lives better or our athletic performance better,â she says. âMost of them are a waste of money.â
âSleep is the No. 1 thing you can do to improve your recovery from exercise and athletic pursuits. But itâs not something that most people tend to prioritize.”
We donât need protein powder, supplements, or sugary sports drinks claiming to offer âelectrolytes,â which are just salts found in a healthy diet, she says.
Thereâs No âMagic Pillâ
Dalleck, who is also a professor of Exercise and Sport Science at Western Colorado University, , proposed âpurposeful trial and error.â The former college runner suggests each person needs to âfind out what works for youâ as far as rest and recovery go.
Experts also advocate stress management, progressive training, vigilance about overtraining, and planned relaxation, such as meditation or daily quiet time.
“Stress is everything,â says Brett Rosenberg, MD, an Atlanta orthopedic surgeon and sports physician. âStress and anxiety really debilitate people, and any way to counter that is fantastic for people who have pain due to anxiety or stress.”
So, while some might doubt the recovery power of, say, massage, Rosenberg says the healing human touch can alleviate pain and make people feel better. Whether it truly improves performance might not matter so much.
Jonathan Gelber, MD, a sports doctor, says he advises athlete-patients to âtrain smarter, not harder.”
To avoid overtraining — which can come when we work out too much without allowing recovery time — Gelber recommends having another hobby outside of sports. And keep a training log you can refer to as a document of your progressive training, for those days when you feel like youâre not doing enough.
If you find a tactic — say, cryogenics or cupping, which was popularized by Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps — that makes you feel better or gives you a psychological edge, then spend your money.
But for most people, he advocates rest, hydration, eating properly, and âlistening to your body and not your ego.â
âIf you can afford a bathtub full of red wine and you think that makes you a better professional athlete, then itâs probably a solid investment. But you do definitely scratch your head at some of these things,â Gelber says. âIf there was a magic pill, weâd all be taking it.â
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