How do you Recover from a Marathon?

Isabel del Barrio 7 min. of reading Running Leave a comment

The topic we’re going to delve into today: Marathon Recovery – What should we do after we cross the finish line and in the days following the race?

In previous articles, we’ve addressed in detail how to prepare, from the point of view of training and nutrition, for a marathon and/or long-distance test.

So, I run a marathon… but what happens next?

How do we recover?
When should we start training again and how?
What should the nutrition and supplementation plan be like?

Index

1 What happens to my body when I run a marathon?
2 What should you do just after finishing?
3 What to eat and drink after a marathon
4 The importance of rest
5 Other recommendations

What happens to my body when I run a marathon?

In long distance tests, we put all our organic systems to work at maximum performance, and everything is negatively affected after an endurance test: the physiological, muscular, tissue, cardiac, immune system, gastrointestinal system….

The amount of waste produced by all that activity must be eliminated and we have to give time and care to the body to restore its balance.

This takes time.

So, even if it’s 3 days since you’ve crossed your marathon finishing line and you’re feeling good, your system still needs a number of days to eliminate and restore balance.

In fact, if you were to perform an analysis at the end of a long-distance test, any doctor, if they didn’t know, would send us to the emergency room after the data they’re seeing.

What happens to the musculoskeletal system?

After a marathon or long-distance test, there’s going to be muscle damage (small fibrillary micro-breaks) as a result of the tension the body has been subjected to, the impact on joints, the muscle tension, the intensity of the exercise.

In addition, from the point of view of energy resources, the muscle has been emptied of its deposits of muscle glycogen, its main source of energy, which needs to be replaced after the competition.

In other words, in the recovery process you need to replenish both protein and carbohydrates levels.

As a result of these fibrillary micro-breaks and damage to the connective tissue, the waste produced by the body can lead to stiffness in the following hours, as well as general inflammation.

Here’s the crux of it: Recovering after a marathon plays a massive role in the process.

From the cardiorespiratory point of view (depending on the type of test: intensity/duration), the heart, lungs and airways have all also worked more than usual, meaning you’ll usually need to reduce heart rate at rest and undertake no extra work on the heart in the week following the test.

What should you do just after finishing?

It’s important you take note of the following recommendations for what to do once you cross the finishing line:

Cover yourself properly

Regardless of the environmental conditions, once the competition is over, if possible, put on dry clothes that help regulate your body and temperature to avoid a sharp drop in body temperature and the feeling of cold.

Cool down gradually

Try to walk for a while, don’t sit down or stop suddenly to avoid blocking blood circulation.

Use slow, controlled breathing to help your heart rate recover.

Rehydrate

This point is essential, considering the amount of liquid and mineral salts that have been lost through sweat.

A drink with electrolytes in addition to hydrates and proteins will help start the recovery process as soon as possible.

Don’t forget that water and mineral salts are fundamental for the proper functioning of vital functions and muscle contractions.

If, in addition, the test is performed in environmental conditions with moisture or excess heat, the loss of salts and liquids is even greater, hence we need to start rehydrating as soon as possible. We’ll leave you some information here about the best liquid replacement drinks.

What to eat and drink after a marathon

This key aspect of the process will help you recover quicker and better.

It is common, after finishing a marathon or long distance race, to choose large meals with a high saturated fat content, processed foods… It may be the most appetising, but the furthest thing from a good recovery.

This happens because low blood sugar levels after an event are minimal and the sensation of eating foods with a high sugar or fat content tends to be the most appetising.

But be careful, the digestive tract has suffered and the blood has been distributed more in the muscles than in the stomach.

It should be noted that, during the test, the digestive system has also been subjected to excessive work: digesting while the body is subjected to high stress.

As such, you have to make it easy for yourself to eat and drink after finishing the long-distance test.

What supplements should you take?

The intake of proteins in the hours and days following the test is important to encourage the muscle repair process, as well as carbohydrates to recover muscle and liver glycogen stores.

A drink like Evorecovery, containing carbohydrates and proteins, is perfect to start that recovery process.

Preferably a shake-type drink, as it’s easily digested and assimilated (so that the digestive system doesn’t have to break down the food and the blood really goes to oxygenate the muscles and not the stomach).

In the following days, in order to optimise post-marathon recovery, a varied diet should be maintained, as healthy as possible, as well as constant hydration with water and salts.

An isotonic drink, distributed during the day, will also favour that process of liquid and salt replacement.

The importance of rest

This is an essential part of a training plan, with the main objective being recovery, repair, rehydration and relaxation.

Which is why days/weeks after are for rest from the intense sessions and high training volumes.

Ideally you should take up physical activity that promotes blood flow and continues the process of eliminating waste and cleansing the body: walking, very gentle static cycling in 30-minute sessions, gentle swimming…..

Try to start with activities that don’t have too much joint impact.

Other recommendations

Depending on each case, the ideal is between 1 or 2 weeks of active recovery before starting to run and resume more intense activity and exercise.

It’s a good time to visit the physiotherapist for a relaxing session.
Take contrast baths to activate blood microcirculation.
Start static stretching.
Rest well.

REMEMBER: Don’t stop drinking water and/or isotonic drinks with salt and mineral content, fruit for quickly replenishing the fluid loss and cleaning the kidney.

References