What to Do After the Race: More Than a Cool Down

A lot of attention is paid to getting your body into shape for a race or competition. But not much is said about what you should do immediately after your race or game. This article examines what you should do in the minutes, hours and days after your race or competition.

First Things First
Before anything else, find your teammates and other competitors. Congratulate them on their efforts. Shake hands and make brief comments about the race. This will help balance your emotions. Do not avoid the other competitors. Turn in any equipment used like timing chips, wrist bands, etc.

Body Recovery (Hour One)
Remove restrictive clothing. If you have tight swimming gear or heavy protective gear, remove it from your body. This will help the blood flow to your muscles. Begin jogging or walking briefly. You can also do some extensive long stretching. This will flush the lactic acid and body waste from your muscles and body.

Water and electrolytes are important to body recovery, too. Try to avoid ice water. Your body will need fluids and lots of it to hydrate. Sixteen to 24 ounces the first hour is very important. Bigger individuals might need more. A wet towel will cool your head from excessive heat.

Try to consume some proteins and carbohydrates. There are sports drinks that supply these. These two will help your liver and replenish worked over muscles.

Pace yourself on bringing your body back to normal. This could take between 30 minutes to an hour. Many times, it depends on the activity that you were involved in. Some events do not take as long to recover as others.

Avoid muscle rub downs. They will only inflame your muscles. If you develop a cramp, walk it out, use direct pressure and just massage the cramp area only.

24 Hours Later
Avoid long periods of sitting or alcohol consumption. This can put the wraps on any party ideas. You can still enjoy the party, but these two should be in slight moderation. Alcohol lowers the hydration process.

Walk and stretch every 20 minutes. If on a plane, walk the aisles and do isotonic exercises in your seat. You also need 3 to 5 grams for every pound you weigh of carbohydrates.

Do not force your body to do extra work. So this means no vigorous workouts.

The Next Week
Consider doing some cross training. If you swim, do some jogging or biking. If you bike or jog, do some swimming. If you are a triathlete, play some tennis, softball or basketball. This will help your body recover more quickly. It is also important for your state of mind.

Following these guidelines will help jump start your body for your next competition.