Assess The Importance Of Recovery In Sport

Assess the benefits to performance of recovery strategies for a 1500m track athlete

Recovery is a very important element of fitness, due to the high physiological and phycological demands that arise from many different high intensity sports, such as 1500m track. Through studying many different types of recovery strategies, it is evident that the effectiveness of each strategy varies, however all play a positive role in decreasing fatigue, illness, injury and underperformance; all of which athletes aim to do after performing.
Physiological, neural, tissue damage and psychological strategies are four very different types of recovery strategies that aim to return an athlete to his or her pre-event, physical and mental state as quickly as possible.
Physiological recovery strategies, are strategies that help return athletes to their physical best after performing.
These different strategies help muscle fibers, ligaments and tendons that may have been damaged through exercise, whilst also getting rid of waist products such as lactic acid from an athletes body. An example of physiological recovery strategy that should be implemented by a 1500m track athlete would be cool-down. Cool-down is very important as it gradually returns the body to its pre-event state, and can prevent micro tears from worsening, and blood pooling from happening. These three factors are the main causes of post-exercise muscle soreness, which can be a result of not cooling down after performing. Cool-down is a great example, illustrating the importance of physiological recovery strategies. Through assessing the benefits of physiological recovery strategies, it is obvious that a 1500m track athletes should incorporate these particular strategies into their daily routine to recover faster, and perform at their
best.
Like Physiological recovery strategies, neural recovery strategies also help athletes recover after performing, only these strategies help the central and peripheral nervous systems recover, rather then focusing on damaged muscle fibers, ligaments and tendons.
Due to chemical changes in the body, such as lactic acid, the central nervous systems consisting of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, consisting of the nerves running from the spinal cord to the muscles, experience fatigue. Specific neural strategies however can assist in the recovery of the neural pathways and help with recovery. An example of a neural strategy that can help a 1500m track athlete would be massage. Massage assists in the release of tension in soft tissue, enhancing flexibility, and getting rid of waste by-products. Massage is also commonly known to promote mental relaxation. These benefits of massage, demonstrates how neural strategies are important for a 1500m track athlete, helping with fast, and full recovery.
Similarly to physiological strategies, tissue damage strategies aim to fix and strengthen muscle fibres that have been torn or damaged in physical activity.
This is a perfectly normal reaction by the body, however it can negatively affect the way an athlete feels. This is why tissue damage strategies are so important. Cryotherapy is a great tissue damage strategy that helps reduce inflammation, pain and muscle spasms that could occur after exercise. Cold water immersion, or ice baths helps repair the body, for vasoconstriction will occur. This drives blood away from the muscles, taking lactic acid and other by-products with it. When blood flow does return to the muscles, fresh supplies of energy are brought with it, along with enzymes needed for muscle repair. The benefits of quickly getting rid of lactic acid, and bringing enzymes for muscle repair, really demonstrate the importance of tissue damage strategies, especially to a 1500m track
athlete.
Psychological strategies are very important in helping a 1500m track athlete recover. After performing in physical activity, the body needs time to return to its normal resting levels. Heart rate, breathing, and body temperature are quite high and may take time to recover. A psychological strategies that can be put in place after performing a 1500m track competition would be relaxation. The benefits of relaxation include decreasing your heart rate, breathing and body temperature. Relaxation has been proven to help athletes recover faster, repairing the body, and restoring energy levels within the muscles. A 1500m track athlete should implement relaxation and other Psychological strategies to help with recovery.
Through assessing the benefits of many different types of recovery strategies, in is evident that they are very important, and all play a role in repairing the body to its pre-event state. With this being said, every athlete is different, and what some will respond to, others wont. This would be the case with many strategies, so finding the one for a 1500m track athlete, would be very beneficial in his or her success.