Main description:

In today's competitive sport environment, discovering effective methods of facilitating optimal athletic performance is paramount to success. The recovery period is essential in maintaining athletes' physical and psychological well-being and crucial in the pursuit of intense physical training and satisfying performances. Recovery for Performance in Sport presents techniques and modalities currently used to enhance athletes' recovery, optimize training time, and avoid overtraining. Edited by members of l'Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP), Christophe Hausswirth, and Inigo Mujika, the text encompasses the latest scientific research in the study of recovery and draws from the experience of applied sport scientists working with elite athletes in leading performance and recovery centers. Readers will find proven strategies for enhancing the recovery process and learn the importance of structuring an individualized and evidenced-based recovery plan for improving performance.

Appealing to a broad audience encompassing professionals, athletes, coaches, and students, Recovery for Performance in Sport provides a scientific base of information as well as specific elements that allow for practical application in the real world. More than 30 international professionals contributed to chapter content, including case studies of international athletes and coaches. These case studies complement the scientific explanations by bringing additional context to the discussion of safe recovery modalities and how to apply those concepts to specific sports. Cutting-edge research and techniques allow readers to maximize the recovery of their athletes by learning from the proven strategies of international experts.

Recovery for Performance in Sport is divided into four parts, each presenting scientific knowledge, practical applications, and related case studies. The first two parts focus on the physiology of optimal training, how to prevent overtraining, and how to peak for optimal performance. Part III is a discussion of current recovery modalities along with strategies for optimizing recovery through the combination of modalities. Focusing on recovery at the muscular level, this part discusses nutrition strategies, electrostimulation, compression, massage, and immersion procedures, among others.

Part IV of the text considers situations that offer unique variables to consider when choosing recovery techniques. Differences between men and women in postexercise recovery are detailed along with a current discussion of thermoregulatory responses and adaptations to exercise and heat stress. Consideration is also given to the interventions used to alleviate thermal strain and the limitations of various recovery strategies after exercise in the heat. The physiological responses to altitude exposure and its impact on performance and various factors related to recovery are also discussed along with practical recommendations to facilitate altitude adaptation and recovery.

Recovery is one of the least understood and most under-researched components of the exercise-adaptation cycle. Yet, the importance of the recovery period cannot be overstated considering that athletes spend more time in recovery than in active training and that many adaptations to training take place during the recovery period. The current knowledge and applied information featured in Recovery for Performmance in Sport will assist readers in improving the recovery process to help athletes achieve easier adaptation to training loads, lower their risk of overload and injury, and ultimately improve athletic performance.

Contents:

Part I: Fundamentals of Fatigue and Recovery

Chapter 1. Physiology of Exercise Training

Michael Lambert, PhD, Newlands, South Africa

Inigo Mujika, PhD, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

Overload Physiology

Overload Variables

Training and Recovery

Chapter 2. Overtraining Syndrome

Romain Meeusen, PhD, Brussels, Belgium

Continuum of Fatigue

Prevalence of Overtraining

Overtraining Syndrome Diagnosis Research

Assessment of Overtraining

Part II: Periodization and Managing Recovery

Chapter 3. Overtraining Prevention

Michael Lambert, PhD, Newlands, South Africa

Inigo Mujika, PhD, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

Periodization Research

Models of Periodization

Monitoring Exercise Tolerance

Fitness and Fatigue Relationship

Chapter 4. Managing Active Recovery

Yann Le Meur, PhD, Paris, France

Christophe Hausswirth, PhD, Paris, France

With: Thierry Blancon, Regis Mollard, Christian Palierne, Frederic Sadys

Recovery Methods and Interval Work

Recovery Methods and Development of Aerobic Qualities

Active Recovery and Repeated Performances

Single-Performance Recovery

Chapter 5. Psychological Aspects of Recovery

Jean Fournier, PhD, Paris, France

Nicolas Lemyre, PhD, Oslo, Norway

With: Christophe Hausswirth, PhD

Effects of Poor Recovery

Motivation and Burnout

Engagement and Motivation Pattern

Evaluation Methods for Psychological Recovery

Part III: Strategies for Optimizing Recovery

Chapter 6. Stretching

Giuseppe Rabita, PhD, Paris, France

Anne Delextrat, PhD, London, UK

With: Cedric Lucas, Arnaud Daufrene, Frank Metais, Christophe Cozzolino

Types of Muscle Stretches

Physiology of Muscle Stretching

Effects of Stretching on Performance

Stretching and Recovery Research

Chapter 7. Hydration

Christophe Hausswirth, PhD, Paris, France

With: Veronique Rousseau, Eric Joussellin

Distribution of Water Loss During Exercise

Dehydration Processes

Dehydration and Physical Performance

Dehydration and Mental Performance

Hydration Recommendations

Hyperhydration

Chapter 8. Nutrition

Christophe Hausswirth, PhD, Paris, France

With: Veronique Rousseau, Eric Joussellin

Protein Metabolism and Recovery

Combining Protein, Carbohydrate, and Leucine for Muscle Recovery

Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Postexercise Mental Performance

Sugar and Recovery

Coingestion of Carbohydrate and Protein

Chapter 9. Sleep

Yann Le Meur, PhD, Paris, France

Rob Duffield, PhD, Bathurst, Australia

Melissa Skein, PhD, Bathurst, Australia

Stages of the Sleep Cycle

Physiology of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep Deprivation and Exercise Performance

Sleep Deprivation and the Perceptual State

Tryptophan and Sleep Cycles

Hyperhydration and Sleep Disturbances

Effects of Alcohol and Stimulants on Sleep Quality

Advantages of Napping

Chapter 10. Massage and Physiotherapy

Antoine Couturier, PhD, Paris, France

With: Yann Le Meur, PhD, Cecile Huiban, Marc Saunier, Francois-Xavier Ferey

Massage Techniques

Physiological Effects of Massage

Massage and Recovery

Electrostimulation

Physiological Effects of Electrostimulation

Electrostimulation and Recovery

Luminotherapy

Aromatherapy

Chapter 11. Compression Garments

Antoine Couturier, PhD, Paris, France

Rob Duffield, PhD, Bathurst, Australia

Physiological Responses to Compression

Effects During Exercise Performance

Compression and Recovery

Chapter 12. Local Thermal Applications

Sylvain Dorel, PhD, Paris, France

With: Cedric Lucas, Lorenzo Martinez-Pacheco

Physiological Responses to Local Thermal Applications

Muscle Function and Performance Effects

Current Uses and Modes of Application

Chapter 13. Variations in Thermal Ambience

Christophe Hausswirth, PhD, Paris, France

With: Francois Bieuzen, Marielle Volondat, Hubert Tisal, Jacques Gueneron, Jean-Robert Filliard

Physiological Responses to Air Temperature

Whole-Body Cryotherapy

Dry-Heat Sauna

Far-Infrared Therapy

Humid-Heat Steam Room

Chapter 14. Water Immersion Therapy

Francois Bieuzen, PhD, Paris, France

With: Marielle Volondat, Marc Michnowski, Christophe Cozzolino

Physiological Responses to Water Immersion

Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage and Immersion

High-Intensity Exercise and Immersion

Field-Based Studies

Part IV: Unique Considerations for Recovery

Chapter 15. Gender Differences

Christophe Hausswirth, PhD, Paris, France

Yann Le Meur, PhD, Paris, France

Recovery and Maintenance of Energy Stores

Metabolic Responses After Brief, Intense Exercise

Chronic Fatigue and Daily Energy Balance

Recovery and the Musculoskeletal Regeneration Process

Targeted Recovery Strategies

Chapter 16. Temperature and Climate

Frank E Marino PhD, Bathurst, Australia

Thermoregulation During Exercise

Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia and Performance

Reducing Thermal Strain and Improving Performance

Morphology and Heat Strain

Heat Stress and Exercise Recovery

Chapter 17. Recovery at Altitude

Charles-Yannick Guezennec, PhD, Font- Romeu, France

With: Nicolas Bourrel

Physiological Responses to Altitude Exposure

Effects of Altitude on Performance

Effects of Altitude on Recovery

Effects of Altitude on Body Composition, Nutrition Patterns, and Sleep