The Athlete's Guide to Recovery: Rest, Relax, and Restore for Peak Performance

An invaluable guide to help athletes maximize training gains by making the most of their recovery time. Recovery—physical and mental—is a red-hot topic, and the worlds of sports, technology, and commerce have all taken note. But which practices and devices really make a difference in recovery, and which should be avoided? What will truly maximize performance? In this second edition of The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery, endurance and recovery coach Sage Rountree, PhD, explains exactly how to get the most out of training by optimizing recovery time. She begins by examining the importance of recovery, how athletes can measure their own state of recovery, and what can go wrong when recovery is insufficient. Rountree then provides proven techniques to enhance recovery and improve performance, emphasizing the fundamentals of sleep, nutrition, and stress management. Finally, readers are provided with various sample recovery plans for all types of training and competition. This second edition features up-to-date research that has emerged to support the importance of basic recovery strategies and includes a much-needed, careful look at new devices on the market. Whether self-coached, coached, or team-sport athletes, The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery provides readers with an evidence-based approach to finding the right balance between stress and rest.