- Right after the end of the marathon: don't stretch, don't massage
- A few days after the marathon: brine bath, gentle stretching
- Diet after the marathon
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How to regenerate after a marathon to quickly get back into good shape? The physiotherapist explains why you should not stretch and have a massage right after finishing the run. After crossing the finish line, she advises you to walk for a while, drink a small amount of isotonic drink and … enjoy the result.
And after the marathon!You made a nice finish in the last few meters, and now you want to fall to the ground and lie down until the greatest exhaustion has passed. Don't give in to this temptation. Your body needs to come back into balance slowly, preferably by walking. Walk slowly to the changing room, usually quite far from the finish line, enjoy the medal hanging around your neck, sip water or isotonic drink distributed at the finish line slowly, but not more than 150 ml at a time.
If the organizers have prepared NRC foils for the competitors, cover yourself with it (golden side on top), even on a hot day. An exhausted body cools down very quickly.
Right after the end of the marathon: don't stretch, don't massage
Don't stretch. After the marathon, the muscle microdamages are too much. You stretch a day or two after your run. Also, give yourself a massage immediately after the competition. It will only exacerbate the inflammation that always arises after such exertion.
The best option would be a few minutes of ice massage in the locker room. That is why it is worth packing a thermos with ice in your backpack or asking your loved ones to wait with it at the finish line. If this is not possible, do it as soon as you return home. A cold shower for the feet will also bring relief and accelerate the removal of metabolic products from the muscles and oxygenate them better. Cooling muscles and joints is very important for recovery.
A few days after the marathon: brine bath, gentle stretching
The next day after take-off, it's a good idea to take a lukewarm brine bath to relax your muscles. TENS currents also have a relaxing effect.
See also: Wellness treatments for athletes
Already on the third day after the run, you can go for a light start-up finished with gentle stretching. It is also worth having a relaxing massage. Royal distance debutants may need more time to recover, so if possible, a day or two off from normal duties would be a great help.
Diet after the marathon
The restoration of the body's energy resources is as important as muscle regeneration. Eat an easily digestible meal with a predominance of carbohydrates within two or three hours after the run. If your stomach is too cramped to eat some solid food, drink carbohydrate fluids called hypertonic, i.e. with a higher concentration than plasma, containing, apart from electrolytes, also simple carbohydrates. You can mix them yourself in water from ready-made powders.
An effort as high as a marathon runs acidifies the body, so also drink water with plenty of lemon and reach for citrus fruits, which have strong alkalizing properties.
Check: Recipes for natural home isotonic drinks
In the following days, compose your meals with more protein needed to repair damaged muscles.