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Last Updated on June 17, 2023

hen you do extreme events like Ironman races, triathlons and marathons, recovery is in the range of 10 to 14 days. That’s up to two weeks for your red and white blood cells (RBCs & WBCs) to normalize, inflammation to subside, muscle fibers to heal, and for the whole cascade of functions to occur in your body before you are back to baseline and feel normal again. After an Ironman triathlon, it can take more than 19 days for your body to bounce back! If you look at something like a CrossFit WOD or its equivalent, a 40 to 60-minute hard workout, it can take between 3 and 7 days to fully recover. And “recover” doesn’t just mean “not feel sore”.

The fact is, recovery includes restoration of white blood cells and red blood cells, repairing muscle fibers, restoration of hormones and neurotransmitters, repletion of minerals, healing of tiny nerves and blood vessels, and more. Fortunately, by understanding the body functions necessary for recovery, there are many scientifically-validated ways to speed up and support this process.

Rather than performing below your potential or suffering from nagging aches, pains and injuries, support your body’s recovery process with Amino Acids and discover what your body can really do.

Amino Acids

When used in daily doses (preferably during workouts) of three to ten grams per hour, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine, can significantly enhance performance; improve physiological markers such as red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum albumin, and fasting glucose; and decrease inflammatory markers, such as creatine phosphokinase while enhancing restoration of muscle glycogen.

Data show that BCAA supplementation before and after exercise has beneficial effects for decreasing exercise-induced muscle damage and promoting muscle protein synthesis. Another study showed that BCAA administered before and following damaging resistance exercise reduces indices of muscle damage and accelerates recovery in resistance-trained males. This study indicated that consuming an essential amino acid mixture after resistance training increases muscle protein synthesis and net muscle protein balance, indicating that ingesting EAAs post workout may stimulate faster muscle repair, recovery and growth.

Because essential amino acids (or EAAs) are a more complete source of amino acids, and because they keep your body from using your own lean-muscle tissue for energy during exercise, they are a better option than BCAAs alone. They ensure your body has optimal ratios of the essential amino acids to support vital body functions while still containing the BCAAs known for enhancing muscle-building and recovery.

Reference: https://getkion.com/articles/body/faster-exercise-recovery