2‰ Ice Bath If you have access to a cold tub at your school or training facility, jump in for 10- 15 minutes. If you don’t have access to an ice bath at your facility, you can easily create your own in a bath tub or garbage can by adding ice to cold water until it reaches between 54 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.


Training causes normal microtrauma or little tears in your mus- cles. An ice bath helps to constrict the blood vessels in the area and flush out the affected tissues of waste products like lactic acid, thus decreasing muscle soreness. It also reduces swelling and tissue breakdown and ultimately aids the healing process.


3‰ Eat Right The food you eat will fuel your body during training. Your goal for recovery should be to replace muscle fuel or carbohydrates that you used during training, and to provide protein to help with muscle tissue repair as well as new muscle tissue development.


You should begin your recovery nutrition by getting a recovery snack within 30-45 minutes following training. Refer to page 7 for some pre and post exercise snacks and recipes.


4‰ Rehydrate Replace your fluids and electrolytes you have lost through sweat during training. A good way to find out how much you should be drinking is to weigh yourself before prac- tice and then again after. For every one pound you have lost, drink 20-24 fl oz of water or sports drink. Avoid drinks that include caffeine or car- bonation, which can increase urine output and decrease fluid intake due to a false sense of fullness. Remember, the lighter the color of your urine, the better hydrated you are.


Recovery is a balancing act. There are many pieces to recover- ing properly and effectively, each one as important as the other. Stay on top of it and beat pre-season before it beats you!


fhlife@usafieldhockey.com [Figure A]


[Figure C] Photos © 2011 Ashley Meunier


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