You've just crossed the finish line after a trail? Congratulations — now it's time to recover properly. After such a demanding race, it's important to give your body the time it needs. It must first recover from the strain endured during the trail before you can set your next goal. To help you avoid injury, we explain how to optimise recovery after a trail.
Key takeaways:
- It's important to rest and prioritise low-intensity activities after a trail.
- "Supported" activities such as swimming or cycling allow you to ease back into sport gently.
- Massages and stretching relax the muscles and help prevent injuries.
- Rehydration and replenishing glycogen stores are essential for proper recovery after a trail.
Getting back to training after a race
Whatever the distance covered, your body needs time to recover after a trail. The rest period required will depend on your training, the nature of the race, the distance covered, as well as your physical condition and age.
To put it simply, here's what you need to know:
- Between 5 and 8 days to recover from a race of 25 km or less.
- Between 8 and 15 days to recover from a trail of 25 to 50 km.
- More than 3 weeks to recover from a race of 50 km or more.
Wondering whether you should rest after a trail? The answer is yes. We recommend taking a few days off, then returning to training by prioritising low-intensity jogging. In any case, it's important not to push too hard when you start back. The goal is to support muscle recovery without risking injury. Bear in mind that your muscles and joints have been put under strain and are therefore more vulnerable. After a few days, once you've regained your form, you can return to normal training.
The recovery phase after a trail
Active recovery
After the trail preparation phase and the race itself, you'll enter the recovery phase. The best way to recover after a trail is to prioritise active recovery. This means doing light physical activity to get back into shape. You should ease back into sport at low intensity, keeping your heart rate at around 70% of your maximum heart rate. This method helps optimise the recovery process.
During active recovery, "supported" activities are recommended. They allow you to ease back into activity gently while protecting your joints from impact. Activities such as swimming or cycling are good examples, as they promote effective muscle recovery. We suggest doing them for several days, or even weeks, before gradually returning to running.
Massages and stretching
To relieve muscle soreness, massages and stretching are recommended after a trail. To massage and loosen your muscles, you can use a massage cream or oil. Some accessories, such as a massage stick, are also useful for self-massage. It has the particular advantage of letting you apply the pressure of your choice to your muscles.
Sore thighs after a trail? Stretching is the perfect remedy. It helps ease muscle soreness. Don't forget to stretch both your leg muscles and your upper body. In general, stretching should be part of your training routine. It is also essential for avoiding cramps in trail. After the race, activities such as gentle stretching or yoga are also recommended.
Other recovery methods after a trail
Finally, trail enthusiasts can explore other recovery methods after a race. For example, cryotherapy or cold-water immersion are worth considering. On the other hand, a hot bath, hydrotherapy or sauna can aid mental recovery.
On the accessories side, compression garments — and compression socks in particular — help limit inflammation, muscle soreness and stiffness. Recovery shoes can also be worn a few hours after the race.
Post-trail nutrition and hydration
Recovery after a trail also depends on nutrition and hydration. Your body has depleted its reserves during the effort. As soon as you cross the finish line, make sure you drink plenty to rehydrate. Mineral-rich drinks or carbohydrate recovery drinks are the best choice. During the 72 hours following the race, remember to drink water regularly.
We've seen how important hydration is after a race — but what should you eat after a trail? You need to replenish your glycogen stores. We recommend consuming carbohydrates after the trail (pasta, couscous, potatoes, rice…). To help with muscle fibre regeneration, prioritise proteins (red or white meat, eggs, fish…). It can also be beneficial to eat fruit, vegetables and dairy products. In all cases, processed meats and fatty cuts are not recommended in the 24 hours following the race.
As you can see, recovery after a trail is just as important a stage as preparation or the race itself. It's important to take the time to rest, allow your body to recover from the trauma, before you can calmly consider returning to training. A successful recovery phase will then allow you to set new goals.
