Recovery for BJJ
By Prof. Mike Martin
Let’s talk Athletic Recovery. I want to share with you the Things I do to recover from a week of Training. Number one is Sleep. Must get 8 hours of sleep every night. Hydration is paramount. Especially in a Dry Climate. Foam rolling, stretching, and Movement. It’s important the older you get to prevent injury and Stiffness. Protein intake and proper food. In order for our bodies to repair themselves we need Protein and a healthy diet. Lastly if possible Sauna and Cold plunge. This has been a game changer for me personally.
Sleep is the most important tool for recovery. It effects your mood, your reasoning skills, patience, and it gives our bodies time to heal from the daily damage we inflict on it. 8 hours is the minimum for most of us. But I believe Athletes need more than the average person. I would shoot for 9 to 10 hours per night. Now I realize this might be hard to come by, but this what professional athletes do. Try to be consistent with the time you go to bed and avoid all screens 1 hour prior. I suggest breathing in deep and count to 3-4 in, hold for 1 and out 3-4 and hold 1. Don’t worry about thoughts that come. Focus on Breathing.
Hydration is key for your body to dispose of dead cells and for your body to run correctly. One Gallon a Day in the summer months or on days you train. In the winter a half gallon is good. I also suggest electrolytes. I use liquid I.V. but I also take a magnesium pill daily, which also helps with Sleep. When we sweat a lot, we can actually sweat electrolytes out. Sodium isn’t as important because so many of our foods already have it added but potassium is important to reduce muscle cramps.
Foam rolling is like a poor mans Massage. It’s helpful to remove knots and make sure your muscles are loose. You can use a foam roller or a tennis ball, Lacrosse ball for more firmness. I have some videos on BJJ2Go.com that show how to use them. Getting actual Massages are great also but can be cost prohibited for some. There are movement drills I like to use to keep more limber including Yoga. Trying to lengthen muscle groups while strengthening them. Hamstrings, glutes, shoulders are particularly problem areas.
Protein is important not only to build muscle growth but to maintain current strength levels. For growth try to match your weight with oz. of protein per day. Protein shakes or bars are great but meat is king. Plant protein is great in shakes but hard to match in plants vs. meat per gram. Make sure you are getting greens every day. I try to get one salad a day and one serving of a green vegetable. Vitamin supplements help but still not as good as clean food.
The last 2 years I’ve worked out at a place that has both a sauna and a cold plunge and I believe it’s been a game changer for me. There are a number of studies you can look up online of the benefits. I just feel great immediately after. There are a number of different protocols for how long, when, and the temperatures. I do 30 minutes in the sauna at 140 and then directly into the cold plunge at 40 degrees for 3 minutes.
Some of these options for Recovery, everyone should do and aren’t expensive at all. Others will cost more. What I ask myself is do I want to pay now, or when I’m old. And what is my performance and how I feel worth.