WHAT HAPPENS WHEN

Those hours post training present a window in which to maximise your gains. So, aside from the jelly legs, aching abs and ravenous appetite, what goes on once the trainers come off?

...you finish a workout

01 HIGH ON YOUR OWN SUPPLY

The post-workout buzz applies to cardio lovers and lifters alike. Both endurance and resistance training – including body weight work – trigger the release of endorphins. ‘These interact with the receptors in your brain, reducing your perception of pain and triggering a feeling similar to euphoria,’ says Healthspan Elite exercise physiologist Dr Jodie Moss. ‘This helps boost your mood and reduce feelings of tension, anxiety, depression and fatigue.’ Gimme.

02 COME THROUGH DRIPPING

Rush from workout to workstation and, whether you shower or not, you’ll likely still be sweating. ‘Perspiring is a response that occurs during exercise to get rid of excess heat produced by your muscles,’ says Dr Moss. ‘You may find that it continues for some time afterwards – this is just your body trying to return to a state of balance.’ Cool down and dry off faster with an icy drink: when cold water hits your stomach, thermoreceptors signal to your brain to start regulating your sweat.

04 BURN AFTER LIFTING

To return to a state of homeostasis (steady temperature, hormone production and oxygen levels) after exercise, your body works overtime, expending extra calories. ‘This is called excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and it works by increasing your resting metabolic rate (RMR) – the energy you burn just by living,’ says Dr Moss. This response depends on the duration and intensity of your sweat sesh, but a Scandinavian study* found that after just one resistancetraining workout, your RMR could be raised for up to 72 hours.

03 STITCH FIX

Even before you’ve dried off, your body has begun to repair itself: training causes micro tears in your muscles and, in response, your immune system sends in stem cells and growth hormone, which work with amino acids to create new muscle fibres. ‘Over time, your muscles learn to adapt to the exercise, until you push your limits even more [by adding further stimulus such as heavier weights],’ says PT Aimee Victoria Long (aimeevictorialong.co.uk). As well as being fuelled and hydrated before your session, taking time to cool down and rehydrate after is key.

05 KEEP ON ROLLING

Overnight, your muscles continue to repair.

‘The micro tears in the muscle fibres and connective tissue, as well as the inflammation these cause, can lead to DOMS – delayed onset muscle soreness,’ says Dr Moss. The sensation peaks up to 48 hours later and can take a week to shift. Long suggests stretching and knocking back plenty of fluids to aid recovery. Turn to page 64 for your recovery package.