Active Recovery Workouts: How Reducing Sitting Time Enhances Muscle Recovery After Exercise Summary
- Active recovery workouts may offer benefits over complete rest for muscle recovery.
- Prolonged sitting may delay muscle recovery after a workout.
- Reducing daily sitting time could be a practical intervention for enhancing recovery in individuals who exercise regularly.
Active or Passive Recovery after Workouts: Is Complete Rest Better for Recovery?
For years, bodybuilders and gym-goers were encouraged to take long rest following intense workouts, often believing that doing nothing between sessions would maximize muscle recovery. However, a new study, “Sitting Less, Recovering Faster: Investigating the Relationship between Daily Sitting Time and Muscle Recovery following Intense Exercise,” conducted by Jaime Rodden, Dolores G. Ortega, and Pablo B. Costa, published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, suggests a different approach. This research indicates that breaking up prolonged sitting time with light activity could accelerate muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness.1 This new study introduces the concept of active recovery workouts as a valuable strategy to speed up recovery. Active recovery involves low-intensity exercise following strenuous activity, while passive recovery entails complete rest or minimal movement. Rather than complete rest, engaging in low-intensity movement could be the key to faster muscle repair.2-4
Study Protocol Overview
To explore how prolonged sitting affects muscle recovery, researchers conducted an experiment with nine male college-aged participants. These individuals performed an intense leg exercise routine. The exercise protocol included 8 sets of 10 repetitions of knee extensions, focusing on the quadriceps muscle group. This demanding workout was designed to induce muscle damage so researchers could track recovery markers afterward.
After completing the workout, participants were required to maintain lifestyle logs, including tracking sitting time, daily physical activity, and diet. Blood samples were taken immediately after the workout and again at 24, 48, and 72 hours to measure muscle damage and inflammation markers, specifically creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin (Mb), known indicators of muscle injury, and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count.
The study’s purpose was to determine if prolonged sitting affects muscle recovery following intense exercise and whether engaging in active recovery workouts might reduce recovery time and muscle soreness.
Results: How Active Recovery Workouts Impact Muscle Damage and Recovery
Key Findings on Muscle Damage and Inflammation
The researchers observed that prolonged sitting was associated with increased levels of CK and Mb, markers that indicate muscle damage. Notably, participants who reported longer periods of sitting exhibited elevated CK and Mb levels, especially after 48 and 72 hours post-exercise. These results suggest that sitting for extended periods may worsen muscle damage, prolonging recovery. Interestingly, the study did not find a significant relationship between sitting and inflammatory markers such as CRP and WBC, which typically indicate broader systemic inflammation. This absence suggests that the impact of sitting on muscle recovery is more specific to muscle damage rather than overall body inflammation.5
Peak Torque and Muscle Strength
In terms of strength recovery, peak torque—a measure of muscle strength—was assessed at various speeds. The results showed a slight decline in peak torque at the 60-degree per second measure but no significant reduction at higher velocities. This outcome implies that sitting primarily affects muscle repair rather than strength, which could still influence one’s overall recovery experience and readiness for subsequent workouts.6
Unexpected Findings
One of the study’s unexpected findings was the lack of significant impact from diet on recovery. Participants’ carbohydrate and protein intake did not appear to alter recovery markers like CK and Mb. This result challenges the widely held belief that specific nutrients can expedite recovery, at least in terms of muscle damage indicators, suggesting that active recovery workouts might play a more crucial role than diet alone in reducing recovery time.7
The Importance of Active Recovery Workouts
The study sheds light on the critical role of movement in muscle recovery. Much like how a wound heals faster with proper care, muscles repair themselves more efficiently when they’re kept active rather than stagnant. This insight aligns with recent studies emphasizing the benefits of active recovery workouts over complete inactivity.4,8 While sitting for extended periods might seem harmless, especially when recovering from a tough workout, the study shows that prolonged sitting can delay muscle healing. When CK and Mb levels remain elevated, it signifies that the muscles are still in the repair process, potentially leading to prolonged soreness and stiffness.9 Reducing sitting time by incorporating gentle movement can help flush out these markers of muscle damage, likely due to improved blood circulation, which aids nutrient delivery and waste removal in muscle tissue.
The research also reveals the potential value of breaking up sitting time, even with small activities like walking or stretching, to expedite recovery. In essence, light movement may stimulate muscles enough to aid repair without causing additional strain.
Practical Applications: Integrating Active Recovery Workouts into Your Routine
The takeaway is clear for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts: integrating active recovery workouts can significantly enhance the recovery process between intense workouts. Rather than sitting for extended periods, simple movements, like a short walk or light exercise session, can promote faster muscle healing. Additionally, the results suggest that contrary to popular belief, taking in extra protein or carbohydrates post-exercise may not be as beneficial for muscle recovery as previously thought. Instead, focusing on reducing sitting time and engaging in active recovery workouts could be more impactful. So, next time you finish a challenging workout, remember: staying active in small ways may be more beneficial than you think. Avoid prolonged sitting, move around, and let your muscles recover faster.
References
1 Rodden, J., Ortega, D. G. & Costa, P. B. Sitting Less, Recovering Faster: Investigating the Relationship between Daily Sitting Time and Muscle Recovery following Intense Exercise: A Pilot Study. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol 9 (2024). https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk9010024
2 Kurniawan, C., Hadi, H. & Novriansyah, N. Speed and Power of Martial Athletes: Does Plyometrics Affect Active-Passive Recovery? Jurnal Sportif Jurnal Penelitian Pembelajaran 8, 327-341 (2022). https://doi.org/10.29407/js_unpgri.v8i4.18116
3 DiFrancisco‐Donoghue, J. et al. The Effect of Pedal Pump Lymphatic Technique Versus Passive Recovery Following Maximal Exercise: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial. Sports Medicine – Open 8 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-021-00402-x
4 Wijianto, W. & Agustianti, E. F. The Effect of Active and Passive Recovery Exercise in Reduring Doms (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness): Critical Review. Gaster | Jurnal Ilmu Kesehatan 20, 111 (2022). https://doi.org/10.30787/gaster.v20i1.773
5 Gordon, J. A., III et al. Comparisons in the Recovery Response From Resistance Exercise Between Young and Middle-Aged Men. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 31 (2017).
6 Croisier, J. L. et al. Myocellular Enzyme Leakage, Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil Activation and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Induced by Isokinetic Eccentric Exercise. Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry 104, 322-329 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1076/apab.104.3.322.12904
7 Cockburn, E., Hayes, P. R., French, D. N., Stevenson, E. & Gibson, A. S. C. Acute milk-based protein–CHO supplementation attenuates exercise-induced muscle damage. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 33, 775-783 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1139/h08-057 %m 18641722
8 Santos, W. Y. H. d. et al. Physiological and Biochemical Evaluation of Different Types of Recovery in National Level Paralympic Powerlifting. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, 5155 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105155
9 Newton, M. J., Morgan, G. T., Sacco, P., Chapman, D. W. & Nosaka, K. Comparison of Responses to Strenuous Eccentric Exercise of the Elbow Flexors Between Resistance-Trained and Untrained Men. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 22 (2008).
