BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL RECOVERY DURING ENDURANCE TRAINING: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The Ironman Triathlon is an endurance triathlon race that is a total of 140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running. Completing an Ironman requires significant training that takes a toll on the body. This literature review aims at finding the best methods of muscular recovery during endurance training. Several relevant articles and studies were found on online databases to determine what athletes should be doing to recover after their training sessions. The findings suggest that intense training can decrease muscular performance due to factors such as damaged sarcomeres, issues with excitation contraction coupling, depleted energy, or pain and perceived fatigue. Research shows that methods such as body cooling, massage, or foam rolling can mitigate these negative effects and can cause improvements in muscular performance. These results provide evidence that athletes should employ these methods alongside training in order to feel and perform better.