I play some pretty intense soccer games on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. After a nice low key weekend I feel good for the Mon night game. I generally go out there and run 100%. On Tues my legs are pretty shaky, but I can still run out there even if not at full speed. By Wed morning my legs are totally sore and feel like jello. It’s a similiar feeling to downhill skiing 2 days in a row.
How can I most effectively regain the strength in my legs for Wed night? Is it better to stay off them – I have a desk job so it would be possible to stay sitting nearly all day – or should I try to use them during the day. Or should I just pound 5 cups of coffee before the game (kidding)? I’ve also heard that bananas (potassium) helps with muscles. Is that true? Any other tips, tricks, or advice?
Ideally, you’d drop the Tuesday games for now to cut down on your chances of injury. Drink a half-gallon of skim milk immediately after the game, and follow that up a couple hours later with a low-fat/high-protein meal. Make sure that you’re eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean protein sources, and sleeping eight hours a night. Avoid all alcohol from Sunday to Thursday.
Good advice, thanks. Dropping the Tuesday isn’t really an option as it’s actually the best game of the 3. I’m looking for a game on Thursday since Tues-Thurs would be ideal. I realize 3 days in a row (when you’re trying to get back in shape) is kind of pushing it. Still, I need all the play I can get. The no alcohol advice is a good one to keep in mind.
Half-gallon of skim milk is interesting. What’s the science behind that? Also, any truth to the potassium thing?
Recent research has shown that consuming a mix of quick-digesting carbohydrates, whey protein and branched-chain amino acids near the time of your workout can significantly speed up muscle recovery. There are special mixes that are specifically formulated to be ideal, but skim milk is cheaper and probably good enough for you.
Depends on whether you need more potassium. It’s best to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to make sure that you’re getting all your micronutrients. Bananas are definitely a good choice for a fruit.
See this article (part 2) for details on the post-workout nutrition window. The use of skim milk in place of specially-formulated post-workout drinks seems to be folklore.
