Best Recovery Tips for Lacrosse Athletes: Always Stay in Shape! (2023 Edition)

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Whether you're a recreational lacrosse player or an elite-level competitor, understanding how to recover from injuries and workouts properly is crucial to improving performance.

An effective recovery process will allow your body to repair itself after injury or physical activity, leading to increased energy levels and better overall results on the field.

With that in mind, here are some of the best recovery tips for lacrosse athletes that should help keep you at peak form all season long!

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Take Away Key Points:

  • Lacrosse is a physical contact sport, so injuries are a natural part of the play
  • There are multiple recovery techniques, strategies, and workout methods to keep your body conditions optimal, recover from injuries, and practice for better performance on the field
  • You should consult your athletic trainer to determine the best training methods - active or passive, and keep your body in a good condition

Below you can find some of the best tips to recover your body from lacrosse injuries. No matter whether severe or less severe, injuries can seriously affect your overall performance and weaken your game and strength.

But with the best recovery methods, you can overpass all obstacles and play better. So let's see the most vital ones.

Best Tips for Muscle Fibers & Muscle Recovery

Here are some of the crucial tips for muscle recovery and fibers.

1. Massage gun for sore muscles

best recovery tips for athletes

A massage gun offers multiple benefits to your muscles. Here are the critical ones:

  • Preventing injury/re-injury - a regular massage is pliable to muscles, as it improves muscle flexibility and recovers atrophied muscle tissue.
  • Improving muscle power, endurance, and kinesiology - the method lessened muscle soreness
  • Increases blood circulation - it increases oxygen and nutrients and repairs muscle groups

2. Foam roller

Foam roll eases muscle soreness and pain. Your body weight controls pressure to specific muscle groups, including the IT band, hamstrings, back, and young glute.

So, foam rolling also increases your workout for better results.

3. Kinesiology tape

The tape is applied to your injured body and helps with pain and swelling reduction. It provides support to your muscles and lifts your skin.

It also alleviates joint irritation. Also, the therapy helps with joints or weak muscles.

4. Muscle stimulation therapy

This therapy is traditionally used in rehabilitation settings and physical therapy. The therapy imitates natural muscle contraction, enhancing blood flow to the muscles.

In addition, it increases nutrients and fresh oxygen while flashing away harmful toxins. Finally, you can apply the therapy to all muscle groups on your injured body.

Best Tips for Athletic Performance After an Injury

Lacrosse players suffer from injuries similar to other team sports with allowed physical contact. However, the recovery process offers certain benefits for players to rest more and recuperate their bodies.

Some of the best recovery strategies for lacrosse players include:

1. Rehydration

best recovery techniques for athletes

After a lacrosse game, lacrosse players are too tired, and their bodies are depleted of electrolytes.

So, every lacrosse player should mix hydration powder with their water bottle. It will refuel your body with essential micronutrients for optimal performance and total body recovery.

2. Wearing recovering footwear

After long tournaments and summer camps, taking care of your feet is an essential recovery tip for your feet. Various players wear recovery-specific slides and take off their cleats to rest their feet and improve their leg health.

Unlike the regular slides with zero benefits to your health, recovery slides offer an ergonomic design that is comfortable for your legs. In addition, they reduce stress on ankles, joints, and knees.

3. Ice bath/cold plunge

Ice baths are necessary for both professional lacrosse athletes and high school athletes. The ice baths increase energy levels and focus on recovering muscles too.

Some of the basic performance tips include:

  • Faster physical recovery - athletes reduce the blood flow from their extremities and force them to the vital organs. In addition, the oxygenated blood flows to muscles and improves recovery.
  • Improving stress resilience - the body releases cold shock proteins during cold therapy. Thus, the body will initially be uncomfortable, but later it adapts and becomes resilient.
  • Improving higher energy levels - during cold exposure, norepinephrine will increase
  • Improving your condition from an overuse injury - when you burn your body due to too much practice and training sessions, this rehab helps your body relax, and you can enjoy some quality time in a cold bath

4. Active recovery

Active recovery implies a low-intensity activity to recover fully. It's similar to your training sessions but less extreme.

Instead of remaining passive the following day after an injury or too much rest, your effort to practice to recover faster will result in higher improvement. You can train hard to increase blood flow, recover muscles, reduce soreness, and keep your muscles loose.

You can try various workout methods - yoga, assault or stationary bike, or light swimming. Various athletes practice these training sessions to improve their overall lacrosse ability.

5. Protein shakes

A protein shake is an excellent source of sugar-free flavors, amino acids, and digestive enzymes. However, these are not enough to keep your body optimal.

It's essential to eat healthy food, have a good night's sleep, and keep your body constantly in motion to burn excess calories and maintain optimal health.

Proteins help you get more strength, but quality sleep and proper food help you recover faster and perform better during the play.

Also, the good-night-sleep reduces the risk of injuries during a lacrosse game and prolongs your healthy career as an athlete.

6. Stretching

It is crucial to stretch after a lacrosse game.

Stretching reduces the risk of injuries and offers valuable aid in recovering faster. When you stretch, you will also eliminate possible cramping and calf tightness, as these are the most common lacrosse injuries.

Stretching affects boosting flexibility, decreases muscle tension, and increases blood flow. If you're playing defense on the lacrosse field, stretching will help you gain more strength and play aggressively.

So, when you stretch after a lacrosse play, you can perform optimally in the next match.

7. Iron neck training

This training reduces concussions. Many concussions are caused by the brain slamming against the skull and the neck slapping back.

With this training, you will eliminate this injury type. You won't have to wear the Q-collar for your neck.

Other advantages include:

- reducing back and neck pain

- increasing range of flexibility/motion

8. Non-alcoholic beers

These are a top secret among professional athlete leagues.

However, non-alcoholic beer is getting increasingly popular among all athlete leagues, and it's an ideal solution to celebrate a victory without the negative effects of alcohol.

Frequently Asked Questions

What helps athletes recover faster?

Some of the most valuable therapies include: hydrotherapy, massage, sleep, nutrition, stretching, active recovery, compression garments.

What is the fastest recovering muscle?

The faster-recovering muscle groups include the biceps, triceps, and calves.

What foods help repair muscle damage?

best recovery therapy for athletes

To recover from muscle damage, you must eat: dairy, eggs, whey protein shakes, fatty fish, pomegranate juice, beet juice, watermelon, watermelon juice, tart cherry juice, starchy vegetables, coffee.

What are the 3 R's of recovery for an athlete?

The 3 R's of recovery for an athlete include rebuilding, rehydrating, and refueling. These include the pillars of recovery nutrition and post-workout.

What can I drink for faster recovery?

For a faster recovery, you can drink:

- post-workout recovery drinks

- sports drinks

- coconut water

- chocolate milk

- tart cherry juice

- enhanced waters

- water

- alternative hydration options.

What is a good recovery routine?

The activity routine is one of the best routines to recover from your impaired health conditions. For example, you can try a leisurely bike ride, yoga, swimming, or stretching.

Final Words 

Recovery is essential for any athlete, especially those who play high-impact sports like lacrosse. By incorporating some or all of these recovery tips for lacrosse athletes, you can improve your condition and take your game to the next level.

Try out different techniques and see what works best for you–you'll be sure to notice a difference in how you feel during and after practice or competition.

Freddy Woods

Freddy is the heart and soul of Lacrosse Runner. As a former athlete, Freddy is very passionate about Lacrosse. He keeps up with the sport's changes and innovations and often tests the new equipment released by the leading manufacturers. Read more here