Here we will go over five ways to help you recover after running a marathon.
Any physical activity can be stressful on your body, so you can imagine how your muscles will feel after running for 26 miles straight.
Luckily, you can significantly decrease pain and discomfort if you take proper care of your body immediately after crossing the finish line and the days or weeks post race completion.
Let’s jump right in.
1) Start Recovering When You Cross the Finish Line
Recovering from running a marathon starts the moment you cross the finish line.
Although you may feel a sudden and desperate urge to collapse and let your legs turn to jello, it is important to walk to your rest area, immediately take care of any pain and rehydrate.
Change into dry, comfortable clothing at your rest area, drink some water, put on some compression gear, apply ice to any sore spots, and switch out your shoes for flip flops or slippers.
2) Eat Something
It is ideal for a marathoner to eat carbs or a high-protein meal directly after running. However, after running a marathon, there is a good chance your stomach will not be up consuming a meal.
As long as you eat something to replenish your calories soon after running, you will be doing your body a huge favor.
Once your appetite comes back, aim for a meal with three parts carbs and one part protein. Banana and peanut butter sandwiches with milk are a popular choice.
3) Try CBG Oil
The most commonly known cannabinoid used for relieving pain and inflammation is CBD; however, CBG is more effective.
CBG is a non-psychoactive component of cannabis that is often called the mother of all cannabinoids because it plays a significant role in their activation. Without CBG, the primarily known cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and CBN wouldn’t exist, and when used on its own, you see a tremendous increase in anti-inflammation and pain relief benefits.
Apply CBG oil or topical cream directly to your muscles or eat a CBG gummy, and you will feel relief within about 10-20 minutes.
4) Cold Therapy
Although taking a hot shower or sitting in a hot tub may sound like an excellent idea for soothing those achy muscles, heat may cause more harm than good.
Heat can make pain feel better but causes inflammation if used for more than about ten minutes at a time. For the best relief and outcome possible, use cold therapy instead.
Sit in a cryotherapy chamber or ice bath for up to ten minutes, or apply an ice pack to the sore muscles for up to 15 minutes to relieve pain and prevent or reduce inflammation.
When your body is exposed to frigid temperatures, your nerves are temporarily numbed, and you get a natural analgesic effect.
5) Massage Your Muscles
We know that massaging sore muscles reduces pain, inflammation, and tenseness, but individuals seldom know the science behind why.
When you exercise, having a proper breathing rate is essential to avoiding pain, and when you run a marathon, you may have many periods where you forget to pay attention to the breaths you take.
Your body uses oxygen to break down stored glycogen and glucose for energy during physical activity. However, when you breathe irregularly, your body doesn’t have enough oxygen and creates lactic acid to break them down instead.
Having lactic acid build-up in your muscles creates soreness, stiffness, inflammation, and nausea.
However, when you massage your muscles, you break down the lactic acid, and the toxins are flushed out of your system.
After running a marathon or doing any workout, massage your entire body but focus mainly on your sorest muscles. You can get a professional massage, use a handheld massager, massage chair or roll your muscles over a ball or foam roller.
Conclusion
There is a reason people say they feel like they “ran a marathon” when completely drained, in severe pain, or have an illness like the flu.
The reason is that running a marathon takes a massive toll on your body, which makes simple tasks like walking upstairs feel like climbing Mount Everest.
However, don’t let this discourage you from participating. With proper knowledge of how to recover, you can significantly decrease the amount of soreness you feel and speed up the recovery process.
To do so, use CBG topicals or gummies, massage your muscles, stay hydrated, eat carbs and protein, and use cold therapy.