My Journey with Sports Recovery: Why Taking Care of Your Body Matters More Than Training
Full disclosure: I am a washed up athlete. I am a former ice hockey player that pretends to still be going 100% and only in adult-hood have really come to understand the value of athletic recovery methods.
As athletes, we live for the thrill of competition—the moments when training meets opportunity, and our bodies push beyond what most people think is possible. But there’s a truth I’ve learned along my journey as a professional athlete: what you do after competition often matters more than what you do during it.
Performance recovery is not just about feeling good the next day; it’s about preparing, nourishing and protecting the body for growth while staying mentally sharp for the next game.
The Breakdown: What Really Happens After Competition
In competition, you’re not just testing your limits—you’re breaking your body down on a cellular level.
-Muscle fibers tear due to the strain of explosive effort.
-Inflammation builds as your body works to repair its cells.
-Energy stores deplete, leaving you feeling drained even hours after leaving the game.
This is natural, and it’s how strength, speed, and endurance are built. But here’s the catch: if you don’t recover properly, you can’t reap the benefit of those training sessions, instead you get fatigued, stagnate, or worse, injured.
Why Recovery Accelerates Growth
Recovery is not a passive activity—it’s an active strategy. It’s where the body adapts and super-compensates. The harder you recover, the faster you can return to training at a high level and the more benefits you will reap from that training.
Some of the most effective tools I’ve leaned on include:
-Contrast Therapy (Hot/Cold Exposure): Alternating between ice baths and warm immersion helps flush out metabolic waste, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation. Another plus is that it helps reset your nervous system.
-Sleep as the Ultimate Recovery Tool: Deep sleep is where muscle repair and hormone regulation occur. If I cut corners here, its obvious even days later.
-Nutrition & Hydration: The fuel you put back in—protein for repair, carbs for glycogen, micronutrients for cellular recovery—can speed up the process dramatically. As they say, garbage in, garbage out.
-Active Recovery: Light movement like mobility or massage therapy keeps blood flowing and reduces soreness. Added bonus: moving your body in different ways (outside of competition) results in better results in your chosen sport.
When you commit to recovery with the same discipline as training not only are you able to bounce back faster, but your baseline performance rises.
The Mental Game of Recovery
Folks, recovery is not just physical - it’s a mental game too. High performance requires clarity, resilience, and sharp focus. If your body is constantly in a state of fatigue, your mind suffers.
I’ve learned that a well-structured recovery routine gives me space to reset mentally as well as physically. Whether it is stepping into an ice bath, meditating post-session, or even taking a rest day isn’t just about my body—the goal is to reinforce discipline, confidence, and long-term commitment to my goals.
When your body feels recharged, your mind is calmer, sharper, and more creative. This translates directly into better decision-making in competition and stronger mental endurance for when you reach the third period of a 1-1 game.
Recovery as a Competitive Edge
At the highest levels of sport, differences are made at the margins - the 1%. There, the greats are separated not by how hard they train, but by how hard they recover. The faster you can restore your body and mind, the more consistently you can perform at your peak.
Recovery is no longer a luxury—it’s part of my training plan, just as vital as skills, drills and conditioning. By prioritizing it, I was able to extend my career, avoid career ending injuries, and perform at levels I never thought possible.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one takeaway from my journey, it’s this: Train hard, but recover harder.
Your muscles will thank you, your performance will elevate, and your mind will carry you further than you ever imagined.
For every athlete in our community: recovery isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s the secret weapon to becoming your strongest self.