Neural Fatigue and Rest.

A few years ago, during my time as a track coach, one of my athletes reached out to me expressing a sense of fatigue and lack of energy. Despite not feeling excessively tired, he noticed a significant drop in performance when attempting physical activities like running up the stairs at work. Naturally, athletes tend to resist taking time off, especially when they have scheduled training sessions. However, after considering his symptoms, we made the decision for him to take a two-day rest, a significant choice for an Olympic athlete.

The athlete was understandably hesitant and sought reassurance, asking if two days off were truly necessary. I assured him that it was. His symptoms were indicative of neural fatigue, which requires a recovery period of up to 72 hours for the system to rejuvenate.

Two days later, I received an exciting message: "I just achieved a personal best with my cleans at the gym." Wahoo, I said. The following day, another message arrived: "I just hit a personal best in deadlifts at the gym." My response was simple: "Two days of rest resulted in two personal bests. Impressive, right?" 😊

Rest is a vital component of training and must be treated with the same importance as every other aspect of training. A recovery day is precisely that—a day dedicated to allowing the body to recuperate. I always appreciate it when athletes provide feedback on how they're feeling. This valuable information enables me to make necessary adjustments to their training programs and aids in both current and future planning.

In conclusion, rest is not merely a break from training but an essential part of it. Embracing adequate recovery time can lead to significant improvements in performance.