Alex Rahim, Personal Trainer at Virgin Active, on Marathon Recovery (Part two)

  What should you do immediately after a marathon? Have an ice bath? Stretch? Book in a sports massage – what would you recommend and when?

I would recommend all of those if facilities allow. Ice baths are important in reducing inflammation. Massage will also aid in flushing out those waste products.

Stretching should be done for a prolonged period of time but you must be aware that due to heightened metabolic responses from exercise you won’t get the true benefits, so I would recommend stretching again at night just before bed as this stimulates a different part of the nervous system.

  Should you adjust your diet after completing a marathon?

You may find that hunger is increased for a few days afterwards, so eat accordingly and if your level of exercise decreases dramatically, you won’t need to be fuelling the body with as much food.

A lot of people are out of balance with diet on a regular day and this will be true when training for a marathon too. Yes your calorie intake should increase when training but not necessarily if your daily calorie consumption is already high. Also ensure that the right type of calories are being consumed, and that foods are of a high quality and high in nutrients.

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