How Stress Impacts Recovery

Stress is a normal part of life, but it can definitely pick up during intense training periods or while recovering from injury. But did you know intense levels of stress can significantly slow down your recovery process? Whether you’ve got a big event coming up and you’re starting to feel the pressure, or you’re recovering post-injury, understanding how stress affects your recovery and healing is crucial for long-term athletic performance and overall well-being.

Recovery Between Training Sessions

Physical training places controlled stress on the body, and recovery is the process that allows it to adapt and become stronger. However, when you combine this with emotional or mental stress, the body struggles to recover efficiently. This stress can come from the training itself, or maybe it’s unrelated – from work or even things happening in your personal life. Elevated cortisol levels (AKA the stress hormone) can interfere with muscle repair, reduce energy levels, and even suppress immune function. This can lead to persistent fatigue, increased muscle soreness, and a higher risk of overtraining.

There are plenty of things you can do to combat high stress. Prioritising sleep, eating nutrient dense food and consistent use of recovery modalities such as a spa, sauna, or compression, can help to decrease physical symptoms of stress.

When it comes to mental stress, simple mindfulness practices like deep breathing or meditation can help to clear your mind and keep yourself grounded. Keeping an open line of conversation about your mental health with close friends, family or your coach can also help. Seeing a therapist to discuss stress management levels is another option, which you should especially consider if you’re an elite athlete feeling the pressure of training and competing.

Post-Injury Recovery

When healing from an injury, stress can significantly delay the process. Mental stress reduces blood flow and nutrient delivery to injured tissues, slowing down repair. It can also lead to tension and poor movement patterns that aggravate the injury further.

On top of this, psychological stress can often lead to fear or anxiety around returning to activity, which can hinder your progress. Using the suggestions from above alongside your physical recovery and rehab plan is a great place to start to work on reducing the mental stress that comes with injury recovery.

Building a balanced recovery plan that includes physical therapy, mental health support, and stress management techniques is key to faster, more effective healing.