A quick recovery after an exhausting volleyball game is important for every player. I’ll share my own experience of post-game recovery in situations where special resources are limited.
Fast Recovery after a Volleyball Game. Advice by Vladimir Stefanov
Several years ago, Vladimir Stefanov used to play for one of the best Hong Kong and Singapore volleyball teams. At times, the game schedule was so tight that the team hardly had time to recover after the previous matches. It was exhausting, so the men had to work out their own way to bring their bodies and minds to the norm to keep winning. Here are some of the things told by Vladimir Stefanov that he and his teammates found useful for themselves.
Advice №1. Normalize Your Hydrobalance
The scientists determined that a male volleyball player loses 0.8% of body mass during one game. Although this cannot be called severe dehydration, it’s still important to restore proper hydro balance to help the body get to the norm faster.
Advice №2. Take a Contrast Shower
A perfect variant is when you can immerse your whole body into a pool and warm jacuzzi in turn. Such facilities are not always available in Singapore or other countries, but you always have a shower in a room. By taking a contrast shower, you dilate and constrict your blood vessels, thus speeding up the removal of the waste products that accumulate in the muscles under high physical load.
Advice №3. Don’t Ignore Stretching
Static stretching, as well as dynamic stretching, is one of the main points to pay attention to when recovering from a volleyball game. Static stretching helps the relaxation of tense muscles, while dynamic stretching is good for speeding up blood circulation. The latter is perfect for lactic acid removal, and thus muscle recovery.
Advice №4. Change Your Diet for at Least 24 Hours after a Game
The three crucial elements for fast post-volleyball-game recovery are proteins, glycogen, and sodium. These give the body energy. The process of its restoration should be consistent and well-planned. It’s better to combine food rich in proteins with that rich in glycogen. “One of the national dishes in Singapore is Hainanese chicken rice. That was probably my best food after a game. It has all you need in one plate.” – says Vladimir Stefanov.
Advice №5. Get some Massage
It doesn’t matter whether you make self-massage or your teammates do it for you or a professional masseur. The massage is good for lymphatic circulation. It helps eliminate muscle stiffness and small injuries, which are quite common for volleyball players.
Summing Up
“I can’t say these pieces of advice are unique, but these are the things that helped me a lot when in Singapore and Hong Kong. They don’t demand any special equipment but are really effective. Hope they will be useful for others too. ” – sums up Vladimir Stefanov.
