After the 42.195 kilometers that a marathon contemplates, the intense effort takes its toll on all runners who dedicate themselves to this mythical race for all runners in the world. Reaching the finish line is a satisfying feeling; the euphoria will dominate you for at least an hour after crossing the finish line.

Then comes a hangover (not a good one), during which you have to prepare your body so that absolutely everything doesn’t hurt during the following week. But how do you do that, and, more importantly, how can you get back to training?

What happens to your body after a marathon?

First, you should know that the effort involved in completing this demanding distance produces essential alterations in your body. On the one hand, the tendons are damaged and inflamed, and the muscles suffer considerable destruction.

A study by Hikida et al. (1983) concluded that a marathon produces inflammation and even necrosis in our muscle fibers. This highlights that even in the pre-marathon biopsies performed on athletes, muscle damage was already present as a result of the training.

For this reason, recovery during training and especially after the marathon is essential to staying healthy and active throughout life.

Here are some recommendations to facilitate the post-race recovery process.

Recovery begins during training

The first step is to follow a professional training plan based on macrocycle and microcycle planning.

Remember that the marathon is a demanding event that requires professional preparation. We invite you to consult one of our plans, hire a personal trainer, or approach a group of directed runners.

Another fundamental pre-race aspect is to prepare our minds. Any marathon runner will tell you that “the race is finished with the head and not the legs.”

Train concentration, boredom management, and containment, and learn to defeat pessimism or euphoria. Likewise, be prepared to lose or win. For runners, losing could mean not achieving the set time goal or, even worse, having to abandon the race due to injury.

Competing is a game, and as such, we bet on winning. However, many circumstances during the race can prevent us from achieving our goals, and we have to be prepared and aware of that.

Recovery plan week after a marathon

Marathon recovery

Here are some essential tips to help you recover as well as possible after running a marathon. Please take note of them all!

When you finish the marathon, you should change your clothes to avoid moisture and the risk of chills or infections, as it is a time of significant vulnerability for your body.

Rehydration and nutrients

After finishing the race, it is also imperative that you rehydrate yourself with water and isotonic drinks containing minerals, carbohydrates, and electrolytes, which are lost in large quantities during the effort. Our body has lost water and electrolytes through sweat. A loss of 4% can lead to severe dehydration.

Scientific studies show the physical damage athletes experience after a marathon. A study conducted on the runners of the Hartford Marathon in 2015 determined that 40% of the runners who finished the race did so with acute kidney damage due to dehydration.

If you want to innovate, try one of the recovery drink options available on the market. If you prefer something more natural, we recommend coconut water or non-alcoholic beer.

Consuming fluids during the day in the hours after the competition is essential to replace the fluids eliminated through urine.

Listen to your body

This is our primary recommendation. Enjoy your success and the reward of a long training session by resting and sharing with your family. Everybody is different, so do not hinder your recovery by demanding more than your body can give.

Photo: Depositphoto

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