How Team USA Recovers After Competition at the Olympics and Paralympics
For any athlete, rest and recovery after a competition is just as important as their preparation beforehand. SELF gets the lowdown on Team USA’s go-to recovery processes they’ll be putting into practice at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 [upbeat music]
00:03 My recovery process is extremely extensive,
00:06 particularly after a competition.
00:08 I immediately take the Theragun.
00:10 I Theragun my full body for maybe five to 10 minutes.
00:13 Then I have these jet boots by Therabody that I put on
00:16 while I'm then Theragunning my upper body.
00:19 Oftentimes I'll go to Reset,
00:20 which is a recovery facility by Therabody.
00:22 I'll go do red light, sauna, stretch and massage,
00:26 cryotherapy, hyperbaric.
00:28 I have a really, really extensive recovery routine.
00:31 I do this on a daily basis as well.
00:33 So I'm very into the recovery,
00:34 making sure my body's optimized,
00:36 making sure I'm not leaving any centimeters on the table
00:39 as far as performance,
00:40 and then staying healthy all throughout the season.
00:43 - I usually lift because then if I lift right after the game
00:46 I'll already, you know,
00:48 just continue a high intensity workout.
00:50 So then the following day can really be like a recovery day.
00:53 - Sleep.
00:54 [laughs]
00:54 No, ice baths work pretty good too, actually.
00:57 But they have this thing, it's like a NormaTec,
01:00 and it goes around my legs and it kind of helps
01:03 push all the blood and move everything around
01:06 and kind of helps me recover a little bit.
01:07 - The first thing that I do is I always call my mom
01:09 'cause we talk about the match.
01:10 And it's literally within like 15 minutes.
01:12 So like I change, like call my mom.
01:14 As of lately, it's drinking kombucha
01:18 'cause I feel like I'm fancy, like it's my wine.
01:21 I try to get in some word.
01:23 So like the Bible before bed.
01:25 Guilty pleasure, I squirrel before bed.
01:27 So I'll like go through TikTok and just like watch videos
01:31 and then knock out.
01:31 - Well, I've had to really focus on my recovery game
01:34 as I've aged in my career.
01:36 I'm 36 years old now,
01:37 but it feels like I'm about 107 in athlete years.
01:40 So recovery is super important.
01:42 As soon as the game ends,
01:43 I'm back out doing some dynamic stretching,
01:45 making sure that I feel loose
01:47 and getting ready for the next game.
01:49 So that's the physical side.
01:50 I always try to get like a protein smoothie,
01:52 like right afterwards, just to get some like fast carbs,
01:55 get some protein that my body can process
01:57 as fast as humanly possible.
01:59 And then it starts with like another big meal
02:00 right after the game.
02:01 So to make sure that my body is fueled the right way
02:05 to not only help recover,
02:07 but to propel me towards victory in the next competition.
02:10 - After a game, our recovery process
02:11 is kind of like down to a T.
02:13 So we get down in the game,
02:14 we meet on the sideline, have a huddle, take a few breaths,
02:17 and then we head back to our locker room,
02:19 usually beforehand, you know, take some pictures with fans.
02:21 And then we get to our locker room,
02:22 we put our legs up for about two minutes.
02:23 Afterwards, we do shout outs
02:25 and just kind of come together as a team,
02:26 say what happened in that game.
02:27 And then we get a protein shake
02:29 and I try to hop in the ice bath as quickly as I can.
02:32 Usually, especially if it's a hot climate,
02:33 we try to hop in really quickly.
02:35 And then from there, just kind of like
02:36 all sorts of modalities, like whether it's Norma Tex,
02:38 you know, stretching, whatnot, we try to get it in.
02:40 - My recovery process is, as a girl, dry shampoo.
02:44 'Cause you know what's not cute is sweaty helmet hair.
02:47 And the minute they want to take your helmet off,
02:49 it's not cute.
02:50 So in my hand cycle, I will have dry shampoo in it.
02:53 And then also just like right afterwards,
02:56 going to get my recovery drink,
02:59 taking off my sweaty clothes and the uniform
03:02 and putting a new one on.
03:03 That's part of my after race routine is dissecting it.
03:07 What I could have improved, what I wish I didn't do
03:10 and what I am proud of,
03:12 because I have another race after that.
03:14 And so just want to keep that fresh.
03:17 - You got to cool down.
03:18 So hop in the cool down pool, swim a few laps.
03:21 I have some special bands that help with blood flow.
03:23 So that's good.
03:25 Other than that, I love saunas.
03:26 I love ice baths.
03:28 I love massages.
03:29 So if you're a masseuse and you want to come massage me,
03:32 I may be accepting applications.
03:34 - Not always, but if I'm feeling it, it's an ice bath.
03:38 When it's still cold in the season,
03:39 I don't like to go into the ice bath after the freezing cold,
03:41 but I actually lift after.
03:43 It just helps with recovery
03:45 and kind of just like pushing your border.
03:46 And then yeah, protein shakes, water.
03:49 You just need to refuel, drink the right things.
03:52 Yeah, get ready for the next week.
03:54 - Seeing my massage therapist once or twice a week,
03:56 that usually helps right after the competition
03:59 just to release everything,
04:00 the tension from the stress and the ride.
04:02 - After a race, a lot of times
04:04 I'll have another one coming right up.
04:05 So I try to rest as much as possible.
04:08 If I have two races in the same day,
04:11 I'll immediately like try to go somewhere
04:12 where I can lie down and then re-caffeinate
04:15 when it's time to go again.
04:17 - We're given snacks right after the game.
04:18 So we get to eat right away, which is nice.
04:20 We always travel with the Normatec, like the puffy pants.
04:23 I just really try to distract myself
04:24 more than anything else after a game,
04:26 because it's so easy to be like,
04:27 "Oh, what did I do at this time?"
04:29 And like get really like down a rabbit hole.
04:31 So it's like, how can I distract my mind
04:33 to just like relax a little bit?
04:35 Like whether it's like reading, coloring,
04:37 or like honestly just working
04:39 or doing something different.
04:40 - From a physical standpoint,
04:42 it looks like it needs to be better, honestly.
04:46 I'll usually fly home the day after I fight.
04:48 I don't really have much time to recover
04:50 'cause we'll get right back into training.
04:51 Ice baths, stretching, you know,
04:55 Normatec, those big inflatable legs, that type of stuff.
04:58 I try my best to physically recover,
05:01 but the sport is ever moving
05:03 and you gotta get to the next thing real quick.
05:05 To mentally recover, usually, if I can,
05:09 I'll try to hit the beach or something
05:10 or go on a nice drive when I get home.
05:12 I just gotta disconnect and get in touch with nature.
05:15 Something, just touch the grass.
05:16 I'll go home and I'll touch grass.
05:19 - We fly out quite quickly after we fight.
05:22 So if I do have the time,
05:24 then I will be basically doing the same thing.
05:26 I am a person of routine.
05:27 Basically same thing for dinner,
05:29 just eating whatever it is.
05:30 I've just had some type of protein, some type of carb,
05:33 some vegetable source of some sort,
05:35 and then just a long shower.
05:37 That's it, as well as packing,
05:38 just in case I just don't leave my passport anywhere.
05:41 Not that I've ever done that before.
05:43 - If my doctor's there, he will readjust me.
05:46 He'll reset my system.
05:47 So it allows me to just recover a lot better.
05:50 If there's an ice bath available, I'll do that.
05:54 I'll do a lot of stretching and mobility work,
05:56 if it's not too late.
05:58 - I like to have a really good meal.
06:00 I like to maybe even go out to a restaurant.
06:02 If it's the end of a tournament,
06:04 debrief with my teammates, like watch video,
06:08 try to learn from what we did.
06:10 If we have another game, look forward to the next one
06:12 and start moving forward.
06:13 Whatever gets your mind moving,
06:15 gets those things flowing.
06:17 - I definitely do a lot of reflection,
06:19 whether that's individually or with others.
06:21 You'll find me talking game a lot with my teammates,
06:24 and then also just getting recovery in,
06:26 nutritionally with food, but also, you know,
06:29 if I need to see the trainer or, you know,
06:31 flush out my legs or stretch,
06:33 because water polo is a super tough sport
06:36 and we gotta be able to bounce back.
06:37 So just getting the recovery in that's needed.
06:40 - I always go get sushi with my mom.
06:42 But after that, I think we usually have about two days off
06:46 after World Cups and things.
06:48 So just taking those two days, I like to unpack right away,
06:51 do all the laundry, get all that stuff done,
06:54 recover and rest before my next meet.
06:57 I like to stick my legs up in the air and lay down
07:00 for like hours.
07:01 That's my favorite form of recovery.
07:04 - I try to convince myself to eat
07:05 because I think that eating right after a hard workout
07:08 or a race is really beneficial
07:11 to start that recovery process,
07:13 especially for the next day.
07:14 I do some stretching while my muscles are still warm,
07:17 try to cool down my muscles after a race with a light spin,
07:22 and then take a shower,
07:24 and then just try to really focus on listening to my body,
07:28 seeing what needs more attention,
07:30 if something needs a massage,
07:32 if my leg muscles are more tired than the day before,
07:37 if my left leg is a little bit more sore than my right,
07:39 and just try to make sure that I can get
07:43 that recovery process so that I can be ready
07:45 for the next race day.
07:47 - So it's usually Thorogun,
07:49 usually before and after icing
07:51 if there's some really like nagging injuries,
07:54 and then just a lot of like extra stretching.
07:56 - After a competition,
07:57 I'm usually out celebrating with friends
07:59 and traveling back home.
08:01 Once I'm home, I always take a week off away from the gym,
08:04 and I'm usually out just like enjoying good food,
08:08 and it's pretty relaxed.
08:10 - Normally my physio will be following with me,
08:15 so he will do some routines for that.
08:19 Sometimes if my muscles feel a little bit sore
08:22 or something, I will do some icing bath,
08:25 and then hot tub for a switch over, yeah.
08:28 - I feel like a good walk is how I like to recover,
08:31 and then just laying down and resting is pretty simple,
08:35 but that's what I like to do.
08:36 - This has gotten more and more important,
08:38 the longer I'm in the sport.
08:39 I love cold tubs, I love massage, that's my favorite.
08:42 I work with a PT,
08:43 so sometimes we'll do some stuff at the meet,
08:46 sometimes more at home.
08:47 I also love Norma Tech,
08:48 all the hyper ice like massage guns and everything,
08:52 so those are some of my go-tos.
08:53 - Recovery from contests is always really hard.
08:57 Those moments, especially mentally, take a toll,
09:00 and you love being in that atmosphere
09:02 if you're very competitive like I am.
09:04 So just kind of consists of getting back into the realm
09:06 of it, kind of taking some time off the board,
09:08 maybe getting out on the golf course, pretty mellow.
09:10 (upbeat music)
09:13 [BLANK_AUDIO]