Rename "Recovery">>"Adaptation"

bahzob

I've been reading and would recommend the book,

http://www.amazon.com/Nutrient-Timing-Future-Sports-Nutrition/dp/1591201411

One thing I especially like is that it dispenses with the general use of the term "Recovery"

IMO this is something that should become standard practice.

"Recovery" has all the wrong connotations. It implies workouts are like an illness that will damage you and require time afterwards to allow you to get back to the same level you were before you were struck down by the lurgy.

This is quite wrong, it just sets up a negative state of thinking that can lead to folks thinking workouts are "harmful", the aches/pains caused are bad things like symptoms of an illness and they need to "recover" if they only train for short durations a few times a week.

It also misses the fundamental objective of the post exercise phase. It's not about "recovering", it's about getting fitter. It's during this time that your body responds to the stress training has imposed on it and reacts by not only repairing the damage caused but making things better than they were before.

So I'd propose scrapping the general usage of the term "Recovery" in discussions about training and replacing it with the term "Adaptation". (I prefer this to the phrase "Growth" used in the book cited above since it's more generally applicable across sports). So days would usually consist of workout/adaptation pairs with extra full "Adaptation" days planned in.

Training plans then look, to my eyes, more sensible. You schedule workouts followed by adaptation phases which sounds positive and naturally leads to the expectation that you will improve over time. Moreover if you are aware of the details of how the adaptation process works (a 4 hour or so "rapid" phase followed by a 16-20 hour slower phase) it helps in planning training load/nutrition plans e.g. why exactly you may need to schedule a full "Adaptation" day or when you can double up daily workouts.

I would not get rid of "Recovery" altogether however. I would reserve it for when you really need downtime because of physical/mental overload, when you really are a bit sick and just need time off.

Stalin

Hard training requires recovery. Failure to recover fully before next bout of hard training is a mistake many make. Recovery is a good word to use, recovery and adaptation are different things.

imposter2.0

Realistically, you could call it 'colin' for all the difference it would make - it amounts to the same thing.



(apologies to any Colins who may be reading)

BenderRodriguez

I think that bahzob is onto something here.

'Recovery' does have a number of negative connotations. For example, one 'recovers' from a crash or illness, with the hope being that you will get back to where you were. On the other hand the whole point of training is to get better by means of the body adapting to the training load.

To me 'adaptation' is also a more constructive term to use as 'recovery' tends to be a rather passive process (as when you lay in bed with the flu) whilst the term 'adaptation' encourages one to think of it as being a positive, active process that one can engage with.

Also, far too many cyclists are chronic over-trainers who are loath to recognise that they don't allow enough time for recovery, perhaps because deep down they perceive taking time off the bike as being a sign of weakness, or as a challenge to their belief in the cult of 'work'. Emphasising the adaptive aspects of 'recovery' might encourage such riders to rest more effectively so they can actually benefit from all that 'work' that they do.

JayKosta

I think that 'recovery' is the proper term because hard training DOES cause actual INJURY to the muscles and other tissue. The injured tissue requires time to HEAL and re-grow, and the 'super compensation' process is what improves strength and fitness.

Using the term ADAPTATION doesn't convey the need for a period of rest time for the process.

Yes, the body does adapt, but it does so by the process of: Stress, followed by Rest & Recovery.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

Max Bridges

Recovery is the right word to use. Too many cyclists don't understand that hard training does actually do damage which needs repairing. You need to recover and repair damage before you train hard again otherwise you end up breaking down more than you repair and rebuild and then you don't adapt. This is why some people who train hard don't improve much. It isn't training too hard but they train too hard at the wrong times.

mamba80

Why is "Recovery" a negative word? its the exact opposite, you are recovering from a hard work out or an injury and there fore getting better.
anyhow adaptation is right mouthful of a word

bahzob

Using the correct and accurate terminology is important. Failing to do so leads to misinterpretation, especially when you use words that have meaning in other contexts.

The fundamental reasons why "Recovery" is the wrong word to use is that in general usage:
> The need for it is caused by something bad which you are better off avoiding in the first place.
> The symptoms of this sickness are uncomfortable and a sign something is wrong
> The end objective is simply to get you back to a state of fitness around where you were before being struck down.
> Once you get well again you try to avoid a repeat of getting sick
> You can't do yourself much harm by overdoing recovery

None of these apply to so called "Recovery" in the context of training
> If your end goal is getting as fit as your potential allows then far from avoiding training you want to be doing as much as possible
> The symptoms of training are a bit painful but a positive sign that the training is actually having an effect an accordingly are to be welcomed (ofc I distinguish the "good" signs of DOMS from actual injury. Though actually for cycling, provided your bike is correctly fitted, the chances of actual injury are very low, crashes aside).
> The end objective is to get better.
> You want to "recover" as quickly as possible so you repeat the cause by doing more training.
> You can overdo "recovery". By worrying too much about it you reduce the amount of that could be spent training and if you spend days "recovering" you will soon start losing hard earned fitness.

I accept "Adaptation" is not the best term. The book I quoted calls this the "Growth" phase since it primarily focussed on strength training. This is probably a better term for them but I thought not so good for cyclists who often want to grow less.

I'd be happy if someone can suggest a better term. But I remain convinced we should junk the general usage of the word "Recovery" and reserve it for when it really applies in its usual usage i.e. when we get sick.

Tom Dean

Could all those reading this who have been misinterpreting the word recovery please reply.

I want to know if I have been crediting people with too much intelligence :roll:

JayKosta

Yes, there is some semantic inaccuracy with the term 'recovery' regarding physical training because in 'general usage' it is understood as meaning 'returning to the original condition' - NOT 'becoming BETTER than original'.

But at least in English language publications about physical training, 'recovery' is a current 'term of art' that is widely used and understood to mean "heal, and improve via super-compensation".

If use of the word actually casues any misunderstanding or loss of clarity, THEN a change might be justified.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

apreading

After exercise, the muscles go through repair and growth. Repairing the micro-tears in the muscles and growth to add muscle mass and be better prepared for similar exertion without so much damage next time. The latter part of this (growth) is the body adapting, I think it would be stretching the term adaptation to include the recovery/repair part of this too. Recovery is intended to encompass all elements of the bodies reaction to damage - i.e. both the repair and growth part.

DiscoBoy

Nonsense. Recovery and adaptation are different things.

dw300

Just off the trainer, now for some well earned Colin.

simon_e

I'm happy to think of it this way: Recovery is what you do after training; Adaptation is the desired outcome.

I would prefer to go on a recovery ride rather than an adaptation ride; the latter sounds like I'm getting used to a new prosthetic limb or a third wheel.

But does it really matter? On bikeradar forums?

Alex_Simmons/RST

Simon E wrote:

I would prefer to go on a recovery ride rather than an adaptation ride; the latter sounds like I'm getting used to a new prosthetic limb or a third wheel.

I've done plenty of adaptation rides that had nothing to do with recovery.

Recovery and adaptation are different things.

Adaptation implies many things, including neural and psychological adaptations, as well as physiological ones. Adaptation is the process of improving through repeated exposure to a stimulus or stress and is an acknowledged basic principle of exercise - The Principle of Adaptation).

Recovery is a necessary and important component for assisting adaptation, but it is not the only element. One must actually perform the exercise in order to adapt.

I've never considered recovery to imply negative connotations about training. I see no particular reason to suggest it needs changing. The whole point is to provide sufficient access to conditions that enable one to recover from training/exercise stresses and associated fatigue (physiological, neural, psychological).

bahzob

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

I've never considered recovery to imply negative connotations about training. I see no particular reason to suggest it needs changing. The whole point is to provide sufficient access to conditions that enable one to recover from training/exercise stresses and associated fatigue (physiological, neural, psychological).

Frequently here and elsewhere there are questions about how much "recovery" is needed and associated worries about over-training.

Very often these are from folks who are doing nowhere near enough training to ever worry about needing to truly "recover" and who will never get close to over-training.

The converse is also true, its not unusual for folks to get addicted to training which can lead to a tendency to regard "recovery" as wasted time better spent doing more miles.

I think this is because "recovery" is a wishy washy term that in general usage implies something is wrong.

As said I don't think the term "adaptation" is perfect, the book I referenced talks of phases in training:
- Energy Phase - Actually doing workouts
- Anabolic Phase - Immediate post workout window when you want to transition from spending energy into building/improving muscle
- Growth Phase - Remaining time until next "Energy Phase"
and perhaps this nomenclature would be better. (Perhaps replacing growth with "Improvement"?)

It certainly provides a better and more precise insight into what is happening when we train than the potentially misleading term "recovery".

This is more than just semantics, this better insight allows better decision taking be it in terms of addressing worries about over-training or allowing those who want to train harder do so without compromising the end objective of getting fitter.

It also describes the process of training in a positive joined-up manner which IMO will help understanding of how/why to train in the most effect manner.

simon_e

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

I've done plenty of adaptation rides that had nothing to do with recovery.

Recovery and adaptation are different things.

I didn't think anyone was confusing them.

bahzob wrote:

Frequently here and elsewhere there are questions about how much "recovery" is needed and associated worries about over-training.

Very often these are from folks who are doing nowhere near enough training to ever worry about needing to truly "recover" and who will never get close to over-training.

The converse is also true, its not unusual for folks to get addicted to training which can lead to a tendency to regard "recovery" as wasted time better spent doing more miles.

Perhaps both these groups would benefit from the structure of a training plan if they want to improve. You don't have to be 'addicted' to training to overtrain, it happens to people who are led to believe that "more is always better".

But I don't think our use of the word "recovery" on here is holding anyone back.

Mikey23

Forty years training and it's as if a light bulb has gone off in my head. All this time I've been recovering when I should have been adapting. It's too late for me now at my age but for you young ones, I wish you well..

Alex_Simmons/RST

bahzob wrote:

Very often these are from folks who are doing nowhere near enough training to ever worry about needing to truly "recover" and who will never get close to over-training.

I do agree that it is hard to attain a true state of over training, but that is unrelated to the need for recovery during normal training.

Even the person who has not exercised for a long time and then starts out, needs time to recover between exercise bouts. It would be foolish to not do so.

OfficerDigby

re·cov·er·y (rĭ-kŭv′ə-rē)
n. pl. re·cov·er·ies
1. The act, process, duration, or an instance of recovering.
2. A return to a normal condition.
3. Something gained or restored in recovering.
4. The act of obtaining usable substances from unusable sources.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
recovery (rɪˈkʌvərɪ)
n, pl -eries
1. the act or process of recovering, esp from sickness, a shock, or a setback; recuperation
2. restoration to a former or better condition
3. the regaining of something lost
4. the extraction of useful substances from waste
5. (Astronautics) the recovery of a space capsule after a space flight
6. (Law) law
a. the obtaining of a right, etc, by the judgment of a court
b. (in the US) the final judgment or verdict in a case
7. (Fencing) fencing a return to the position of guard after making an attack
8. (Rowing) swimming rowing the action of bringing the arm, oar, etc, forward for another stroke
9. (Swimming, Water Sports & Surfing) swimming rowing the action of bringing the arm, oar, etc, forward for another stroke
10. (Rowing) swimming rowing the action of bringing the arm, oar, etc, forward for another stroke
11. (Golf) golf a stroke played from the rough or a bunker to the fairway or green

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
re•cov•er•y (rɪˈkʌv ə ri)

n., pl. -er•ies.
1. the act or process of recovering.
2. the regaining of something lost or taken away.
3. restoration or return to any former and better condition, esp. to health from sickness, injury, addiction, etc.
4. something that is gained in recovering.
5. an improvement in the economy marking the end of a recession.
6. a movement or return to a particular position, esp. in preparation for the next movement.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French recoverie]


END OF THREAD.

Mikey23

Could you clarify that? :-)