The minute the whistle blows to end one game, marks the start of the preparation for the next game.
At one major aspect of preparation is recovery
You can download the SportsFit Recovery Guide Here
Here is a quick guide on recovery
Sleep: Sleep researchers across the world have discovered that sleep deprivation has a big impact on mental and physiological processes within the body. Poor quality sleep will affect your cardiovascular performance, metabolism, the levels of information your brain can process, and your emotional response to required tasks.
If you need a nocturnal sleep period of 8 hours but only achieve 6, you will accumulate enough sleep debt in less than 14 days to reduce your cardiovascular performance by up to 11%.
Nutrition and hydration: Proactive recovery nutrition is especially important if you complete two or more training sessions in one day or two sessions in close succession (e.g. evening session followed by early morning session the next day).
Rehydrating should begin soon after finishing your training session or event, however, the urgency for carbohydrate and protein after exercise depends on how long you have until your next exercise session. The body is most effective at replacing carbohydrate and promoting muscle repair and growth in the first ~60-90min after exercise, however this will continue to occur for another ~12-24hr. So, if you have a quick turn around between sessions it’s a good idea to maximise your recovery in the first 60-90 minutes after you finish exercising.
Hot/Cold Showers: A contrast shower is simple. All you do is alternate between hot and cold water. The hot water dilates your blood vessels and increases blood circulation, and the cold water constricts your blood vessels and decreases blood flow. The contrast creates a pump effect that flushes your body of lactic acid and other toxins that build up during exercise.
It’s best to take a contrast shower after a workout, practice or game; however, you can take one on off days as well.
Massage: A good therapeutic massage helps loosen up your muscles after a workout, which in turn allows you to recover from the impact better and faster than you normally would. New research from the Ohio State University has found that getting a massage straight after a workout can reduce muscle pain and weakness, as well as reduce the risk of swelling and inflammation.
Muscles that are massaged right away will experience a 20-40% chance of recovery.
Massage is also an effective treatment for DOMS post-event and post-workout. Massage helps to reduce DOMS by relieving tightness and restoring blood flow to the muscles straight after a training session.
Normatec Recovery Boots: NormaTec compression therapy is clinically proven by a range of research studies. Research has revealed that NormaTec aids to:
Lessen pain sensitivity. Therefore accelerating recovery by reducing muscle soreness from pressure stimuli
Treat DOMS. A 30min session in the NormaTec compression boots increases blood flow possibility making it a viable management of DOMS
Clear metabolites Passively. NormaTec compression significantly lower blood lactate levels
Decreases Muscle Fatigue After Exercise. Increases Flexibility and skeletal muscle oxidative stress during recovery from heavy resistance training
Increased Range of Motion. NormaTec rapidly enhances acute range of motion with less discomfort and time
Sources
https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/factsheets/fuelling-recovery/recovery-nutrition/