In this episode, we unpack the often-overlooked but crucial component of any training plan: recovery. Starting with a Finnish saying, "There's still time to rest in the grave," we explore how this mindset can hinder rather than help long-term progress. From the science of muscle memory and rest-enhanced performance to practical strategies like active recovery and the game-changing role of sleep, this episode is your deep dive into why less can sometimes be more.

We also cover:

• The surprising results of a triathlete’s 3-month training break
• Why anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen might slow your recovery
• The role of cooling in improving sleep and recovery
• How to use your morning heart rate to monitor recovery
• Why even a week off won’t derail your fitness progress

Additional resources are available in the links below.

• Gaining more from doing less?
• Caffeine Attenuates Delayed-Onset Muscle Pain and Force Loss Following Eccentric Exercise
• The effect of caffeine ingestion on delayed onset muscle soreness - PubMed
• Pay Attention to the Pes Anserine in Knee Osteoarthritis - Pes anserine syndrome or bursitis is a clinical condition marked by tenderness 2–3 inches below the knee. It's often caused by overuse or poor alignment and affects the sartorius tendon and/or pes anserine bursa. Treatment may include NSAIDs, corticosteroid injections, and physical therapy.
• Traumatic musculotendinous injuries of the knee - Sartorius muscle strains can result from traumatic or overuse injuries, particularly due to its superficial and biarticular (crossing both hip and knee joints) nature. It is especially susceptible to strain injuries and best visualized using MRI, which distinguishes between muscle contusion, strain, or tendon avulsion.
• Pes Anserine Tendinopathy - Pes anserine tendinopathy often involves the sartorius, gracilis, and semitendinosus tendons at their common insertion on the medial knee. It typically results from repetitive stress, poor biomechanics, and inflammation, especially in runners and athletes. Treatment includes rest, physical therapy, and posture correction
• Stiffness of the iliotibial band and associated muscles in runner’s knee
• Running injury-free : how to prevent, treat, and recover from runner's knee, shin splints, sore feet, and every other ache and pain
• Runner's Knee: What Is It and How Effective Is Conservative Management?
• Sleeping for One Week on a Temperature-Controlled Mattress Cover Improves Sleep and Cardiovascular Recovery
• Core body temperature changes before sleep are associated with nocturnal heart rate variability
• Sleep quality is a predictor of muscle mass, strength, quality of life, anxiety and depression in older adults with obesity | Scientific Reports
• Efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter study
• NSAIDs do not prevent exercise-induced performance deficits or alleviate muscle soreness: A placebo-controlled randomized, double-blinded, cross-over study.
• Muscle damage and inflammation during recovery from exercise.
• Is the inflammatory reaction an essential part of recovery after muscle injury?
• Anti-inflammatory interventions and skeletal muscle injury: benefit or detriment?
• Effects of Ibuprofen on Muscle Hypertrophy and Inflammation: a Review of Literature
• New explanation for muscle memory found in muscle proteins: memory traces from resistance training persist for over two months | University of Jyväskylä
• Cardiovascular and muscular plasticity in an endurance-master athlete following 12 weeks of detraining and retraining: a case study

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