How RECOVERY Can Make You a FASTER SWIMMER

In 2016, Michael Phelps made the headlines for a different reason than winning gold medals: the purple dots all over around his body.

While it may look like he’s been in a bar fight or was the target for a baseball pitching practice, the dots are actually signs of “cupping,” an ancient Chinese healing practice that many swimmers use for recovery. But how does it work? Can you do it, too? Why is it good for swimmers?

We’ll answer all these questions, but first we need to understand what RECOVERY actually means.

By definition, recovery is the process by which the body and mind restore themselves after physical exertion, stress, or injury, allowing an individual to return to optimal performance and function.

In swimming, recovery is the period following exercise or competition when the body repairs damaged tissues, replenishes energy stores, and eliminates waste products generated by intense physical activity. And it is CRUCIAL for preventing injuries, maintaining consistent progress and long-term physical and mental well-being.

You might be wondering: “Isn’t it only for professional athletes?”, and the answer is NO. Swimmers of every level that want to keep improving need recovery time, so yeah, you too!

Imagine swimming as constructing a building: training provides the raw materials, but recovery is the scaffolding that ensures each brick is placed correctly and securely. Without proper recovery, the structure weakens.

In sports, recovery is not a luxury – it’s a fundamental part of training. In fact, studies show that performance can decrease by up to 30% without sufficient recovery between intense workouts.

While the buoyancy of water can be forgiving on joints compared to running or jumping sports, swimming requires an enormous amount of muscle coordination, endurance, and power, so that means swimmers need effective recovery methods that repair muscles, reduce inflammation, and restore energy reserves.

One of the most effective methods for recovering after a swim session is Active Recovery.

This technique involves engaging in low-intensity movement, such as light swimming or walking, which helps to clear lactic acid buildup from the muscles. Research shows that active recovery can reduce blood lactate levels quicker than complete rest, which allows for faster muscle recovery, so… DO NOT SKIP COOL DOWN!

The controlled deceleration in cool down helps the heart and muscles recover faster. In many ways, active recovery is like a “flush” for the muscles, sweeping away the metabolic byproducts of hard work.

Another widely known and beloved recovery method is Massage Therapy. 

It serves not only as a method to relax the muscles but also as an essential tool for improving blood circulation, reducing inflammation, and enhancing flexibility. In swimming, repeated stress is placed on specific muscle groups such as the shoulders, back, and legs. Regular massage , therefore therapy is invaluable for preventing injury and maintaining peak physical condition.

Studies show that sports massage can significantly reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is a common issue for athletes after intense workouts or competitions . Massaging stimulates blood flow to fatigued muscles, which helps speed up the healing process and clear metabolic waste. By reducing muscle tension and promoting relaxation, it can also lead to improved sleep, which, as we’ll talk in a bit, is a key factor in overall recovery.

Massage therapy has been shown to decrease cortisol levels – the stress hormone –, while increasing the production of feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. This contributes to a sense of calm and well-being, which is particularly important for swimmers who must deal with the mental rigors of competition, early-morning practices, and performance pressure.

However, in recent years, swimmers and athletes from other sports have expanded their recovery toolkit to include more specialized techniques, such as cupping therapy and cryotherapy, both of which offer additional benefits to massage in terms of muscle recovery and pain management.

Cupping therapy has gained popularity in the sports world over the last decade, partly due to its visibility in high-profile athletes such as Michael Phelps, whose cupping marks were visible during the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Cupping is an ancient therapy with roots in traditional Chinese medicine. It involves placing special cups (made of glass, bamboo, or silicone) on the skin and creating suction. The suction pulls the skin into the cup, drawing blood toward the surface, which increases circulation in the targeted area.

For swimmers, cupping can be particularly beneficial for muscle recovery and pain relief. By increasing blood flow to specific areas, cupping helps to break up scar tissue and reduce inflammation, which can speed up the healing process after a tough workout or competition. Research suggests that cupping can be effective in treating musculoskeletal pain, especially in the shoulders and back—two areas that swimmers often struggle with due to the repetitive nature of the sport.

Cupping is thought to promote lymphatic drainage, which can accelerate the removal of toxins from the body and to relieve tension in muscles and connective tissue (fascia).

One unique aspect of cupping is its potential to work deeply into the muscles without the pressure associated with deep-tissue massage. Some swimmers find that they benefit from cupping as a less painful alternative to traditional massages. The circular marks left on the skin, while sometimes dramatic, are generally painless and fade within a few days. 

What do you think? Would you try cupping?

Another recovery technique that has gained popularity in recent years is cryotherapy.

Although cold water immersion, such as ice baths, has been widely used for years in the sports world, cryotherapy takes the concept of cold treatment to the next level. In cryotherapy, the body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures, as low as -130°C or -200°F for short periods (typically two to three minutes) in a specially designed cryotherapy chamber.

The extreme cold rapidly reduces inflammation, alleviates muscle soreness and accelerates the body’s natural recovery processes. During a cryotherapy session, blood vessels constrict, which helps limit swelling. Once the session is over, blood vessels dilate, increasing blood flow to the muscles. This process helps flush out toxins and metabolic waste, while delivering oxygen and nutrients needed for muscle repair and growth.

Cryotherapy has also been shown to reduce DOMS, allowing swimmers to return to training with less pain and stiffness. In fact, research indicates that cryotherapy can lead to a significant reduction in muscle pain and fatigue, especially after high-intensity exercise. This makes it an attractive recovery option for swimmers who need to maintain a high level of performance during back-to-back training sessions or competitions.

One of the reasons cryotherapy is favored by some athletes over traditional ice baths is that it is a much shorter process. Ice baths require immersion for 10-15 minutes, while a cryotherapy session typically lasts only 2-3 minutes.

What would you prefer? 10 minutes at 0ºC or 2 minutes at -130ºC? Tough choice…

Another critical component of recovery for swimmers is Nutrition. Think of nutrition as the fuel that powers your body’s recovery machinery. After a workout, muscles are depleted of glycogen (stored carbohydrates), and protein synthesis is needed to repair micro-tears in the muscle fibers.

For swimmers, proper post-workout nutrition involves replenishing glycogen stores and providing the body with protein to rebuild muscle. Studies suggest that consuming a meal or snack containing a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein within 30-45 minutes of training is optimal for recovery. This could be something as simple as a banana and a protein shake or a more substantial meal of chicken and rice.

All these sound great, but there’s no recovery method as accessible as sleep. Yes, sleep!

When you’re sleeping, the body repairs muscles, replenishes energy stores, and regulates hormones like cortisol and growth hormone. According to a study published in The International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, athletes who get 8-10 hours of sleep per night demonstrate improved reaction times, accuracy, and overall performance . 

So sleep is the MVP of recovery tools, offering widespread benefits from muscle regeneration to mental clarity. It’s a reminder that no amount of ice baths or protein shakes can replace the restorative power of quality sleep.

In the end, recovery is the yin to the training yang, a delicate balance that ensures swimmers can continue pushing the limits without breaking down. Whether you choose cupping, massages, cryotherapy, stretching, red light therapy, foam rolling, micro needling, acupuncture, or any other recovery method, understanding the art and science of recovery can make all the difference in staying strong and swimming fast.

It’s not just about resting; it’s about using the right tools and techniques to ACTIVELY support the body in repairing itself and preparing for the next challenge.

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