Hard work doesn’t end when you leave the gym. The hardest part is often the next 72 hours after a workout. Your muscles are sore. You don’t feel like moving. And you’re itching to get back in the gym so you can do it all over again. Fortunately, there are a number of steps anyone can take to accelerate the time it takes to get back to 100% after a workout. And, in fact, you’ll actually be at more than 100% since your body will have adapted to your last workout.

1. Do Cardio

My high school soccer coach always used to prescribe cardio for muscle soreness. I know a lot of people today who swear by cardio for faster recovery. They do cardio whether the initial workout responsible for muscle soreness was aerobic or anaerobic. The logic is that cardio gets blood and nutrients flowing to the muscles thereby decreasing the time it takes to heal. And it might be dead on.

Researchers at California State University ran a study on 26 women and found that those who performed moderate-intensity cardio immediately after a strength workout returned to greater than full strength a day sooner than those who did light cardio or no cardio at all. Moderate activity may ironically help you recover faster than passively waiting for your body to recover (Don’t just sit there, do something!)

2. Get Better Sleep

Sleep is when the body does the majority of its recovery. Sleep is the best way to optimize hormone levels and give the body adequate time to recover from exercise. And sleep is about depth as well as length. If you’ve worked out for any length of time, you’ve probably already noticed that quality of sleep correlates with recovery time and athletic performance.

A study of 10,125 Chinese universities students found that men who slept at least 7-8 hours had more muscle strength than those who slept less than 6 hours (this same difference was not observed in women). Another study detected a 10-15% decline in daytime testosterone levels in test subjects whose sleep was restricted to no more than 5 hours. This decline was after just one week of sleep deprivation.

Check out my article on 8 Natural Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep. They are 1) exercise; 2) reduce stress; 3) get light exposure during the day; 4) eliminate blue light exposure at night; 5) install blackout shades; 6) use white noise to drown out sound pollution; 7) practice meditation before bed; 8) take a Zinc or Magnesium supplement.

3. Optimize Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D is the king of testosterone. I like to call Vitamin D steroids from God owing to research that discovered double and triple increases in testosterone upon male exposure to UV light. Another study observed a 20% decrease in stress fractures in female Navy recruits who supplemented Vitamin D.

Vitamin D plays a vital role in overall health in both males and females. It is important for mood, energy, protein synthesis, and muscle recovery. It follows that optimizing Vitamin D levels may be the easiest and most powerful way to accelerate workout recovery time and maximize gains. Some things in life are free, and energy from the sun is chief among them.

4. Supplement Zinc or Magnesium

Researchers have observed increases in testosterone after Zinc and Magnesium supplementation. In a study conducted on ZMA supplementation (Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B-6), men who took 30 mg of Zinc and 450 mg of Magnesium over an 8-week period observed a 25% increase in free testosterone levels. More testosterone=faster recovery. This is why bodybuilders on steroids can workout 4 hours a day and be ready to go the next morning. Unlike steroids, which can absolutely wreck health and lead to premature disease and death, Zinc and Magnesium are natural alternatives.

Another 12-week study on elderly women found that 12-weeks of Magnesium supplementation increased physical performance. Magnesium supplementation is commonly recommended to reduce recovery time in both men and women.

For more on Zinc, Magnesium, and ZMA, check out 4 Researched Benefits of Supplementing Zinc and 4 Researched Benefits of Supplementing Magnesium.

5. Take a Cold Shower

Researchers conducted a study in which they discovered that cold hydrotherapy reduced delayed onset muscle soreness after a workout. (Note: Caution is advised due to the possible safety risks of cold water exposure.)

The authors included 17 small trials involving 366 people in their review. Participants were asked to get into a bath or container of cold water after running, cycling or resistance training. In most trials, participants spent five to 24 minutes in water that was between 10ºC and 15ºC, although in some cases lower temperatures were used or participants were asked to get in and out of the water at set times. In the studies that compared cold water immersion to resting or no intervention, there was a significant reduction in soreness one to four days after exercise.

Source: ScienceDaily

Cold showers are a personal favorite. I have taken cold showers for almost two years now. In another article, I documented 7 benefits of the discipline. One benefit that I didn’t document is decreased muscle soreness. As soon as I enter the cold water, the last thing on my mind is how sore my muscle’s feel from yesterday’s workout. And, based on research and personal experience, cold showers can have a more lasting effect on muscle recovery.

Conclusion:

A hard workout is not a sentence to multiple days of pain and inactivity. In addition to getting in better overall shape, there are simple steps anyone can take to reduce muscle recovery time.

I talk a lot about sleep on this site because sleep is vital for human health and well-being. As a result, making sleep a priority is one of the wisest things anyone can do. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to improve sleep quality short of prescription drugs. My insomnia is what initially led me to research and experiment with different solutions. What you find below is the result of that process several years later. In fact, today I almost always fall asleep within a few minutes of going to bed.

The natural techniques below have worked for me and countless others. I’ve linked to several other articles I have written on sleep quality so you can have them all in one place.

1. Exercise

In 2018, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta analysis of data on exercise and sleep quality that included 9 studies and 557 participants. They concluded, “Our findings suggest that exercise can improve sleep quality without notable adverse effects.” But you probably already knew that. Exercises tires you out. It releases happy chemicals. It makes you feel better about life. And it reduces stress, which leads me to item #2.

2. Reduce Stress

Stress kills. And I’m not just talking about the stress of external responsibilities. I’m talking about the internal stress that people carry around, whether they work stressful jobs or are retired and living in a vacation home. Emotional stress will not let people’s mind rest during the day or at night. For help processing emotions that interfere with sleep quality, check out When Emotions Are High, Wisdom Is Low and Radical Forgiveness Will Change Your Life.

3. Get Light Exposure During the Day

Researchers discovered that those exposed to sunlight before 12 PM or other bright indoor lights slept better at night and tended to feel less stressed and depressed (here). Sunlight exposure is the preferred option due to Vitamin D synthesis, but may not be possible in the winter or if you work a day job. In any case, bright light early in the day helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm (internal clock) so that you have high energy early in the day and feel tired close to bedtime.

4. Eliminate Blue Light Exposure At Night

Blue light from our cellphones impairs the release of melatonin, a hormone that tells our body when it’s time to go to sleep. When the sun is its hottest, melatonin levels plummet, and they gradually increase as the intensity of sunlight decreases. Our brain simply can’t distinguish between light from our phones and light from the sun that has dictated waking and sleeping patterns since time immemorial. Check out Blue Light From Your Phone May Be Keeping You Awake at Night for the science behind light exposure and sleep quality as well as an easy fix for iOS users (there’s a special setting Apple installed called Night Shift).

5. Install Blackout Shades

Light from our phones is not the only culprit. Street lights, porch lights, and sunlight can all leak into a room and substantially reduce sleep quality. Blackout shades work by adding an extra layer of window coverage that keeps this from happening. They’re cheap and easy to install, and I couldn’t recommend them more. For more, check out How to Darken Your Room and Get a Better Night’s Sleep.

6. Use White Noise To Drown out Sound Pollution

Quoting from my article Free White Noise Tracks to Help You Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep:

Environmental noise happens when people talk, watch TV, play party music, or snore within earshot of somebody trying to catch some shut-eye. Environmental noise has been scientifically demonstrated to decrease sleep intensity, increase stress hormone secretion, reduce cognitive performance, increase tiredness, and may be a long-term risk factor of high blood pressure and heart disease. . . White noise refers to sound that contains frequencies with equal intensities. In layman’s term, white noise produces an even, consistent sound that is effective at drowning out disruptive noises that interfere with the quality of sleep. People who rely on the sound emitted by their fan or essential oil diffuser to fall asleep at night are utilizing white noise.

I have utilized white noise for years. It’s free and works brilliantly. No more hating on your housemates and neighbors for being loud and obnoxious at night.

7. Practice Meditation Before Bed

Meditation is a proven way to relax the mind and reduce stress. In fact, the old prescription of counting sheep is a form of meditation. Guided visualizations are another popular type that involve written or audio material designed to get the minds imaginative faculties working. They’re commonly used to heal emotions, forgive, relax, or simply to enjoy the brain’s natural ability to create reality. Check out Weightless (Guided Visualization to Promote Relaxation). If you’re like me, meditation of some kind before bed will work wonders.

8. Take a Zinc or Magnesium Supplement

Zinc and Magnesium are great natural alternatives to prescription medication. Studies have found that subjects who took Zinc or Magnesium slept deeper, longer, and experienced fewer disruptions. For the research and more on Zinc and Magnesium, see Four Researched Benefits of Supplementing Zinc and Four Researched Benefits of Supplementing Magnesium. A supplement called ZMA containing Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B-6 is commonly taken before bed to improve sleep quality. The most high-value ZMA product I have found is MET-Rx ZMA Supplement 90 Capsules. It’s very affordable and works wonders for a lot of people’s sleep.

Conclusion:

Sleep is both an art and a science. A myriad of factors influence its quality. And its quality, in turn, greatly influences life outcomes. Before your throw in the towel or reach for a prescription, consider one of the 8 natural methods above proven to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

My mom is a nutritionist and is constantly raving about the health benefits of Magnesium. Magnesium has been in favor with health professionals for a long time. It used to be recommended to treat a host of illnesses. According to Doctor Emily Deans at Psychology Today, “Magnesium is an old home remedy for all that ails you, including ‘anxiety, apathy, depression, headaches, insecurity, irritability, restlessness, talkativeness, and sulkiness'” (link). For Magnesium’s biological function, I will leave that to the experts over at the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association:

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body after calcium, potassium, and sodium. Magnesium activates more than 600 enzymes and influences extracellular calcium levels. It is essential for the stability of cell function, RNA and DNA synthesis, and cell repair, as well as maintaining the antioxidant status of the cell. It is an important cofactor for the activation of a wide range of transporters and enzymes. Also, magnesium-dependent kinases are responsible for the activation of up to 30% of the functional body proteins. Approximately 40% of total body magnesium content is intracellular, and almost 60% of magnesium is present in bone and teeth, with less than 1% in extracellular fluids.

We naturally obtain Magnesium from our diet, but most people don’t get nearly enough. Martha Shrubsole, PhD, a research professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center told Healthline,

A lot of people have received recommendations from their healthcare providers to take vitamin D supplements to increase their levels based upon their blood tests. . . In addition to vitamin D, however, magnesium deficiency is an under-recognized issue. Up to 80 percent of people do not consume enough magnesium in a day to meet the recommended dietary allowance (link).

Magnesium-deficient individuals obviously stand the most to gain from supplementation but the four benefits outlined below apply to everyone.

1. Magnesium Improves Sleep Quality

In an 8-week study conducted on the elderly, Magnesium supplementation dramatically improved sleep quality.

As compared to the placebo group, in the experimental group, dietary magnesium supplementation brought about statistically significant increases in sleep time (P = 0.002), sleep efficiency (P = 0.03), concentration of serum renin (P < 0.001), and melatonin (P = 0.007), and also resulted in significant decrease of ISI score (P = 0.006), sleep onset latency (P = 0.02) and serum cortisol concentration (P = 0.008). Supplementation also resulted in marginally between-group significant reduction in early morning awakening (P = 0.08) and serum magnesium concentration (P = 0.06). Although total sleep time (P = 0.37) did not show any significant between-group differences.

Researchers concluded

Supplementation of magnesium appears to improve subjective measures of insomnia such as ISI score, sleep efficiency, sleep time and sleep onset latency, early morning awakening, and likewise, insomnia objective measures such as concentration of serum renin, melatonin, and serum cortisol, in elderly people.

Magnesium has been described as the original chill pill and has long been prescribed to treat insomnia.

2. Magnesium Helps Optimize Vitamin D Levels

I talk a lot on this site about the power of Vitamin D in human health. Humans have a Vitamin D receptor in almost every cell. Vitamin D is a key to testosterone, athletic performance, and overall health, and there are ways to optimize it without direct sun exposure. It is a well-known fact that Magnesium plays a vital role in Vitamin D optimization. According to the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association:

The adequate balance of magnesium and vitamin D is essential for maintaining the physiologic functions of various organs. Vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphate balance to maintain healthy bone functions.1-6 Skeletal muscles, heart, teeth, bones, and many other organs require magnesium to sustain their physiologic functions. Furthermore, magnesium is needed to activate vitamin D. Abnormal levels in either of these nutrients can lead to serious organ dysfunctions.

It is also well-known that Magnesium deficiency impairs the body’s ability to produce Vitamin D. Doctors regularly recommend Magnesium supplementation for Vitamin D-deficient patients who do not respond to Vitamin D supplementation alone. According to Healthline,

Researchers also have noted variations in vitamin D synthesis, with some people failing to raise their levels of the vitamin even when taking high-dose supplements. Dr. Qi Dai, the lead author on the latest study and a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said their research explains why. ‘Magnesium deficiency shuts down the vitamin D synthesis and metabolism pathway’ (link).

3. Magnesium Raises Total and Free Testosterone Levels

This study studied the effect of Magnesium supplementation and exercise on total and free testosterone levels. It measured testosterone levels resting before supplementation, exhaustion before supplementation, resting after supplementation, and exhaustion after supplementation in three study groups, two of which supplemented with varying amounts of Magnesium. The researchers concluded that “supplementation with magnesium increases free and total testosterone values in sedentary and in athletes. The increases are higher in those who exercise than in sedentary individuals.”

In another study done on ZMA supplementation (Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B-6), participants who took 450 mg of Magnesium aspartate over an 8-week period observed a substantial 25% increase in free testosterone levels. We don’t know the precise role Magnesium played in this experiment given the presence of two other minerals. However, based on other studies like the one cited above it is safe to conclude that Magnesium increases testosterone levels.

I have taken Magnesium on and off for years and have noticed an increase in energy and gains. I have also noticed a dramatic increase in libido.

4. Magnesium Improves Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety

A controlled study gave Magnesium to adults who were experiencing mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression. After the 6-week intervention, patients reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety on Patient Health Questionnaire. The researchers concluded “Magnesium is effective for mild-to-moderate depression in adults. It works quickly and is well tolerated without the need for close monitoring for toxicity.”

For more discussion on the relationship between Magnesium and depression, see Doctor Emily Dean’s article on Magnesium for Depression (link).

Where to Buy Magnesium:

When purchasing Magnesium, be mindful of bioavailability. Bioavailability affects how much of the mineral your body can absorb and use. Magnesium oxide is quite common but does not get absorbed by the body as well as Magnesium citrate. For online purchases, my #1 recommendation is Amazon’s Solgar Magnesium Citrate, Highly Absorbable, Promotes Healthy Bones, Non-GMO. It’s Magnesium citrate, puts out a strong dose at 400 MG, and is the best bang for the buck.

For a ZMA supplement with 450mg of Magnesium that was found to increase free testosterone by 25% in the study cited above, check out MET-Rx ZMA Supplement 90 Capsules. You will be hard-pressed to find a better value product.

Conclusion:

There are a plethora of research-backed reasons for supplementing with Magnesium. I’ve focused on four of them in this article–improved sleep quality, Vitamin D optimization, increased testosterone levels, and improved symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Magnesium is one of the few supplements I’ve taken regularly over the years (Vitamin D and Zinc round out the trifecta). Decide for yourself in consultation with your doctor whether this super mineral is worth adding to your dietary regimen.

Zinc is one of those minerals you’ve probably already heard your doctor talk about. Zinc is involved in manifold bodily processes ranging from cell division and cell growth to wound healing and the breakdown of carbohydrates. We naturally obtain Zinc from out diet, but many people do not get enough. According to Medical News Today, 1.1 billion people worldwide are deficient in the mineral (link). These people obviously stand the most to gain from supplementing Zinc, but the benefits of Zinc are for everyone.

1. Zinc Improves Sleep Quality

This study examined the effect of zinc supplementation on the sleep quality of nurses in an intensive care unit. Researchers found that the intervention group (those who supplemented Zinc) scored higher on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which measures things like sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and sleep disturbances. The supplemented group also scored lower on sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) and subjectively rated their sleep quality better than the control group.

Other recent studies have come to the same conclusion. A review of the literature observed, “Recent research has concluded that zinc serum concentration varies with the amount of sleep, while orally administered zinc increases the amount and the quality of sleep in mice and humans.”

2. Zinc Raises Testosterone Levels

This study put sedentary men through a 4-week cycling routine and found that exercise decreased thyroid and testosterone levels. However, in the group that supplemented Zinc, thyroid and testosterone levels were substantially higher. The researchers concluded, “The results indicate that exercise decreases thyroid hormones and testosterone in sedentary men; however, zinc supplementation prevents this decrease.”

In a second study from 1996, dietary zinc restriction in young men resulted in a decrease in serum testosterone levels. The researchers also found that supplementing Zinc in elderly men who were moderately deficient in the mineral resulted in an increase in serum testosterone levels.

In a third study done on ZMA supplementation (Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B-6), participants who took 30mg of Zinc over an 8-week period observed a substantial 25% increase in free testosterone levels. This is something to keep in mind even though we do not know the precise role Zinc played given the presence of two other minerals.

It may follow from the data above that Zinc increases free testosterone in normal adults and testosterone in exercise and Zinc-deficient groups.

3. Zinc Improves Sperm Health

A meta-analysis of the scientific literature found that Zinc supplementation improved sperm health and several markers of fertility. The researchers observed, “Our meta-analysis results indicated that the seminal plasma zinc concentrations from infertile males were significantly lower than those from normal controls. . . Zinc supplementation was found to significantly increase the semen volume, sperm motility and the percentage of normal sperm morphology. . .”

Zinc is also known to increase libido (start taking it and you’ll know exactly what I mean). This may have to do with the combined effect of benefits #1, #2 and #3.

4. Zinc For The Immune System

Zinc’s vital role in immune system health has been well documented. Zinc researcher Ananda Prasad summarized research done on Zinc and immune function: “The zinc-deficient patients had severe immune dysfunctions, inasmuch as they died of intercurrent infections by the time they were 25 years of age. In our studies in an experimental human model of zinc deficiency, we documented decreased serum testosterone level, oligospermia, severe immune dysfunctions mainly affecting T helper cells, hyperammonemia, neurosensory disorders, and decreased lean body mass” (link).

I have not come across any studies demonstrating a supplement-induced increase in immune system function in people not deficient in the mineral. To my mind more studies would need to be done to confirm this link. However, the immune system is a primary reason a Zinc-deficient individual should consider supplementation. Immune system function also happens to be the benefit most commonly touted on most Zinc products.

Where To Buy Zinc:

You can get Zinc on the cheap at any store that sells supplements or online at Amazon. My favorite Zinc product is Nature’s Wonder Zinc 50mg Tablets. I used to take 50mg of Zinc Gluconate every day for years when I was hitting the gym heavy, but now I take it about every two or three days. For a ZMA supplement with 30mg of Zinc that was found to increase free testosterone by 25% in the study cited above, check out MET-Rx ZMA Supplement 90 Capsules. You will be hard-pressed to find a better value product.

Conclusion:

Zinc supplementation is widely recommended for its many health benefits. My late uncle who was a medical doctor surprisingly didn’t give much health advice. But he did tell me and all my brothers to supplement with Zinc on the daily. After reviewing the medical literature, I can see where he was coming from.

Don’t let the name fool you–Vitamin D is not your ordinary vitamin. Termed the sunshine vitamin for the human body’s incredible capacity to create it upon direct exposure to ultraviolet rays, Vitamin D is a powerful hormone that has a receptor in nearly every human cell. Vitamin D is involved in highly complex bodily processes from wound healing to calcium regulation to hormonal balance (study). In the scientific literature, low Vitamin D levels have been associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, heart disease, hypertension, bone fractures, depressive symptoms, autoimmune diseases, and a number of chronic conditions (link). Vitamin D status has also been positively correlated with wound healing and circulating testosterone levels in men, impacting athletic performance in a major way. Science is in agreement that optimizing Vitamin D levels is one of the most sensible health choices any human being can make.

The Vitamin D Council recommends 50 ng/ml of Vitamin D. Unfortunately, a large number of people around the world are Vitamin D-deficient due to lifestyle and seasonal changes. Take the American Midwest, for example. During the summer months the body can generate Vitamin D from about 9 AM to 6 PM, with peak production taking place from 11 to 3 PM when ultraviolet radiation is elevated. Since most Americans work during this time, they generate very little, if any, Vitamin D naturally from the sun. During the winter months where I live, no Vitamin D production is possible. Natural and lifestyle factors have contributed to an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency.

I am of the belief that there is no better substitute than direct sunlight exposure for optimizing Vitamin D. Our species evolved over thousands of years to harness life-giving energy from the sun, and we do not know for certain whether something is lost in the process of supplementation. With that said, due to work schedules, winter weather, and health concerns over skin damage induced by sun exposure, many doctors prescribe supplementation. Oral Vitamin D supplementation is the traditional route, but recent studies demonstrate that topical delivery (applying Vitamin D on the skin) is also effective at raising Vitamin D levels in the blood (study).

The first thing you want to do is get blood work done at your clinic in order to diagnose your current Vitamin D levels (easy to do and typically covered by insurance). For Vitamin D-deficient patients, your doctor will usually prescribe either Vitamin D3 50,000 or Vitamin D3 100,000 IU to be taken orally once per week. Your doctor may also advise you to purchase smaller doses of Vitamin D3 over-the-counter and supplement more regularly.

My preferred method of optimizing Vitamin D levels is with a Vitamin D3 transdermal cream. This method best resembles the way our bodies are naturally designed to generate Vitamin D. I take the same dose I would normally ingest orally and rub it on my skin using a lotion or cream applicator. I personally like to cut open my Vitamin D3 softgels with a toothpick. I’ve found this method to be much more cost-efficient method than purchasing Vitamin D3 topical from a retailer. My favorite Vitamin D3 supplement in softgel form is NatureWise Vitamin D3 5,000 IU. I get the most bang for my buck using the higher 5,000 IU dosage and the company is large enough to sell the product for a low price.

When applying Vitamin D3 from the softgel directly to my skin, I use a cream or lotion carrier so that I can easily spread it around. My favorite product for this purpose is Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. I like to use enough carrier cream so that I can evenly apply the product imitating how the body naturally produces Vitamin D from sunlight. If you do not want to mix your own Vitamin D3 cream, Vitamin D3 pre-mixed and ready for direct transdermal application is available on Amazon. The only topical Vitamin D I have ever purchased is AnuMed Vitamin D3 Cream 10,000 IU. It works as advertised and requires no preparation, but I personally enjoy mixing the Vitamin D3 and the cost savings of doing it myself.

Two pro tips for topical Vitamin D delivery.

1. Apply Vitamin D Topical in the Morning or Early Afternoon

Vitamin D generation signals to our body that the sun is out. Circulating levels of melatonin, a hormone that helps us sleep, decreases during the daylight hours. I apply the cream early in the day to give my body time to absorb the Vitamin D and so it doesn’t interfere with my sleep quality.

2. Apply Vitamin D Topical After the Shower

Studies evidence that Vitamin D precursors can be washed off due to water/soap exposure (See Helmer AC, Jensen CH: Vitamin D precursors removed from the skin by washing. Studies Inst Divi Thomae 1937, 1:207-216). Since Vitamin D on the skin can take more than a day to fully metabolize, I apply it after a shower to lengthen the window for absorption prior to the next administration.

Conclusion

Ancient religions worshiped the sun, modern countries wear it on their flag, and contemporary science evidences how critical the sun is to human health and well-being. The recent capacity of scientists to extract Vitamin D3 from plants and animals has made it possible to enjoy many of the health benefits of the sun without direct sun exposure. It stands to reason that everyone should get their Vitamin D levels clinically evaluated and assess whether supplementation can be a meaningful step toward better health.