A systematic research summary of recovery for runners and obstacle course racers.
The Recovery Magic Tool from Thomas Solomon PhD.
Last updated on: 10th Jan 2022.
Next update coming: July 2022.
Next update coming: July 2022.
Optimal recovery is found with a well-planned and monitored training load combined with good nutrition, sleep, and rest. But folks “do their recovery” with many other popular lines of recovery “magic”. As a supplement to my recovery magic article, this tool is an up-to-date summary of all known scientific evidence for the most popular lines of recovery magic, derived from systematic reviews of the literature. It is designed to be a useful resource for scientists, practitioners, coaches, and athletes to help inform their choices for using recovery approaches that supplement good nutrition, sleep, and rest. I will aim to keep it up-to-date as new evidence emerges.
High-quality robust evidence comes from randomized controlled trials. But, cherry-picking an experimental trial to confirm a bias is not a valid scientific pursuit for informing practice. In the world of science, we have a tool that examines all the cherries in a standardised way — a systematic review. When the studies included in a systematic review are of high enough quality, a meta-analysis of all the available evidence can be completed, and an overall effect size can be calculated along with a 95% confidence interval (which tells us the range of values the real effect size is likely to fall if the intervention is repeated) and a heterogeneity score (which tells how variable the effect size is). In simple words, a meta-analysis evaluates all the cherries simultaneously to produce a summary statistic based on all available evidence which enables overall conclusions to be made to inform decisions in changing practice. A systematic review that contains a meta-analysis of all known randomized controlled trials, sits right at the top of the evidence-based decision-making pyramid. Therefore, decision-making based on a systematic review is far more robust than decision-making based on a single randomised controlled trial.
In the world of recovery, there is a sufficient number of well-conducted randomised controlled trials that permits systematic reviews and meta-analyses, allowing overall conclusions to be made. To help inform your decisions in using various recovery modalities, I have created a resource that summarises the evidence and brings clarity where there is obscurity in this often snake-oil doused world of recovery magic. And, I will aim to keep each topic up-to-date when scientific advances are made.
Before diving in, remember that “feeling” ready to go is different from actually being ready to unleash your maximal potential. And, before making any decisions, always make a cost-benefit analysis, where “cost” includes a combination of financial costs, time costs, performance impairment, and harm to health:
If there is no benefit, there is no point using the magic.
If there is a benefit and no cost, use it; you’d be foolish not to.
If the cost outweighs the benefit, do not proceed.
In the world of recovery, there is a sufficient number of well-conducted randomised controlled trials that permits systematic reviews and meta-analyses, allowing overall conclusions to be made. To help inform your decisions in using various recovery modalities, I have created a resource that summarises the evidence and brings clarity where there is obscurity in this often snake-oil doused world of recovery magic. And, I will aim to keep each topic up-to-date when scientific advances are made.
Before diving in, remember that “feeling” ready to go is different from actually being ready to unleash your maximal potential. And, before making any decisions, always make a cost-benefit analysis, where “cost” includes a combination of financial costs, time costs, performance impairment, and harm to health:


