Recovery is one of the biggest variables in the modern NRL.
Getting it right can make a world of difference for players and teams as they strive to be competitive in what is the world's toughest rugby league competition week in and week out.
It's no surprise that teams with the dreaded five-day turnaround tend to lose more games than they win.
Recovery starts the second a game ends, and runs throughout the week as players aim to stay in tip-top shape.
Here are some of the best ways footy stars stay ready for action throughout the long season.
Ice baths
The dreaded ice bath is one of the ultimate ways for players to get their muscles to relax and begin the recovery process straight after a game.
You've seen it before. Players squeezed into wheelie bins filled with ice, or the more modern technology of proper ice baths in today's game.
Those ice baths are far more relevant when they happen straight after the game to kickstart the muscle recovery process.
Saunas
More and more players are moving towards having saunas available at all times, typically used the morning after a game, or to aid recovery from injury.
Penrith Panthers champion halfback Nathan Cleary has taken his recovery and fitness to the next level by having a Clearlight Sauna fitted in his house.
โPhysically, it really helps my muscles recover, they feel less heavy and more ready to go again sooner. It also helps get rid of any aches or pains I usually have after a game,โ Cleary told Men's Health in 2024.
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โMentally, it makes me feel relaxed; I have more mental clarity, a good mood and also achieve a sense of accomplishment. All of these things also lead to helping me have a good night's sleep, which is something I highly value in the recovery process.โ
Cleary detailed that he generally spends about 15 minutes in his sauna, then jumps in the pool, then repeats the process, seeing him use the sauna twice on days off, and days after NRL games.
Plenty of other players are also going down the sauna route as more and more benefits are unlocked through continuing research into the effects of heat and sweat in recovery.
The major benefit of a sauna being used in post-game recovery, and indeed injury recovery, is that it increases the heart rate, widens the blood vessels, and increases circulation and blood flow. The body's reaction to heat also helps stimulate muscle growth, which then aids in repairing damaged muscles.
Sports drinks and hydration
Particularly early and late in the season, when games are played in warm conditions up and down the eastern seaboard of Australia, hydration is one of the critical elements for any athlete's performance.
That applies whether at grassroots, semi-professional, or the professional level of the game.
The intense battle of rugby league makes hydration more important here than other sports.
Hydration starts days before a game, cutting out things like alcohol and coffee while increasing water and electrolytes, continuing in the hours after a game to help the body replenish.
You can spend as much time in an ice bath, sauna or swimming pool as you like, but it won't do much if the body is dehydrated.
Meal plan
Eating the right foods after a game is critical for recovery, and players will tell you that it's both a mix of recovery from the most recently completed game, and immediate preparation for the next one, that has impacts from the meal plan.
Getting a good meal in after a game is always important, but food consumption the following day, finding the right balance between carbohydrates and proteins for muscle growth and recovery can make or break a players week, impacting how quickly they can recover, and how quickly they can move into preparation mode for the following game.
Swimming
It is no secret that most teams will book a recovery session at the beach or the swimming pool the morning after a game.
Being submerged in water is one of the great healing tactics for sore muscles in the body. Players are able to take weight off their joints, and the frigid temperature of that water helps activate recovery, like an ice bath as mentioned earlier.
The combination of pools, ice baths and saunas is now being used more prominently around the competition as research into the benefits of using a variety of methods for recovery continues.
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