Red Bull Motorsports
Motoring
How to recover from a race
Discover the importance of a post-race stretch, the healing power of red wine (no, seriously) and why a dip in the pool can be just what the doctor ordered.
Rally, karting, or single-seaters – no matter your discipline, the work doesn’t stop once you step out of the car. Without the proper post-race routine, sustainability goes out the window, reducing your quality of life, making you more ineffective for the next race and eventually shortening your racing career altogether.
Recover smarter, not harder. We asked Alex Stott, performance coach and personal trainer to F1 athletes, for his aftercare expertise.
Diet
Pro single-seater drivers are in good shape by the very nature of their sport – but this doesn’t mean living like a monk. Where does a post-race cheat meal fit in with this single-minded lifestyle?
“This is where the nutritional strategies implemented long before come in,” Stott tells us. “A structure allows the driver freedom to enjoy their food at times – as long as they hit the calories and macronutrient counts.”
You can lose 1,500 calories during a race, so you've earned those carbs
© @World / Red Bull Content Pool
It’s all about balance. Stott tells us that during the course of a race, a driver can burn up to 1,500 calories due to the stresses put on the body. Part of using a flexible diet plan to hit your macronutrient count means that a ‘cheat meal’ after a race won’t harm your progress and can even help you stick to your diet, according to The Journal of Consumer Psychology.
When it comes to muscle recovery, the news is even better; scientists at New York University found that two glasses of red wine acts as an anti-inflammatory, aiding to relieve post-race muscle fatigue and joint pain. Bottoms up!
Stretching
F1 drivers invest in aftercare, hiring a physiotherapist or sports masseuse to iron out any kinks picked up in the driver’s seat. Sports massages are available to the hobbyist, too, and carry an advantage because it puts someone else in charge of administering your care, allowing you to switch off from the day’s gruelling events.
Max Verstappen working out the kinks
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
If you don’t have a physio, there are a few key areas Stott recommends focusing on when it comes to stretching at home.
Thoracic spine
A tight, compromised position in the driver’s seat means opening up your spine is a must. Stott recommends a box stretch, sinking your chest down to the floor while your hands grasp an elevated box or chair, for 20-30 seconds.
Shoulders
You spend a lot of time driving with the scapula protracted and shoulders tight, meaning your chest is also contracting throughout the entire race. Open up both sets of muscles with a lying pectoral stretch, rolling to one side while prone on your front with arms outstretched, holding for 10-20 seconds before switching sides.
Glutes
All that sitting requires your glute muscles to re-activate or face a tight, immobile lower body, affecting your pedal power. Lie down, place the ankle of your left leg above your right knee and pull the right knee into your chest, holding for 20 seconds before switching sides.
Once you’ve mastered these three stretches, spend five minutes treating any tight muscle groups, like your calves or lats, with a soft foam roller to iron out any further kinks, and you’ll be raring to get back in the driver’s seat.
Hydration
“In some of the most gruelling F1 or endurance race stints, you’re likely to lose anywhere from one to three or four litres of water,” Stott claims. Not replenishing this lot can lead to illness, loss of muscle mass, fatigue and reduced co-ordination. Is your race part of a longer stint, such as a 24-hour series? Get chugging.
A good choice for rehydration is water with added electrolytes, or even coconut water. Both contain the salts and minerals the body uses to replenish fluids more effectively without sitting heavy in your stomach.
Mika Häkkinen in need of a sit down at the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix
© Getty Images
Muscles
While stretching and hydration go a long way towards muscle recovery, how you treat your body the day after the race can minimise the damage done to your body on the track. Stott recommends ice baths, which reduce inflammation in the muscles – but for racers without a handy plunge pool, a nice cold shower should do the trick. Best take a glass of red in the bathroom with you for a one-two anti-inflammatory punch – as well as a coping mechanism to deal with the cold!
Finally, stick to water the next day, but opt for the swimming pool as a form of active recovery. “Low intensity exercise like swimming can really help as it’s not load-bearing but will get the muscles moving, promoting blood flow to speed up recovery,” says Stott. A bike ride will have a similar effect.
