What is Recovery? Recovery is a hot topic in the health and fitness world, and is becoming more and more recognized as just as much an important part of training than training itself. But what are we actually referring to when we say “recovery”? First off, we have to understand the concept of homeostasis. Homeostasis is our bodies’ state of balance of internal physical and chemical conditions; the conditions of homeostasis allow for optimal functioning of the body. Stress refers to any stimulus that throws off this state of homeostasis. This is a huge category and includes things such as temperature, injury, illness, nutrient availability, psychological stress, lack of sleep, and exercise. Stresses can occur concurrently. Recovery is then the process of returning the body to homeostasis after incurring a stress. When exercise is a stressor, recovery especially refers to the restoration of substrate for the body’s...