2023
GENERAL RECOVERY CONCEPTS FOR REFEREES
By Austin Ardrey, runninref.com
It’s obvious how physically and mentally demanding officiating a football game is.
I wake up with sore muscles and a tired body just to get myself ready to do it all over again in 6 more days.
I love it. But I want to feel fresh again while doing it.
Here’s a couple quick tips and options to promote recovery and supercharging your body.
Sleep
This is your body’s secret weapon!
It’s well known that our body rewires itself and recovers while we sleep. If we can improve our sleep, our body will recover and improve at a much greater rate!
Fun fact: Athletes who slept on average <8 hours per night were 1.7 times more likely to have had an injury compared with athletes who slept for ≥8 hours.
(Milewski MD, Skaggs DL, Bishop GA, Pace JL, Ibrahim DA, Wren TA, Barzdukas A. Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes. J Pediatr Orthop. 2014 Mar;34(2):129‑33. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000000151. PMID: 25028798.)
But it’s not all about quantity. Quality of sleep matters too.
Quick tips for better sleep
- Darken your room & make it like a cave. Blackout curtains work wonders. And if you’re not too afraid of your spouse seeing you in an eye mask, it’s highly recommended!
- Set your thermostat to a comfortable level for YOU. I recommend between 65 – 69 degrees fahrenheit.
- Try to eliminate caffeine intake after 12 p.m. Caffeine has a half‑life of 5‑7 hours. This means that if you drink a cup of coffee with dinner at 7 p.m. by 1 a.m. 50% of that caffeine may still be active and circulating throughout your brain. This will disrupt your sleep quality significantly!
Alcohol has similar effects!
Create Movement
The day following the game I think that moving around and not being sedentary is extremely valuable to your recovery. Get your blood flowing, move your joints around, and maybe even break a sweat if you can!
Here’s a short list you can choose from
o Joint mobility exercises
o Core & activation exercises
o Go for a walk
o Pool Workout – (Personal Favorite)
o Body weight exercises
o Machine based full range of motion exercises
Refuel/Recharge
You used up a ton of energy during the game. Now it’s time to refuel the machine as well.
Hydration should be crucial as soon as the game is over. If you are replenishing Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium, you’re on the right track! There is a supplement I lean towards called LMNT – check it out!
Solid food is of great importance as well. Meal prep is always a good option because you can control the ingredients and make sure you are getting something balanced and nutritious. If you can manage to get some lean protein, some vegetables, and a solid carb source following the game I think you’ll be in great shape to kick‑start the recovery process.
Take your recovery seriously and your body will thank you for it!
If you have any other questions about training or recovery don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly and we can figure this out! Austin@runninref.com
Let’s Get To Runnin’
