‘Good to Go’ tackles the real science of sports recovery
A new book puts supplements, beer, saunas and other postexercise fads to the test
Good to Go
Christie Aschwanden
W.W. Norton & Co., $27.95
A tough workout, a long hike or a day reorganizing the garage can leave a body tired, sore and injured. Some kind of recovery is clearly in order. But relaxing on the couch with Netflix and some chips is so passé.
Instead, a sore athlete might stand naked in a chamber of air chilled to well below –100° Celsius (SN Online: 11/13/15). She could slurp on a protein-packed smoothie, squeeze into compression tights or shell out some money for an expensive shakeout on a vibrating device. Sports recovery has become an industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But which, if any, of these methods actually work?