Optimize Recovery: The First Step of the Off-Season
The first step to a successful off-season is recovery! Start with the basics: sleep, nutrition, and hydration. After a long summer and fall of tournaments and lots of golf, you need to focus on recovery by getting back to the little things.
Step 1: Sleep
Get at least 8 hours of sleep. Some people need more, some less, but 8 hours is a good target for everyone. During sleep, we repair tissue damaged by workouts and stress, which accumulate over the season and from life’s demands. Sleep is free and highly effective for recovery! Studies show that athletes who get 8 hours or more of sleep significantly lower their risk of injury (see below graph). If you can gain even a 1% edge over the competition, it’s worth 
For those who struggle to fall asleep:
- Limit electronics 1-2 hours before bedtime, as blue light can trick your body into thinking it’s daytime. Electronics are also stimulating for the brain, which is not what you need before bed.
- Create a nighttime routine to signal your body it’s time for bed, like turning off screens, stretching or foam rolling for 20–30 minutes, and going to bed at the same time each night.
Step 2: Hydration
An easy yet often overlooked step. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, a 160-pound person should drink at least 80 ounces of water each day. And I mean water—not soda, not juice. Stick with this for at least 3 weeks, and your body will adjust and get used to this amount of water.
Electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, potassium, chloride, and calcium) are also important as they help your body absorb water more effectively and keep you hydrated longer. You can get electrolytes from food or supplement with products like Liv Pur, available in the Energy Zone. Keep a water bottle with you at all times (a 40 oz bottle works well), so you don’t forget to drink.
Step 3: Nutrition
The hardest part of optimizing recovery is getting back on track with nutrition. Here’s a reminder of the three macronutrients and their role:
- Protein: Repairs damaged tissues. For athletes, 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is ideal.
- Carbohydrates: Provide energy. Since off-season training requires more energy, you may need to increase your carbs. Start with 2 times your body weight in grams daily and adjust as needed.
- Fat: Provides secondary energy, aids in hormone regulation, and supports recovery. Aim for 0.4 to 0.8 grams of fat per pound of body weight.
Eating a balanced diet will help you hit these targets. As athletes, we need to be diligent about eating more than the average person—consider 4 meals a day or use the GPC Performance App’s Nutrition Portal to track intake.
Of course, there’s more to discuss, like food quality and sleep quality techniques, which I’ll cover in another article. But these steps are a great start to taking back control of your recovery.
If you’d like help optimizing your recovery, reach out, and we can create a plan that meets your needs!
