Adebayo Akinfenwa Quotes

A player needs recovery time, and it isn't possible to recover from one race in an hour.

When I was playing I felt tired all the time. My recovery period was a lot longer than the other players. They'd be ok after an hour - I'd have to stay in bed till the next session.

It's probably better for me to play 40 or 45 games and occasionally be rested and therefore still be full of energy at the end of the season.

I like to look after myself, so that's stretching or ice baths, and as soon as I get home, I just sleep anyway; it's all part of recovery.

My idea is that players need to recover first, train later.

We have to look after the health of the players. Quality suffers with too many games.

No matter whether you're hurting or it's just a precaution, you gotta eat right, make sure that you're protecting your body because 82 games and all those road trips - it's going to be a lot.

Recovery after hard work is key for any athlete.

Sleep is huge. That's your biggest way of recovering. In baseball, it's such a hard sleep schedule during the season, but you try to do the best you can. Because you can take all the protein drinks, you can do all these things, but your recovery is your sleep.

I had aches and pains when I played. No player is ever 100 percent, 80 percent, 85 percent. Guys that play 158 or 162 or 145, we are all in the same boat.

My biggest weakness as a endurance athlete has been in not drinking enough water after training, thereby racing sometimes while dehydrated.

At 28, you need recovery time after training.

Some people feel stronger in their 30s. I'm 34. I've noticed I do feel stronger now than when I was 24. But I'm also more sore in the mornings. If I have a bump or a bruise from practice, it takes me a little bit more than just an ice bath to get rid of it. At the end of the week, my body's ready for a day off.

With my runners now, they get two month-long breaks during the year.

My legs tightened up pretty much, and it was a hard last corner for me.

Now that sports science is more advanced, we know that there are so many off-pitch factors that can affect how good you can become. If people are telling you to sleep a certain number of hours, eat specific foods, and drink a certain volume of fluids, then you have to be prepared to listen and learn.

When I was younger you think you know it all and after games you probably just go for some food or sit on your PlayStation. Now I take it a lot more seriously and recover properly because I know I need to give myself the best possible chance to be as fresh and as fit as I can for the next game.

It's not good to stretch when you're cold. Get your heart rate up, and once you finish, take time to stretch and let your body calm down.

When you're training every day, recovery is so important. I find that foam rolling helps me to make sure I don't get tight anywhere so that I keep mobilised and keep on top of things.

The sport is rough. It does wear and tear on the body.

As much as it hurts to work out after a game, it helps that much more.

You've just got to train hard. Conditioning is key, recovery is key. As hard as you work, recovery is just as important. All the soft-tissue work daily, all the things that keep me clean. And you've always got to be aware of what you're eating, what you're putting inside your body. That's key as well.

When I play on grass, my body doesn't ache. It can get sore, but it doesn't pulse, and my legs don't ache. When I play on turf, my legs can pulse and ache for up to 24 hours, and it could take 3-5 days to recover, whereas grass, after 24 hours, I'm ready to play again.

I think recovery is around the clock. Are you sleeping enough? Are you hydrating enough? Are you stretching? Are you eating well? Pretty much everything that I do is a reflection of how I'm going to feel on the field. I take great pride in getting in an ice bath after training and just taking care of myself.

Certain players need twice the recovery time of others because they run much more - not because they put in more effort but because they're playing different positions.