Muscle recovery time is a critical factor to consider when working out to build muscle. There are reports out there that suggest as you do more training, your muscle recovery will get faster. This statement is a bit misleading and needs to be clarified before discuss this topic any further.
When you do the same type of exercises while lifting the same weight for the same duration and complete the same number of reps every time you workout, then most likely there will eventually be a faster recovery time. However, to build bigger muscle, this approach isn't the right way. To gain muscle, there is a need to add weight and reps every time you do a workout. Thus, your workout is never the same and you recovery is not really sped up much.
I am talking about after your initial start to training here. Because of course if you have not trained for years then go back to it, in the first month or so, you will recover faster as time goes on, but this is just from pre-conditioning your muscles. After you have been training a while your muscle recovery evens out.
The more training you do, the heavier weights you must lift, and more improvement in strength is needed to lift that weight. With more work, you need longer muscle recovery.
Exercise like lifting weights induces controlled muscle damage, and thus causes muscle growth as it repairs that damage. This is the basic principal behind working out. Tear down to build up.
Advancing the training of your muscle groups will continue to generate muscle soreness because of the tearing down of muscle. Therefore a greater amount of muscle recovery is needed. No sports drink in the world containing any special post exercise nutrition magic will give you the kind of recovery you need. Only resting the muscles can do this.
Once the muscle is completed with the post exercise recovery process there is a particular time frame when it is optimally ready to be reworked. This time varies with the individual, your diet, amount of sleep, and a few other factors. Trail and error with your workout routine and recovery time will show you the best time frame for you to build muscle. A good rule of thumb is to keep a 48 hour minimum recovery time between working a particular muscle group. Depending on the level of muscle damage, advanced practitioners may need to wait 72 hours plus to have complete muscle recovery.
