Just got back this morning from Hawaii and am pretty tired, so my post will be kind of brief.
Recovery is a very complex topic. One thing to remember is that recovery time is dependent on many variables, such as individual differences in genetics, weight, diet, muscle mass, type of activity, etc. etc.
If I could simplify the types of recovery from a lay person standpoint, I would say that there are three types of recovery: metabolic recovery, structural recovery, and neuroendocrine system recovery. Metabolic recovery is usually the quickest, and consists of recovery of the energy stores, primarily carbohydrates in the form of muscle glycogen, that were utilized during the activity. Structural recovery is recovery of structural microdamage (we're not talking injuries here) that occurs during high force activity, such as lifting weights, more strenuous climbing, and downhill walking or running. This is primarily muscle oriented, but can also, if the activity was too prolonged and high force, involve stress fractures of the bones. The final recovery is neuroendocrine system recovery, and is a more complex recovery that becomes important during very high force activity, extremely prolonged activity, such as an ultra marathon, and activities involving a high degree of stress and/or technical skill that occurs over a prolonged time.
Which recovery process is involved is dependent on what the nature of the activity and the level of training and nutritional status. All things being equal, and assuming a good training and nutritional status, a hike that is primarily on fairly level trail would stress primarily the metabolic system and thus this would be more important. A peakbagging trip that involved class 3-4 would also stress the structural system more, and class 3-4 peakbagging for 2 or 3 days in a row would bring neuroendocrine system recovery more into play.
So put very simply, what activity you engage in will weigh heavily on your recovery time. They will also impact on the recovery strategies you utilize as well (a bodybuilder does NOT use the same recovery regimen as a marathoner, for example).
Recovery
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Ranboze
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Nice description of the different types of recovery, Trekker. Since you have expertise in this area, perhaps you can comment on a few questions:
What evidence-based strategies are available to facilitate each type of recovery? Intuitively, it seems reasonable to think that "recovery" drinks/bars/shakes etc... replace depleted electrolytes, carbohydrates, and maybe even protein (depending on the recovery "item") to aid in metabolic recovery. What data exists to say that these supplements do anything? How is metabolic "recovery" measured to support wide-spread distribution of these "recovery" supplements? Is it based solely on anectdodal reports of time to "feeling good"? Are there biological markers that can be used to measure "recovery"? Are there physiologic parameters/markers that can be used to measure the other types of recovery? Im really not being smug, I just like to know the "why's and how's".
Since weight lifting causes microdamage at the cellular level, what are the principles of structural recovery for body builders?
What evidence-based strategies are available to facilitate each type of recovery? Intuitively, it seems reasonable to think that "recovery" drinks/bars/shakes etc... replace depleted electrolytes, carbohydrates, and maybe even protein (depending on the recovery "item") to aid in metabolic recovery. What data exists to say that these supplements do anything? How is metabolic "recovery" measured to support wide-spread distribution of these "recovery" supplements? Is it based solely on anectdodal reports of time to "feeling good"? Are there biological markers that can be used to measure "recovery"? Are there physiologic parameters/markers that can be used to measure the other types of recovery? Im really not being smug, I just like to know the "why's and how's".
Since weight lifting causes microdamage at the cellular level, what are the principles of structural recovery for body builders?
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giantbrookie
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To no surprise I have noticed a pretty good correlation between the severity of the trip and my own conditioning going to how beat up I feel after returning. If I'm in top condition I don't feel so bad after I return. If if there is a long drive coming back, sometimes I'd feel tired the next day because of lack of sleep given that I would be wired and unable to sleep for awhile upon returning home after being on alert to complete a late night drive. One thing that I noticed on my trips was that the degree of muscular soreness after a trip seemed to correlate with whether I took electrolyte replacement drinks (ERG, etc) regularly during the trip. When I didn't I was most certainly more sore. Of course there seems to be a different level of recovery I expect now versus when I was 25. When I was 25 I expected to be able to play basketball the very next day after I returned. In one case (when I was 25) I backpacked out of Cloverleaf Lake to Convict Lake, drove home and realized I still had time to change and suit up for a summer league basketball game that evening. My jump shot was a bit off, but I had the liveliest legs I had the entire summer season and I played the entire 40 minutes. I don't think I'd try that now, but, then again, I've retired from playing basketball because my body can't stay in one piece playing ball even if I don't return from a backpacking trip in the same day.
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Trekker
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Hmmm......there's that standup comic ridgeline again............. 
Actually, he's right when it comes to a lot of the bodybuilders, but that's another story.
Ranboze, great questions. I'll try to answer them in a way that most can follow.
When it comes to metabolic recovery, we are talking first and foremost carbs. The first thing your body is going to want to do is get back to a positive energy balance, and that means replenishing the carbs utilized in the activities that were performed. With the exception of short sprints and limit or near limit lifting, carbs are the primary energy source for most activities. It is now well documented by science that the storage form of carbs in the muscle, glycogen, is replenished at a rate twice the normal rate in the first 2 or so hours right after exercise, so that would be a time you would want to get some carbs into your system to facilitate recovery. Carbs in liquid form are going to be the most rapidly available, whereas solid carbs in the form of regular food will generally take longer to digest and absorb, so this is the preferred form. It has also been shown that carbs + protein is absorbed more efficiently than carbs alone, and the best ratio for this is 4 carbs to 1 protein, which, incidentally, is the ratio in Endurox 4 and Accelerade, both developed by the late Edmund Burke, an Exercise Physiologist at the U. of Colorado who was also sports scientist for the U.S. Cycling team and I had the pleasure of meeting at one of the ACSM Research Conferences, where I attend presentations of the latest research.
As far as measuring recovery time, short of putting a person in a research lab and measuring such things as ability to achieve VO2 Max, RQ, or taking a muscle biopsy, it is hard to say when a person is completely replenished; suffice it to say that a well trained person on a proper diet aided by these types of supplements can expect to replenish in as little as 24 hrs, provided there is not much microtrauma to the muscle, which will increase the recovery time because it affects replenishment. Most athletes or their coaches have figured out over time where their recovery time lies. Of course a real easy way to figure out if you have recovered metabolically is whether you can do the same event at the same intensity as previously.
As far as physiological markers for structural recovery, microtrauma of the muscle fibers generally will lead to muscle soreness that typically peaks 24-48 hrs. following the event, hence the term DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. There has never been any documented evidence that active recovery, electrolyte drinks, stretching before or after, etc. will decrease muscle soreness or hasten the recovery time. Dehydration or lack of electrolytes may affect the degree of soreness, since muscle contraction is compromised; however, extra water or electrolytes don't make any difference. There is some evidence that certain types of protein will aid in the recovery time ie. repair of the microtrauma. What will help is conditioning such as the activity itself or something such as resistance training, and hormonal manipulation.........like steroids!
In terms of aiding recovery, nutrition of course is important (I'm not mentioning sleep-that's a given for ALL types of recovery) with carbs being important. Protein, of course, is important as well, but more so during the start of a new program as the body adapts by building more muscle. Generally a recovery supplement will have a higher ratio of protein in it as compared to the ratio found in an endurance recovery drink. Studies have shown that protein feedings before and after working out will aid in the growth of the muscle compared to just eating regular meals at regular times.
How do you know you're recovered? Well, if you do your activity again and you're still sore, you are not fully recovered, and, no, you can't work the soreness out, no matter what any pseudo-trainer might tell you. A more subtle way to tell is if your mechanics are different, or you start feeling aches and pains somewhere else while doing your activity; this may be a sign that your body is trying to compensate for muscles that are still not recovered.
The last type of recovery, of the neuroendocrine system, is a little more difficult to accomplish, because if you have overstressed this system, you are in an overtrained state. Severe overtraining will lead to what's called parasympathetic overtraining; see Kathy's first post if you want to know what some of the symptoms are. When you are at this point, you have to let your body rest and replenish, and, at least in terms of legal methods, there's not much you can do; this can last for weeks and even months. Nutrition will only help to a small extent at this point.
There are a number of ways to determine if you've reached this stage. The easiest way is to know what your waking heart rate is. If your HR is 3-5 beats or more above what it normally would be, you are potentially in an overtrained state and need to back off your training or activities in order to let your neuroendocrine system recover. Changes in sleep habits or time, mood swings, changes in appetite, and constant fatigue are also signs you may be in this stage.
Sorry for the long answer; I could actually go into more detail.
Hope this helps answer some of the questions.
Actually, he's right when it comes to a lot of the bodybuilders, but that's another story.
Ranboze, great questions. I'll try to answer them in a way that most can follow.
When it comes to metabolic recovery, we are talking first and foremost carbs. The first thing your body is going to want to do is get back to a positive energy balance, and that means replenishing the carbs utilized in the activities that were performed. With the exception of short sprints and limit or near limit lifting, carbs are the primary energy source for most activities. It is now well documented by science that the storage form of carbs in the muscle, glycogen, is replenished at a rate twice the normal rate in the first 2 or so hours right after exercise, so that would be a time you would want to get some carbs into your system to facilitate recovery. Carbs in liquid form are going to be the most rapidly available, whereas solid carbs in the form of regular food will generally take longer to digest and absorb, so this is the preferred form. It has also been shown that carbs + protein is absorbed more efficiently than carbs alone, and the best ratio for this is 4 carbs to 1 protein, which, incidentally, is the ratio in Endurox 4 and Accelerade, both developed by the late Edmund Burke, an Exercise Physiologist at the U. of Colorado who was also sports scientist for the U.S. Cycling team and I had the pleasure of meeting at one of the ACSM Research Conferences, where I attend presentations of the latest research.
As far as measuring recovery time, short of putting a person in a research lab and measuring such things as ability to achieve VO2 Max, RQ, or taking a muscle biopsy, it is hard to say when a person is completely replenished; suffice it to say that a well trained person on a proper diet aided by these types of supplements can expect to replenish in as little as 24 hrs, provided there is not much microtrauma to the muscle, which will increase the recovery time because it affects replenishment. Most athletes or their coaches have figured out over time where their recovery time lies. Of course a real easy way to figure out if you have recovered metabolically is whether you can do the same event at the same intensity as previously.
As far as physiological markers for structural recovery, microtrauma of the muscle fibers generally will lead to muscle soreness that typically peaks 24-48 hrs. following the event, hence the term DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. There has never been any documented evidence that active recovery, electrolyte drinks, stretching before or after, etc. will decrease muscle soreness or hasten the recovery time. Dehydration or lack of electrolytes may affect the degree of soreness, since muscle contraction is compromised; however, extra water or electrolytes don't make any difference. There is some evidence that certain types of protein will aid in the recovery time ie. repair of the microtrauma. What will help is conditioning such as the activity itself or something such as resistance training, and hormonal manipulation.........like steroids!
In terms of aiding recovery, nutrition of course is important (I'm not mentioning sleep-that's a given for ALL types of recovery) with carbs being important. Protein, of course, is important as well, but more so during the start of a new program as the body adapts by building more muscle. Generally a recovery supplement will have a higher ratio of protein in it as compared to the ratio found in an endurance recovery drink. Studies have shown that protein feedings before and after working out will aid in the growth of the muscle compared to just eating regular meals at regular times.
How do you know you're recovered? Well, if you do your activity again and you're still sore, you are not fully recovered, and, no, you can't work the soreness out, no matter what any pseudo-trainer might tell you. A more subtle way to tell is if your mechanics are different, or you start feeling aches and pains somewhere else while doing your activity; this may be a sign that your body is trying to compensate for muscles that are still not recovered.
The last type of recovery, of the neuroendocrine system, is a little more difficult to accomplish, because if you have overstressed this system, you are in an overtrained state. Severe overtraining will lead to what's called parasympathetic overtraining; see Kathy's first post if you want to know what some of the symptoms are. When you are at this point, you have to let your body rest and replenish, and, at least in terms of legal methods, there's not much you can do; this can last for weeks and even months. Nutrition will only help to a small extent at this point.
There are a number of ways to determine if you've reached this stage. The easiest way is to know what your waking heart rate is. If your HR is 3-5 beats or more above what it normally would be, you are potentially in an overtrained state and need to back off your training or activities in order to let your neuroendocrine system recover. Changes in sleep habits or time, mood swings, changes in appetite, and constant fatigue are also signs you may be in this stage.
Sorry for the long answer; I could actually go into more detail.
Hope this helps answer some of the questions.-
Snow Nymph
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I've been using Endurox R4 for awhile and its working for me, along with other stuff! I've been feeling great, and I could have continued hiking after the Sierra Challenge if I didn't run out of vacation hours! 
I was supposed to be out there til the 20th, but couldn't take 47 hrs of NO PAY! 
Good reply, Trekker!
I was supposed to be out there til the 20th, but couldn't take 47 hrs of NO PAY! Good reply, Trekker!
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Ranboze
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Fantastic answers Trekker. I was thinking VO2 max might be a marker for recovery. When muscle cells are damaged, as you know, they release enzymes such as creatinine kinase. We use CK to measure muscle death in patients with rabdomyolysis. I wonder if there's any correlation with falling CK levels and recovery... or is a falling CK level just a marker of the end of cell death? Hmmm.
I think I'll get some Endurox 4 and give it a try.
I think I'll get some Endurox 4 and give it a try.
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ridgeline
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Good job T, I use a heart rate monitor and watch for that higher heart rate just prior to a workout, especially if I am feeling tired. On a Mon. to Fri. five day routine I have the lowest rate prior to my workout on Mon after two days off. If it is five beats or more on Fri I will back off on cardio for that day.
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Trekker
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Ranboze, I believe that CK was used in a lot of early research to measure anabolism vs. catabolism in skeletal muscle studies concerning resistance training, recovery, and studies of protein intake. Current studies have tended to use more sensitive markers, since I believe some of CK's properties were confounding the results. I'd have to look up some older research.
Interestingly, the current use of exogenous Creatine as an ergogenic aid in resistance training and power events has the potential to confound Creatinine results from measuring muscle breakdown if it is being ingested. Theoretically I guess it is possible that you could have a misdiagnosis of Rhabdomyolysis or MI in that case, although I haven't heard of any specific case. Not sure about CK, although I would guess there would be more upregulation of it in response to Creatine ingestion.
So, in answer to your question.......yes.........maybe..........not sure!
Interestingly, the current use of exogenous Creatine as an ergogenic aid in resistance training and power events has the potential to confound Creatinine results from measuring muscle breakdown if it is being ingested. Theoretically I guess it is possible that you could have a misdiagnosis of Rhabdomyolysis or MI in that case, although I haven't heard of any specific case. Not sure about CK, although I would guess there would be more upregulation of it in response to Creatine ingestion.
So, in answer to your question.......yes.........maybe..........not sure!
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