Last weekend I assisted at the Wild West Fitness event in Cheltenham. In high intensity events where you have to complete multiple efforts across the day, one of the most undervalued strategies to consider is how you will cool down and recover from each session.
When we exercise at High Intensity our body moves into a Sympathetic State or "Fight or Flight". This is really important as the acute changes in physiology allow us to push ourselves to the max.
BUT when we leave the session we need to drop back towards a Parasympathetic State or "Rest and Digest". This allows the heart rate to come back down and save valuable resources, before we then "Rewarm" the body to wind up for the next event.
As you leave the competition floor between sessions allow yourself to catch your breath and then practice Diaphragmatic Breathing, big deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Move towards slower breaths and you will find yourself calming down, your heart rate slowing and breathing rate coming back down to normal. The faster you get there the more time you have to recover for the next effort.