All Glossary Terms
Recovery
Parasympathetic Recovery
Recovery driven by the rest-and-digest branch of the autonomic nervous system.
The parasympathetic nervous system is the branch responsible for rest, digestion, and tissue repair. After intense training, the body shifts from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) dominance to parasympathetic dominance to facilitate recovery. Heart rate variability (HRV) is the primary metric used to assess parasympathetic tone — higher HRV generally indicates better recovery status. Practices like deep breathing, quality sleep, and stress management support parasympathetic activation.
Examples
- Deep diaphragmatic breathing post-workout
- High HRV readings indicating good recovery
- Sleep quality driving tissue repair
Related Terms
Stretching and mobility exercises
Put this into practice with exercises from the library.