Thread: Shift work and lack of recovery

Afternoon gents have a pressing matter atm, started a new shift work job that is different form the conventional 9-5, working most days of the week including the whole weekend, starts are 2-4am with a 8-12 hour shift varying on the day of the week, along with that i have to try and balance out other responsibilities that i can't deter myself away from, in result of that for the past few weeks ive been really lacking sleep averaging on 4-7 hours max nearly every night and the fatigue and soreness is starting to catch up on me. Of course i try to fit in naps and earlier nights when i can but most of the time its just not possible. Aside from the obvious sleep more solution what else could i try and do to improve recovery, ive already tried ice baths throughout the week and they do provide some relief for a couple hours but it just doesnt do the job for the long term.

Well when we look at recovery as a whole it consists of various factors. The body is a marvelous thing and will adapt to almost anything. If you cannot increase your sleep time and or quality, we can look at incorporating nutrient dense foods, along with slightly more caloric intake.
Now with that said your body can adapt to 4/5/6 hours of sleep time. The idea is to not fluctuate with a different shift as your body wont adjust.
The last thing I would look at is reducing your volume of training for a bit without sacrificing quality. If you still find yourself rundown then we can look at supplements and lifestyle choices. After all fitness is a part of life, not our sole purpose.