What Elite Athletes Do on Their Rest Days — And Why You Should Copy Them

Most people would picture a match, a training session, a weight room, and perhaps a dramatic-looking recovery shake if you asked them to imagine the day of an elite athlete.

But after years of working with sports performance nutrition, Dr. Luigi Gratton, VP of Health and Wellness at Herbalife, has discovered that “The habits that make elite athletes elite are not the flashy ones. They are the small, repeatable things the best players in the world do on the days no one is watching.”  On the days when no one is around, the world's top players engage in these little, consistent behaviors. 

It's Tuesday. on a day when you're off. during the offseason's second week. The majority of the work is done during the Repeat pillar of performance, which occurs when you are not competing.

The good news is that everyone can support a healthy, active life by adopting the same habits that support a professional career. To eat and live like a pro, you don't need to train like one.

These are the routines that top athletes consistently follow, and Dr. Gratton explains how to apply them to everyday life.

Habit 1: Protein at every meal

Protein is not considered a post-workout afterthought by the top athletes that Dr. Gratton works with. Rather, they distribute it throughout the day at intervals of roughly 20 to 40 grams every three to four hours, with a goal of about 30 grams during the training window. This could include a breakfast of eggs and Greek yogurt, a lunch of chicken or fish, a snack of a shake or bar, and a dinner that is anchored in protein.

Why is it important? Since protein is used for more than just muscle growth. Maintaining it as we age, boosting immunity, generating hormones and enzymes, and feeling satisfied enough to make healthy food choices throughout the day are all important. You get all those advantages in a way that seems effortless if you spread it out.

Habit 2: Carbs that match the workload

Although they do not eat carbohydrates at random, elite athletes do not fear them. Intake and activity are matched. They aim to consume 50 to 75 grams of carbohydrates in an hour following a strenuous workout, usually from commonplace items like a granola bar, chocolate milk, a bowl of cereal with milk, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or flavored yogurt. They reduce the intake on lighter days.

The lesson is the same for most people: your activity level determines how many carbohydrates you need. Your plate should show that a training day is not the same as a rest day.

Habit 3: Hydration on a schedule

Another habit that top athletes seldom neglect is staying hydrated.

As a starting point, Dr. Gratton suggests consuming at least half of your body weight (measured in pounds) in ounces of fluid each day. A 160-pound individual aims for 80 ounces. Add an additional 20 to 30 ounces for each hour of intense, sweaty exercise. Waiting until you are thirsty, which is by definition waiting until you are already behind, is less dependable than this straightforward math.

Plain water is insufficient if you are working out vigorously or in the heat. To actually retain fluid in the body, you need sodium and, ideally, some potassium.

Habit 4: Sleep is not optional

Out of all the habits shared by elite athletes, this is the one that is most frequently disregarded and poorly imitated. 

Nine to seven hours. Every evening. It is a non-negotiable component of the program, not a suggestion.

Growth hormone is released, muscle tissue is repaired, the nervous system is reset, and learning is consolidated by the brain during sleep. Sleep deprivation causes athletes to perform worse, become ill more frequently, and recuperate more slowly. Everyone else is in the same situation.

Habit 5: Dark-colored fruits and vegetables, every day

Not once a week. Every day. 

Berries, leafy greens, cherries, beets, red grapes, purple cabbage and dark-colored peppers. These foods deliver antioxidants that regulate inflammation, support immune function and provide the vitamins and minerals that restore energy. 

They are not a supplement or a hack. They are the floor.

Habit 6: Active recovery on rest days

“A rest day does not mean the couch. Elite nutrition is not about what you do on match day. It is about what you never skip on a Tuesday.” ~Dr. Luigi Gratton, VP of Health and Wellness at Herbalife

The elite athletes he works with use their rest days for walking, gentle cycling, yoga, stretching, foam rolling and other low-intensity movement. Active recovery improves blood circulation, which clears metabolic waste from the muscles while giving the body room to repair.

The most important thing rest days do is prevent overtraining, chronic fatigue and injury. They are not a pause in the program. They are part of it.

The real secret

Here is what no one tells you about elite performance nutrition: it is not a secret. It is not complicated. It is not expensive. 

It is protein at every meal, carbs that match your workload, daily hydration, eight hours of sleep, dark-colored produce and active recovery. Done consistently. Done on the days nobody is watching.

About Herbalife Ltd.

Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) is a premier health and wellness company, community and platform that has been changing people’s lives with great nutrition products and a business opportunity for its independent distributors since 1980. The Company offers science-backed products to consumers in more than 90 markets through entrepreneurial distributors who provide one-on-one coaching and a supportive community that inspires their customers to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle to live their best life.