Good to Go

November 5, 2018
Science writer Aschwanden, a runner, cycler, and cross-country skier, delves into the topic of recovery in this inquisitive and informative text. Positing this field as “an active extension of training,” she explores a number of different products and techniques, aiming to separate the bogus from the truly restorative and effective. Aschwanden not only conducted over 200 interviews and reviewed hundreds of research papers, she recounts sampling different techniques personally: she immersed herself in a “float tank,” tried on compression tights (harder to get off than on), chilled in an infrared sauna, and wore a headband that measures brain activity during meditation. She talks to scientists, psychologists, and athletes, and digs into the science and marketing of sports drinks, nutrition bars, and
protein powders. In the process, Aschwanden clarifies simple truths often neglected by a fitness culture of “go hard or go home,” such as the significance of sleep as the single most potent method for recovery. Despite the many products and techniques appraised, Aschwanden leaves athletes with a simple message—that, at least for some, less can be more when it comes to the vital step of recovery.

December 1, 2018
An in-depth exploration of recovery, "something that athletes--pros and weekend warriors alike--do with almost as much gusto and drive as their training."Everybody knows that strenuous activity takes it out of a person; it's why we drink Gatorade between tennis sets and suck down chocolate milk after a marathon. However, as with everything else, science and big bucks alike have entered the picture. In Colorado, where Washington Post health columnist and FiveThirtyEight lead science writer Aschwanden lives, she is able to use a facility packed with massage tables, saunas, Bio-mats, infrared therapy machines, and other gadgets. Her initial diagnosis after a 5K run: "soft tissue work, electrical stimulation, compression, and vibration." That's just the beginning, and though Colorado is known as a New Age-y place, there's good science behind the whole enterprise. The author takes a leisurely tour through the available modalities, though with a knowing wink from start to finish. As she writes of the recovery business, "we've somehow managed to make every aspect of it--nutrition, relaxation, and sleep--vastly more complicated, expensive, and time-consuming than it was before." Still, who doesn't like a nice spa? Or a cold brew--for, as Aschwanden learned, there is reason to believe that alcohol and pasta may be good as recovery tools for some runners, if, strangely, better for women than for men. The author is refreshingly skeptical throughout, and she turns in some observations along the way that go against received wisdom and practice but, again, have science behind them--e.g., the revised schedule for drinking water while engaging in strenuous activities or in arid environments. "After examining the science," she writes, reiterating a theme, "I can't help thinking we've made hydration unduly complicated." But so it is throughout this spry narrative, which makes a good guide for those contemplating adding recovery to their routines.Sleep in and have a beer: There's a winning regimen. A smart, engaging book.

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December 1, 2018

Aschwanden, a lead science writer at FiveThirtyEight and Washington Post health columnist, has been a cross-country runner since high school. With this debut, the author uses a conversational style to explore the many techniques and products that supposedly aid postworkout muscle recovery, such as compression garments, roller devices, and ice bath regimens. Included are interviews with sports science experts that investigate the claims and validity of specific recovery techniques. More than 20 pages of references offer further opportunity for research and insight into the scientific journals and popular magazines mentioned throughout. VERDICT An accessible resource for general readers without an extensive scientific or medical background. Recommended for public libraries.--John Napp, Univ. of Toledo

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2019
Many books have been written about exercise, but hardly any have focused on the time spent between workouts. Science writer and athlete Aschwanden engagingly zooms in on the neglected topic of exercise recovery. Turns out, recovery can be more complex, time-consuming, and costly than training itself. Aschwanden appraises a multitude of approaches hyped to boost recovery, including ice, saunas, compression (tights and socks), cryotherapy chambers, floating in a pod full of salt water, and nutritional aids. She discovers that there is a lack of evidence behind the purported benefit of most recovery techniques. Massage and stretching are deemed particularly powerful placebos. Sports drinks (big business, little physiological value); postexercise nutrition (protein and carbs, but how soon and how much?); and supplements (serious concern about contamination and any usefulness) are appropriately addressed. Sleep (the sound kind and enough of it) is the clear winner: "Hands-down the most powerful recovery tool known to science." Slicing through all the fads and hoopla, Good to Go reinforces the absolute necessity of listening to and trusting your body.?(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)