# Recovery After the WOD: The 24-Hour Protocol

> Training sets the stimulus, you get better in the 24 hours that follow. Here is how to make them count.

In CrossFit people talk about Fran times and PR bells, rarely about what happens between workouts. Yet the math is simple: the training stimulus is only the order, delivery happens during recovery. Muscle growth, endurance adaptation, technique consolidation, all of it takes place after the WOD. Here is the protocol for the 24 hours that follow.

## Hours 0 to 2: Refill

Right after training, two things take priority: fluids with electrolytes and protein. 20 to 40 g of protein kicks off the repair process, plus carbohydrates at roughly 1 g per kilogram of body weight if you are training again the next day. A shake is not a must here but it is the most practical solution when a proper meal is still an hour away. Free essential amino acids like those in [WOO® Amino](/en/shop/woo-amino-can) are especially quickly available and require no digestive work.

## Hours 2 to 8: Eat and move

The main meal after training can be big: protein, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, colour. After that, do not nail yourself to the sofa. Light movement, a walk, easy cycling, keeps blood flow high and speeds up the clearance of metabolic byproducts. Research calls this active recovery and it beats passive sitting around in almost every comparison.

## Hours 8 to 16: Sleep, the most powerful recovery tool

No supplement, no massage gun and no ice bath comes close to sleep. During deep sleep the body releases growth hormone, consolidates motor learning (your snatch technique!) and dials down inflammatory processes. Studies on athletes show: below 7 hours of sleep, performance and reaction time drop measurably and injury risk rises significantly. Target: 7.5 to 9 hours, a consistent bedtime, a dark cool room.

## Hours 16 to 24: Zone 2 and a self-check

The day after a hard WOD, easy aerobic work is the best medicine: 30 to 45 minutes in zone 2, a pace at which you can still hold a conversation. That builds your aerobic base and speeds up recovery. Add the morning self-check: resting heart rate clearly elevated, mood in the basement, legs heavy? Then today is a day for scaling. Consistency beats heroics.

## The basics in the background

Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) support the inflammation regulation that runs at full speed after intense sessions. And total protein intake remains the foundation: 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram of body weight, every day, not just on training days.

**From the shop:** [WOO® Amino](/en/shop/woo-amino-can) right after the WOD, [WOO® Protein](/en/shop/woo-protein-cocoa-can) for the daily target, [WOO® Omega-3](/en/shop/woo-omega-3-can) for inflammation balance.