How women can bounce back

My female running pals are rarely deterred from a hitting the trails because of bad weather. Soggy running shoes are just not an excuse to stay inside. But there are some days when we're missing a few members, and the reasons are usually recovery related: sore muscles, an injury or just too darned tired.

Although endurance athletes equate strenuous exercise with "fun," it is a major stress on the body, causing hormone fluctuations, muscle protein breakdown and depression of the immune system.

And despite research showing women have different physiological responses to exercise than men, recovery advice is usually the same. Is it time for gender specific recovery guidelines? Let's take a closer look at what the latest research can tell us.

Donna Marlor's column appears in full in the August 2012 print edition of Silent Sports. Don't miss an issue! Subscribe online here.