Five London Lions players share practical post-workout recovery habits, from sleep and hydration to protein, foam rolling and tart cherry juice.
From sleep and protein to foam rolling and tart cherry juice, five London Lions players share the straightforward habits they turn to when hard training leaves the body needing time to recover.
The first session back after a long break has a way of exposing optimism. The mind remembers what the body used to do; the legs often have other ideas.
That is where post-workout recovery earns its place in the training plan. Five London Lions players have singled out the habits they use or recommend between demanding sessions. Push too hard without enough recovery and performance can fall away, while exhaustion, joint discomfort and muscle soreness can begin to accumulate.
The useful point is that recovery does not have to involve an elaborate routine. Across the Lions squad, the habits being emphasised are strikingly ordinary: sleep, hydration, protein, foam rolling and, in one case, tart cherry juice.
Sleep is not the bit to cut short
Justin Robinson, the Lions’ two-time league MVP, puts rest near the top of the list. His advice is simple: a hard workout is not really finished when the session ends.
Five hours of sleep may feel workable during a busy week, but Robinson’s view is that it does not give the body enough time to recover properly. His target is seven to eight hours a night, with the aim of arriving at the next session genuinely ready to train rather than merely getting through it.
That matters because recovery is partly about what happens when nothing appears to be happening. Training provides the stimulus; rest gives the body time to respond. For anyone returning to a regular gym routine after time away, that is a useful correction to the instinct to make up for lost sessions as quickly as possible.
Robinson also uses ice on sore areas after training, applying an ice pack for around 20 minutes to help reduce inflammation and give tired muscles time to recover before the next session.
Protein before bed, not just after training
Kevin Ware’s emphasis is food, and particularly protein. The former Louisville player, who won an NCAA title during his collegiate career, points to slow-digesting protein before bed as one way to prolong muscle protein synthesis overnight.
That does not make a bedtime shake a magic recovery shortcut. It does, however, underline a broader point: recovery nutrition is not limited to the immediate aftermath of a workout.
Ware also favours a high-protein breakfast, with foods such as lean meats, eggs, yoghurt and oatmeal. The practical lesson is considerably less glamorous than much fitness marketing would have us believe. Consistent meals, enough protein and sensible timing can matter more than chasing a complicated routine.
Hydration is easy to overlook
For team captain Joe Ikhinmwin, one of the most basic habits is also one of the easiest to neglect: drinking enough water after a demanding workout.
Ikhinmwin makes hydration part of the recovery routine rather than something remembered much later in the day, particularly on days when he exercises.
That simplicity is useful. Recovery can become an industry of powders, gadgets and protocols, but some of the essentials are still available from the tap.
Foam rolling for the spots that tighten up
Dirk Williams, who joined the British Basketball League in 2017, turns to a foam roller when muscles feel sore or knotted.
Foam rollers are inexpensive and easy to use at home. Williams’ recommendation is to spend a few minutes in the morning and evening working over sore spots rather than leaving them unattended.
The approach is intended to work on areas of tightness in the muscles and surrounding fascia. For regular gym-goers, the appeal is obvious: it is a straightforward habit that requires little more than a foam roller and a few minutes.
Tart cherry juice is the more unusual option
DeAndre Liggins, whose career has included NBA spells alongside players such as Anthony Davis and LeBron James, offers the least expected recovery suggestion: tart cherry juice.
Some research has reported that tart cherry juice concentrate can increase melatonin levels. Studies have also reported reductions in inflammation and muscle damage among athletes, alongside improvements in measures including maximum strength following high-intensity exercise.
Liggins likes it because it is inexpensive, easy to find and requires almost no effort to add to a routine. Of all the Lions’ suggestions, it is the one that sounds most like a recovery “hack”, although its appeal is really its simplicity.
Taken together, the players’ advice makes a useful case against treating recovery as a separate, highly technical branch of fitness.
The fundamentals are mostly familiar. Sleep enough. Rehydrate. Eat well. Deal with soreness rather than simply ignoring it. If tart cherry juice earns a place in the fridge too, consider that an addition rather than the whole plan.
The hard part is not knowing what recovery looks like. It is giving it the same respect as the workout.
