A complete guide to BJJ recovery tools and methods
These are Grappling Insider’s top recommended essential tools for BJJ recovery.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu takes an incredible toll on the body. Whether you’re a fresh white belt who’s still adjusting to the demands of training or a grizzled upper belt who’s constantly dealing with that nagging injury, BJJ is anything but easy.
If you want to stay on the mat and train more consistently for a longer period of time, you must take your recovery seriously. By prioritizing recovery after a hard training session, you’ll be more prepared to bounce back for another grueling session the next day – or even a second session that same day.
We recently interviewed decorated BJJ and MMA veteran Rafael Lovato Jr., who is still competing at the highest level at 42 years old. He said that, even though it gets harder as he gets older, recovery remains the focal point of his training regimen.
There’s no shortage of recovery tools available to grapplers. Some people like to employ as many as possible, trying everything under the sun to help their bodies quickly recuperate. Others, meanwhile, have one tried-and-true method of recovery that they swear by.
With that in mind, we’ve looked into the primary recovery tools for BJJ and picked out the top options from each category.
Stretching for BJJ recovery
Perhaps the most obvious, widespread, and easiest tool for recovery from BJJ is stretching. Stretching helps recovery and promotes longevity in a couple of different ways.
First, static stretching activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your rest and digestive functions. A simple stretching routine after a training session will help you calm down, priming your body for rest and sleep, which is ultimately the most powerful recovery tool.
Secondly, stretching promotes flexibility, which, in turn, reduces the likelihood of injury. According to Harvard, flexibility improves the range of motion and lowers the “risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”
And beyond the benefits of improved rest and reduced chance of injury, stretching is particularly useful to BJJ practitioners because it can actually improve their grappling. Just like strength and speed, flexibility is a weapon that can be used to apply submissions, exert control over an opponent, or escape bad positions.
Best stretching tools for BJJ recovery
Your own body
The most readily available tool for stretching is your own body weight and gravity. Simply find a stretching routine that fits into your schedule and try to stick to it as consistently as possible. For some, that might mean going to a yoga studio and spending hours working on flexibility under the watchful eye of a knowledgeable instructor. For others, that means a simple 10-minute routine that they complete after every training session, or each night before bed.
The internet is filled with free resources for stretching, and there are plenty of routines specifically designed for grapplers. Below is a quick and easy routine from the experts at Yoga for BJJ.
If you’d like some added support or really want to maximize the benefits of stretching, we recommend a stretching strap. A strap allows you to engage deeper into your stretches and often helps you be more relaxed when stretching, making it possible for you to lie down when stretching your hamstrings, for example.
Our favorite stretching strap is non-elastic, offers 10 numbered loops for varying lengths and progress tracking, and includes a basic stretching guide. Shop for this stretching strap on Amazon.
You can really take your leg and hip flexibility to a new level with a leg stretching machine. These devices allow you to push your flexibility to the absolute limit with little effort required. Simply lock yourself into the machine and adjust the settings to as deep a stretch as you can handle.
Daily use of a leg stretcher like this one will greatly improve your lower-body flexibility, make recovery easier, and prevent future injuries. Shop for leg stretchers on Amazon.
Cold therapy
The use of ice baths and cold therapy has become one of the most popular recovery tools for athletes over the past few years.
The science behind cold therapy is pretty simple. First and foremost, the cold temperature slows your breathing and stops sweating, making it a perfect way to come down quickly from a hard BJJ training session. While you’re in the cold water, lactic acid shifts away from your muscles, thereby reducing pain and soreness. The biggest benefits come once you’re out of the ice bath, when your body increases circulation in an effort to heat up and helps your muscles relax.
Best cold therapy tools for BJJ recovery
Ice
A simple, easy, and effective starting point for cold therapy is a basic ice bath. No elaborate tools needed, just dump some ice into your tub and soak for several minutes to feel the instant effects.
While a basic homemade ice bath is easy and practically free, it can be difficult to monitor the exact temperature of the water, and as the ice melts and your body heats the water, the temperature will continue to rise.
Cold plunges
For a more efficient and easy-to-manage option, some grapplers will be interested in a dedicated cold plunge separate from the home bath tub.
If you’re looking for a cold plunge option that doesn’t break the bank, a good place to start is a simple, outdoor tub with no temperature monitoring or water-line hookup. You’ll simply place the tub outdoors, fill it with water and ice, and be sure to regularly drain and change the water.
A highly regarded, easy-to-use cold plunge that we like is The Ice Pod. This 84-gallon collapsible tub comes with repair patches in case the tub springs a leak, a thermal lid, and a drainage hose for easy cleaning after each use. At just about $100, we think this is a great option for beginner cold plungers. Shop for The Ice Pod on Amazon.
On the other end of the spectrum, some athletes will enjoy a state-of-the-art, spa-like experience at home. Unlike The Ice Pod or other portable tubs, these high-end cold plunges include water filtration, temperature controls, continuous water circulation, and sturdy design features.
When it comes to these top-of-the-line at-home cold plunges, we recommend the Recoverex Cold Plunge. This 90-gallon tub comes with all the bells and whistles, including a mobile app to control the temperature and all the necessary chemicals to ensure the water stays fresh and clean. With a hefty price tag, make no mistake, this is only for the serious cold plunger. Shop for the Recoverex Cold Plunge on Amazon.
Sauna
While some like it cold, some like it hot – and there’s science to show that the high temperatures of a sauna can aid in athletic recovery. For BJJ grapplers who’d rather do anything other than sit in ice-cold water, the at-home sauna is a great option for recovery from a hard training session.
Here’s how saunas help in recovery: the warm temperature causes blood vessels to dilate and increases blood flow. As a result, muscle fibers relax and, with the added blood flow, muscles receive an extra hit of nutrients, thereby speeding up the recovery process.
Saunas also provide perhaps the most important benefit of them all – they promote relaxation, which promotes high-quality sleep. Ultimately, sleep is the absolute best recovery tool, and the relaxation earned from a sauna session after training will typically lead to improved sleep. If you often train at night and find yourself struggling to come down from hard sparring, a quick sauna session might be exactly what you need to get a good night’s sleep and be ready for more BJJ the next day.
Top at-home saunas
Budget-minded grapplers will likely be interested in a simple, portable sauna. These saunas are set up in just minutes, can be placed anywhere in the home, and will offer all the baseline benefits of a more substantial sauna. What’s more, because they’re portable, you can take these saunas with you on your tournament travels, making weight cuts on the go much easier.
The primary drawbacks of these saunas are that they are typically only large enough for one person, aren’t as comfortable as non-portable options, and they may not maintain their temperature as consistently as more expensive saunas.
We like this portable sauna from Kasue. At just $200, this sauna is large enough for a tall individual, heats up in just minutes, includes a multi-functional steamer box with a remote control, and can work for up to 99 minutes at a time. Shop for this portable sauna on Amazon.
On the other end of the spectrum, many grapplers will want to invest in a much more substantial, high-end at-home sauna. While these saunas offer significantly sturdier construction and added features, you might be surprised by the relatively low price tag.
This two-person sauna from Dynamic Saunas comes in at under $2,000 and offers everything you could possibly want in an at-home sauna, including a spacious interior, Canadian hemlock wood, Bluetooth speakers, flexible seating, and a reading light. Shop for this at-home sauna on Amazon.
Supplements
Perhaps the best way to ensure you’re able to quickly bounce back from hard BJJ training sessions is to make sure you’re fueling your body with everything it needs. In general, this starts with a healthy, nutritious diet. But beyond a healthy protein intake and plenty of fruits and vegetables, many grapplers will turn to supplements for extra support that will, ultimately, aid in recovery.
Best supplements for BJJ
Protein
Simply put, protein is absolutely essential for both muscle growth and recovery. Strenuous exercise like BJJ causes small tears in the muscle, which will eventually lead to muscle growth. Protein helps to quickly repair these tears, thereby shortening the length of time that a grappler will feel that familiar soreness. In fact, we interviewed a licensed nutritionist and BJJ purple belt back in 2021, and he identified protein as a critical element of any grappler’s diet.
Grapplers who train several days a week at a high intensity would be well-served by supplementing their diet with some additional protein – up to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight per day.
The market for protein supplements is huge. Unless you’re lactose intolerant, we recommend a simple whey protein isolate with limited or no artificial ingredients or sweeteners. To that end, the Ascent Native Whey Protein Blend is the highest quality protein available and comes in a number of different flavors. Shop for this protein powder on Amazon.
Magnesium
Beyond protein, magnesium supplementation has been proven time and time again to aid in muscle recovery and relaxation. Magnesium blocks calcium uptake, allowing the muscles to relax after long bouts of strenuous exercise. This not only speeds up the recovery process but also promotes overall relaxation, which then leads to improved sleep. We can’t stress this enough: sleep is the single most important tool when it comes to recovery, and magnesium promotes good sleep.
While you can certainly get some benefits of magnesium by taking an Epsom salt bath, the best way to see the full benefits of magnesium is with a daily supplement. Just be sure that you’re not taking more than the recommended dose, as excess magnesium can cause unwanted side effects and digestive issues.
Our favorite magnesium supplement is this Magnesium Complex Powder from Nature Made. This 3-in-1 blend quickly dissolves in water, tastes great, and delivers 300mg that will start boosting your recovery almost immediately. Shop for this magnesium supplement on Amazon.
L-Theanine
Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of recovery is mental recovery. That’s where L-theanine comes in. According to Stanford, L-theanine supports mental recovery, decreases the perception of anxiety, and combats burnout while supporting mental well-being.
Because BJJ is a combat sport that puts athletes in tense, fight-or-flight situations for long periods of time, it’s often difficult to come down from the stress of a hard training session. When the mind is still wide awake hours after training, sleep is nearly impossible, and when sleep is impossible, physical recovery is also impossible.
Especially if you train at night, we suggest giving L-theanine a try to help you bounce back from those post-training jitters. Nutricost makes a simple and inexpensive L-theanine supplement that many claim improves both mental clarity and the ability to relax. Shop for this L-theanine supplement on Amazon.
