Between the medals and the memes, Paris 2024 gave us the lift we all needed over 19 days. We gasped, cried tears of joy and (thanks to said memes) probably rolled our eyes at the slightest of slip-ups while shovelling down snacks from the comfort of our sofas. And now, 329 podium spots later, it’s time for the world’s sporting elite to get some serious R&R — before the training starts again.
But how did they stay supercharged throughout the event? We already know some tricks: eat right (an intake of up to 7,000 calories is needed for some endurance events); stick to an intensive tailored training schedule; get plenty of sleep; stay sober; and take vitamins. Then, their physios are on hand between rounds to pummel them back to supple form or ice any injuries.
But this is 2024, the year of biohacking and AI, and during the Games we also witnessed Olympians sporting some eye-catching new accessories. So we’ve asked trainers and biohackers to lift the lid on the prep and recovery techniques gaining pace. Plus, if you can (and should) try them at home or in the gym.
To boost power: AI gym equipment
While the Olympians’ living quarters in Paris looked very close to student digs, the gym they used was far from that of university campuses. The Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics had Technogym’s state-of-the-art gear in all its 29 training centres in Paris Saint-Denis — and at the competition venues and events in Lille, Marseilles, and Tahiti.
Sean Vine, trainer at Mayfair’s Buddhabox, who works with everyone from elite athletes to rookies, explains that athletes don’t do their most intensive training in the Olympic gyms. He says most work is on “periodical cycles depending on their annual competitions, goals and personal bests”. These use macrocycles (the whole training schedule), mesocycles (particular training blocks within the season such as for endurance), and microcycles (the smallest block of training). The latter is the stage athletes are expected to be in at the Games, to ensure peak performance.
The Technogym machines on offer are highly suited to this as they use AI, meaning they can, according to the brand “personalise training down to the smallest detail to allow the athlete to act on the smallest margin of improvement. They use integrated insights from top athletes and scientific research from our own test lab”.
India Bailey, Technogym talent trainer and coach, says the athletes also used the brand’s mobility sticks, balls and rollers at the Games to help with stretching, mobility and delayed onset of muscle soreness, or DOMS.
“This is something to really factor in when you're going at 100 per cent capacity (which we all know athletes do when going for gold). It is widely stipulated that this happens due to microtears or muscle trauma, whilst other research finds it could be more to do with changes in the nervous system,” she says.
“It’s important to manage this appropriately using some of the tools I mention. It's important not to stop movement altogether; we want to integrate slow, controlled and low-intensity mobility and aerobic activity.”
Where to try it: You can hone your performance with the same Technogym machines and equipment at London venues such as 1Rebel (1rebel.com) BXR (bxrlondon.com/gym) and members can use them at Raffles London at the OWO (raffles.com).
For ‘pre-covery’: compression tech
Yes, Epsom salts and ice baths are still popular, but Team GB’s elite athletes use techy alternatives too. You’ve seen the photos of Jennifer Aniston in her space-like boots for toning. But for the likes of Team GB Olympic gold medal winners 800m runner Keely Hodgkinson and gymnast Bryony Page, they were a godsend for speedy muscle recovery between rounds and after training and events.
"We've got loads of different recovery techniques, not just stretching off before and after but ice baths and compression boots too, where you look like you're in a Michelin Man suit. They're really good for flushing out all the toxins, aches and pains," Page told Cosmopolitan before her trampolining success.
Elada Eimaite, senior biotechnician and nutritional life coach at luxury wellness members’ club Grey Wolfe, explains exactly how it works: “By promoting increased blood flow and thus oxygen delivery to the muscles, the compression boots increase the rate at which muscles recover as they get the nutrients they need,” she says.
“Additionally, stimulating the lymphatic system helps to remove metabolic waste such as lactic acid which builds up during intense exercise. Increasing the rate at which blood and oxygen can get to the muscles also helps reduce the chance of injury. The gentle massage function of the boots also helps to reduce muscle tension and this can also improve flexibility, helping athletes to perform at their best.”
Hodgkinson, 22, shared pictures to Instagram Stories of her wearing heated boots and an all-in-one ice and heat vest during the Olympics to aid her recovery between rounds. She joked that she looked like a “robot” in the kit, which was made in partnership with recovery technology experts Hyperice.
Where to try it: Hodgkinson’s tech isn’t yet available to the public — but you can try lymphatic boots at Grey Wolfe in west London (greywolfe.co.uk) where membership includes unlimited use. Thirty minutes after exercise or a treatment will help relieve muscle tension. You can also try Body Ballancer’s boots at various London locations from £75 (bodyballancer.co.uk).
During an event or at night: compression bands and sleeves
At Paris 2024, countless athletes sported a band over their arm or leg, especially during the athletics competitions. These included the women’s 400m hurdles champion, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, of Team USA. And no, she wasn’t just wearing a matching sleeve to complement her Team USA kit because she was likely reaping the compression benefits.
Vine explains these bands “increase blood flow around a large surface area and help remove waste products (lactic acid).” The athletes might even sleep in these he adds, as they have recovery benefits (like lymphatic boots), minimising muscle soreness after an event. Some athletes wear them to prevent or protect themselves from injury due to extra support.
Team USA’s Gabby Thomas cites a different benefit of wearing one during the women’s 200m, which she won. “For me, I feel like it’s a reminder out of the blocks to drive my arm up,” she says.
Try it: most major sports brands sell compression bands and Adidas’ Aeroready arm sleeve (£23, adidas.co.uk) has sweat-wicking technology, which is a bonus for temperature control — another reason the elite wear them alongside their teeny kit.
For more ‘pre-covery’: hyperbaric chamber sessions
Another space-age piece of tech you won’t find in your average gym, growing in popularity among high-profile, athletes are Hyperbaric oxygen chambers. These aid healing and reduce muscle fatigue. Tennis legend Novak Djokovic is among those known to use them.
Carlos Urrutigoity, a qualified osteopath who manages Grey Wolfe, explains they’re becoming a staple for many sportspeople’s training and recovery regime. “The heightened oxygen availability speeds up the body's natural healing processes by promoting faster tissue repair, reducing inflammation, and alleviating muscle fatigue. For athletes, this means quicker recovery from intense training sessions or injuries, allowing them to return to their peak performance more rapidly.”
He adds that the “enhanced oxygen delivery aids in the regeneration of muscles, tendons, and ligaments,” while the sessions also “mitigate the risk of overtraining injuries, allowing them to push harder and faster than they would ordinarily have done so without its use”. He says it also counteracts the effects of jet lag, meaning athletes travelling long haul can bounce back faster.
Where to try it: Grey Wolfe members can book 60 or 90-minute sessions (greywolfe.co.uk).
During competitions or training: K Tape
Whether neon or adorned with the athlete’s country’s name, ‘K tape’ was seen everywhere at the Olympics, worn on joints by swimmers, divers and cyclists. This kinesiology therapeutic “is a flexible and durable material, meaning it can be used on specific areas to help with joint support, blood flow and muscle recovery, and can help in the reduction of swelling an inflammation,” explains Vine.
For divers, it is used to protect the areas that can hit the water during dives at high velocity to lessen the chance of swelling and help maintain mobility. This tip is worth stealing if you like to hit the highboard at the pool.
Try it: KT Tape’s trademarked version is precut for easy application (kttape.shop)
4 more training aids to try
Shower between dives
If you’ve noticed divers running to use a shower between their performances, it’s not just to keep the adrenaline flowing. Alternating between cool and warm showers helps them to avoid the possibility of muscle cramps.
Pop an extra swimming cap on
Budgie smugglers are big for summer and if Olympians are anything to go, they should be paired with two swimming caps to move at speed. The second cap is placed over competitors’ goggles, covering exposed straps and making them more streamlined, which reduces drag.
Cheat a massage
Super techy brand Pulseroll’s massage guns (from £69.95, pulseroll.com) were an official supplier of Team GB. Gymnast Bryony Page hailed them as one of her key recovery tools alongside PMR (Progressive Muscle Relaxation). She explained to Cosmopolitan that this is where you "lie down and listen to some Enya-style music, and tense and relax different parts of your body”.
Apply trusty Tiger Balm
Yes, it’s as old school as it gets to ease muscle injuries after events, but athletes still swear by it and Team GB gymnast Georgia-Mae Fenton told Grazia she applies it before competitions. “I use Tiger Balm on my arms and legs; it really helps to relieve some of the muscle tension, especially when I’m stressed or under pressure.” (£7.99, boots.com)
