Lacrosse Recovery: After Games, Tournament Weekends and Sleep

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Sunday evening after a three-day summer tournament. The car smells like pads, the legs feel like concrete, and there’s school or work in the morning. Or a Wednesday after a Tuesday-night high school game, with another one on Friday. Lacrosse recovery is what happens between those moments: refueling, rehydrating, sleeping and giving the body a chance to absorb the work. Done well, it’s how players stay fast in May and healthy in July.

General guidance for healthy players, not medical advice. If something hurts more each day, see a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist (PT) or athletic trainer (AT). For the overview of the sport, see our lacrosse hub.

How long recovery takes

Lacrosse is built on sprints, cuts and hard stops, the kind of work that leaves muscles sore. A review of team-sport studies found that performance often comes back before the body’s markers of muscle damage do, and that markers like creatine kinase can stay raised for 72 hours or more. In soccer, a similar sprint-and-cut sport, reviews found strength and well-being still not fully back three days after a match. Three games in a day, or a full tournament weekend, piles that stress up.

Workload also follows you to bed. In a study of college women’s lacrosse players in the off-season, harder training days were linked with slightly worse sleep efficiency that night. Small effect, but a reminder that the hardest days need the best recovery habits.

After the game: the first few hours

Cool down, briefly

A light jog, walk or easy stretch after the game feels good, and it may help the heart and breathing settle faster. A research review found that an active cool-down doesn’t do much for next-day performance or injury prevention, so keep it short and don’t skip the food and fluids for it.

Refuel and rehydrate

The ACSM, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada position statement gives the targets:

• Fluids: replace about 125–150% of what you lost, or 1.25–1.5 L for every kg of body weight lost. Weighing before and after shows how much that is. Include some salt.
• Carbs: start early. When the next game is less than 8 hours away (a tournament day), about 1.0–1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per hour for the first 4 hours.
• Protein: about 0.25–0.3 g per kg of body weight, or 15–25 g, in the first couple of hours. That’s roughly 18–21 g for a 70 kg (154 lb) player.
• Alcohol (for adult players) works against rehydration and recovery; the statement discourages drinking much of it.

Easy options: chocolate milk, a turkey sandwich, Greek yogurt with fruit, a rice bowl. Our lacrosse nutrition page covers the details.

Sleep: the recovery tool that costs nothing

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends 9–12 hours for kids aged 6–12 and 8–10 hours for teens aged 13–18. Adults need 7 or more. Night games, long drives home and screens before bed all cut into it.

• Keep the same wake-up time on most days, even after late games.
• Skip caffeine late in the day.
• Make the bedroom dark, cool and quiet, and put the phone away.
• A short nap on a tournament day or the day after a late game can help.

A sleep tracker isn’t required, but some players like seeing the pattern; see our lacrosse wearables page.

Tournament weekends and rest days

Club and summer lacrosse often means three or more games in a day and several days in a row. Between games, follow the game-day plan: rehydrate with some salt, eat familiar carbs early, get out of the pads and into the shade, and put your feet up.

After the tournament:

• Take a day off, or an easy day. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises young athletes to take at least 1–2 days off a week from their main sport, and time away during the year.
• Sleep long on Sunday night, even if homework or work is waiting.
• Watch for warning signs: pain that gets worse each day, a swollen joint, or headaches, fogginess or dizziness after a hit. Those need a doctor, PT or AT, not more recovery tools (see lacrosse injuries).

Recovery tools: what helps and what’s just nice

Recovery tools don’t replace food, fluids and sleep, but many players like them. Here’s what the research says, in plain words:

• Massage and foam rolling: a large review of recovery methods found massage the most effective for soreness and feeling tired. A foam roller like the TriggerPoint GRID is the budget version. A plain lacrosse ball works too: lots of athletes in every sport roll their feet, hips and upper back on one.
• Massage guns: a 2026 review of 12 trials found percussion helped jump performance recover, with no clear benefit for strength recovery or soreness. A small one like the Theragun Mini fits in the bag.
• Compression: compression garments showed small benefits in a review, mostly for strength recovery. Pneumatic boots like the Normatec Go are a different tool; many players use them for comfort.
• Cold water: cold-water immersion was slightly better than doing nothing for soreness, with the best results around 10–15°C (50–59°F) for 10–15 minutes. But a study found that regular ice baths after strength sessions blunted strength and muscle gains, so save them for game days and tournaments rather than after lifting.
• Recovery slides: after a day in cleats, many players switch to cushioned slides like the OOFOS OOahh.

Cold plunges aren’t for everyone: check with a doctor first if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, Raynaud’s or circulation problems, or are pregnant, and never plunge alone. Children should only use cold water with an adult present.

Our best recovery tools, massage guns, compression boots and cold plunges guides compare more options, and athlete recovery routine puts it all together. Soccer players face the same weekend grind; see soccer recovery.

Goalies, young players and adult players

Goalies recover from a different game: fewer sprints, but explosive saves, a lot of time in a low stance, and shots that leave bruises even through the gear. Hip and groin mobility work, an easy bike session and checking any deep bruise that keeps getting worse are part of their routine. A blow to the chest followed by collapse is never “just a bruise”: that’s a 911 call and the AED (see lacrosse injuries).

Young players recover mainly through food, fluids, sleep and time off. They don’t need massage guns or cold plunges, and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advice on rest days and playing several sports protects them more than any gadget.

Adult and masters players in rec leagues and over-30 tournaments often feel games for longer. Leave more time between hard sessions, keep up strength work through the year, and treat sleep as part of training.

Lacrosse recovery FAQs

How long does it take to recover from a lacrosse game?

Most players feel close to normal in a day or two, but research in sprint-and-cut sports shows muscle damage markers and strength can take 72 hours or more to fully settle. Plan harder training at least a couple of days after a game.

How do I recover after a lacrosse tournament weekend?

Rehydrate with some salt, eat carbs and protein soon after each game, sleep long, and take the next day off or very easy. Young athletes should get at least 1–2 days off a week from lacrosse.

Are ice baths good after lacrosse?

They can ease soreness after games and tournaments, with the best results around 10–15°C for 10–15 minutes. Avoid them right after strength training, where they may blunt gains, and check with a doctor if you have heart or circulation problems.

Can you use a lacrosse ball for self-massage?

Many athletes do, rolling their feet, hips, glutes and upper back on one. Go gently, avoid bones and anything that’s injured, and stop if it causes sharp pain.

What should I eat after a lacrosse game?

Carbs and protein together soon after, with fluids: chocolate milk, a sandwich, yogurt with fruit or a rice bowl. Aim for about 15–25 g of protein in the first couple of hours.