Great list by
@antidoc. This is a really underrated area in general in the bodybuilding/fitness space. Too many people running purely on stimulants/sympathetic drive 24/7. But hypertrophy, proper digestion, glycogen repletion only happens once you reenter a parasympathetic state.
Part of the reason so many people screw this up is that it truly requires living the lifestyle/full time dedication.
The biggest movers here are going to be:
1. Zone 2 cardio- increases/builds your baseline vagal/parasympathetic tone (yet another reason to do daily zone 2 cardio you are doing your cardio right anon?)
2. Light environment/circadian entrainment- primary input entraining your HPA/cortisol curve
3. Sleep- everyone knows this/should know the importance of sleep for hypertrophy (or fat loss) but so many ignore it in practice for some reason and wonder why they get subpar results; if you are doing the first 2 (and not screwing yourself with night time bluelight/screenuse) you generally are not going to have any problems with this
How to get into “rest and digest” post-exercise:
1. Inhibitory supplements
L theanine, magnolia bark, l-tryptophan, 5-htp, magnesium, taurine…
2. Breathing exercises
These are wildly effective. The double inhale works near every time to the point it makes me drowsy
3. Finishing your caffeine sooner before your workout
4. Time stretching at the end of the workout
5. Meditation (yes really)