Skiing mostly works your leg muscles eccentrically (the muscle produces force while it lengthens); this type of work is more likely to cause delayed onset muscle soreness the next day. The basics of recovery are simple: at least 7 hours of sleep a night, carbohydrate and protein at the end of the day, replacing the fluids you have lost and limiting alcohol in the first few days, especially at high altitude. According to meta-analyses, massage, compression garments, active recovery and cold water immersion reduce muscle soreness to a small-to-moderate degree; the effect of stretching and foam rollers on soreness is very small. The evidence on whether sauna helps recovery is not yet clear.
In skiing, your thigh muscles often produce force while lengthening: as you resist the pressure in a turn, the muscle gets longer. This type of contraction is called an eccentric contraction. In measurements Berg and colleagues made with elite giant slalom racers in 1995, the eccentric phase lasted about 1 second and the concentric phase about half a second; the researchers described giant slalom as a discipline dominated by slow eccentric contractions. Eccentric dominance was also seen in slalom and super-G, but not in moguls.
According to Cheung and colleagues' review of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), eccentric work causes more frequent and more severe micro-damage in muscle fibres; DOMS can range from mild tenderness to pain that makes everyday tasks difficult, and it is especially common at the start of the season. We explain which muscles are involved in our guide which muscles do you use when skiing?
Basic 1: Sleep
According to the joint consensus of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, adults should regularly sleep 7 or more hours a night. Sleeping less than 7 hours is associated with impaired performance and more errors and accidents. When recovering from sleep debt, sleeping more than 9 hours may also be appropriate.
On a ski holiday, the evenings can be long and the mornings early; take extra care over your sleep.
Basic 2: Nutrition
According to the position stand of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), to replenish muscle glycogen quickly:
1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour, or
0.8 grams of carbohydrate together with 0.2–0.4 grams of protein per kilogram,
20–40 grams of protein every 3–4 hours throughout the day.
These values were drawn up for athletes in heavy training; for a skier on holiday, what they mean is a meal at the end of the day containing both carbohydrate and protein. For eating on the slopes and day to day, see our guide nutrition and hydration on a ski holiday.
Basic 3: Fluids
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), you should avoid losing more than 2% of your body weight in fluids during exercise and make up the deficit afterwards. A practical way to estimate the deficit is to weigh yourself before and after the day.
Basic 4: Alcohol
In a randomised crossover study by Parr and colleagues, a large amount of alcohol after exercise (1.5 grams per kilogram) reduced muscle protein synthesis by 24% even when taken with protein, and by 37% when taken with carbohydrate.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends avoiding alcohol for the first 48 hours at high altitude.
To balance the fun of après-ski with recovery, keep the first nights light; see also our guides on après-ski and high altitude.
Extra methods: what does the evidence say?
Method
Evidence
What to do
Massage
The method that most reduced muscle soreness in a meta-analysis of 99 studies (Dupuy et al., 2018); in another meta-analysis of 29 studies, no effect on strength and fatigue, small improvement in soreness and flexibility (Davis et al., 2020)
May help with soreness; do not expect it to restore performance
Active recovery
Among the methods that reduce muscle soreness (Dupuy)
A light walk or easy cycling at the end of the day
Compression garments
Small-to-moderate benefit for muscle soreness and loss of strength in two meta-analyses (Hill 2013; Brown 2017)
Can be used if you find them comfortable
Cold water immersion
“Slightly better” than passive rest; optimum around 10–15 °C water, 10–15 minutes (Machado et al., 2015)
Now and then; not every day (see below)
Foam roller
About a 6% reduction in soreness; effects “rather small” (Wiewelhove et al., 2019)
More useful for warming up than for recovery
Stretching
According to a Cochrane review, reduces soreness by about 1 point on a 100-point scale; clinically unimportant (Herbert et al., 2011)
Can be done for flexibility; do not expect it to prevent soreness
Sauna
Mixed results in a systematic review of 14 studies: no effect in 4, beneficial in 4, harmful in 1 (Ahokas et al., 2025)
For enjoyment; as a recovery tool, the evidence is not clear
A note on cold water: In a 12-week study by Roberts and colleagues, regular cold water immersion after training blunted gains in strength and muscle. On a one-week holiday this may not be a problem; but if you are doing pre-season strength training for skiing, taking an ice bath after every session may reduce your gains.
Should I ski when I am sore?
According to Cheung and colleagues' review, exercise itself is the most effective way to ease muscle soreness, but its effect is temporary. The advice is to reduce the load for 1–2 days if the soreness is marked and to add new activities gradually, spreading them over 1–2 weeks. On holiday, this means: on a sore morning, start the day with short, easy runs and lower your pace in the afternoon.
An evening checklist to be ready for the next day
A short, gentle walk at the end of the day.
A dinner containing carbohydrate and protein.
Replacing the fluids lost during the day.
Limiting alcohol on the first nights.
At least 7 hours of sleep.
Massage or compression if you like; stretching and sauna as you please.
Someone who recovers well skis on the third day of the holiday just as they did on the first; that means enjoying the whole of an activity holiday. Doğadayız winter packages include accommodation, ski pass and equipment. Telling everyone about the best run of the day over dinner and deciding together to have an early night is also part of the balance of a social adventure holiday. For programmes, see our winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
In skiing, your thigh muscles mostly produce force while lengthening (eccentric contraction). This type of work causes micro-damage in muscle fibres more often and leads to delayed onset muscle soreness the next day; it is especially common in the first days of the season.
What should I do for sore muscles after skiing?
The basics are at least 7 hours of sleep, a meal containing carbohydrate and protein, making up your fluid deficit and some light active recovery. According to meta-analyses, massage, compression and cold water immersion reduce soreness to a small-to-moderate degree; the effect of stretching is clinically unimportant.
Does a sauna after skiing help recovery?
The evidence is not clear. In a 2025 systematic review of 14 studies, sauna and heat exposure had no effect on acute recovery in 4 studies, a positive effect in 4 and a negative effect in 1; the researchers stated that no firm conclusion can be drawn.
Depending on effort, skiing and snowboarding are moderate- to high-intensity exercise: according to the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities, active skiing time comes to 4.3 METs at light effort, 6.3 at moderate effort and 8.0 at vigorous effort; for someone weighing 70 kg, that means roughly 300, 440 and 560 kcal per hour (only while skiing; less on the lift and in the queue). In the cold, you feel less thirsty: in one study, cold conditions reduced thirst by up to 40%. That is why you should drink water regularly without waiting to feel thirsty, start the day with a filling breakfast, top up your energy during the day with small snacks and eat well in the evening to recover. Alcohol is linked to ski injuries; in a case-control study, even drinking the night before could increase the risk.
Research shows that fatigue changes your skiing technique early on: as their legs tire, skiers shift, before their muscle fibres have changed noticeably, to a technique that loads the outside leg more and is most likely less controlled. Over a day of skiing, fatigue in the thigh muscles increases, and a 45-minute lunch break does not reverse it. But the idea that “most injuries happen on the last run of the day” is not supported by the evidence: about 81% of skiers who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury said they felt no fatigue, and 57% were injured in the first two days of their holiday. Notice your fatigue and slow down, but remember that the risk is also high in the first days and on icy slopes.
Physical preparation for skiing and snowboarding gives you two things: less fatigue in the first few days and keeping control at the end of the day. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends arriving in good condition, stopping when you get tired, and warming up for 3–5 minutes before skiing and starting with a few slow runs; many skiing injuries happen at the end of the day. To be honest, though, according to a systematic review there is not enough evidence that fitness training reduces injuries in recreational skiers; the evidence is strongest for knee injury awareness training and, in snowboarding, for wrist guards.
