Recovery foods/drinks

helimachoptor

Guys, i'm doing on average 250ish K per week but sometimes less as my legs are so tired, any suggestions on what to eat post spin to combat this?

Lumen

Ice cream or chips, but not in the same meal.

helimachoptor

Really?

A friend recommended Choc milk but I have a serious issue drinking milk on its on but have it with tea and cereal etc

ednwireland

my physio recommended getting a sports massage every few weeks to get toxins out of the muscles (could be complete bollix and havent got round to it yet )

RobBaxter

Oooo I would like to hop on this thread.

I am doing a 216km cycle from Galway - Dublin and was wondering what foods/drinks I should eat/drink before cycling and then during the cycle and after it.


Perhaps this is the wrong forum for this topic but the thread title seemed so apt.

Sorry OP,

Regards,
Bobby

doozerie

Various (all?) of the manufacturers that produce energy food/powders/drinks for sports also produce post-training recovery bars/powders/drinks. Typically they are a mix of protein and carbohydrate, with the balance differing from one manufacturer to another. I've been using the High5 Protein Recovery powder for a while (you dissolve it in milk), and I nearly even find it palatable at this stage, but a lot of them are similar.

iregk

I've been using Nutrition X RAM for a few years now post cycle and its great stuff. Typically after a good hard workout you need to put your body into repair mode so lots of proteins be it bar powder or drinks to suppliment your daily diet.

07Lapierre

RobBaxter wrote: »

Oooo I would like to hop on this thread.

I am doing a 216km cycle from Galway - Dublin and was wondering what foods/drinks I should eat/drink before cycling and then during the cycle and after it.


Perhaps this is the wrong forum for this topic but the thread title seemed so apt.

Sorry OP,

Regards,
Bobby

I'm doing the Ring of Kerry cycle on Saturday and I'm already looking forward to my recovery food...STEAK and UNIONS Mmmmmm!

Before the cycle I'll eat cereal, Toast and coffee. During the event I'll eat Nutri grain bars and/or Banana's (little and often). At each food stop in Cahirciveen and Kenmare I'll eat as much cake and sandwiches as possible.
I'll also have two water bottles, one with just water and the other with Miwadi.. good luck with your cycle.

alfalad

Think you don't need to worry about recovery drinks etc too much unless you have a poor diet (not eating the right foods at the right time) or you are training most days and training for a purpose, i.e. racing, very long sportive or a multi day cycle that will be hard going. Having a good diet would be enough for most people all they would need is some extra protein and carbs, and try and eat as soon as you are finished your training spin. Milk is very good post training drink by the way.
If you are training in a hurry then the recovery drinks will help, Torq gets some good reviews and is more natural than other, I used a Maximuscle one before and it did work. There are some threads on this before so you will get plenty of reviews and tips there.
As for the 216km cycle, you need to load up a bit on extra carbs the day before. During you need more solid food rather than gels as your stomach won't be able to handle it. Again there are loads of threads on food on the bike so plenty of good advice. As for after the cycle, milk good balanced meal and a stretch should help and if you can get it a massage!

Previous on the bike food discussion

Previous on the bike water bottle discussion

Recovery drinks discussion

Recovery Food

helimachoptor

Any particular recovery bars you guys recommend?

Lumen

helimachoptor wrote: »

Any particular recovery bars you guys recommend?

Mint Bar in The Westin is nice if you're after cocktails, but Grogans is more traditional and very popular with boardsies.

jimshady101

The main thing you need for recovery is Protein along with some thing sugary!

Protein is the building blocks of all muscle tissue and will help repair and build new muscle tissue. Most importantly ensure it is whey protein that you take as this is absorbed the quickest, in approx 20-60 minutes.

Yes red meat is a great source of protein but takes up to 4 hours for a steak to fully digest. When you come off a long spin or a hard training session protein is what you need.

If you analyse any "recovery" drink the main ingredients are Protein and Maltodextrin (bit like sugar).

If you are looking for protein, we have a 10% sale on www.relfex-nutrition.ie . Reflex Nutrition produce the best protein on the market.

Check out this video, explains things nicely! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdK5CZrZneU

ryan_sherlock

jimshady101 wrote: »

The main thing you need for recovery is Protein along with some thing sugary!

Ehh, for an endurance sport like cycling, Protein is NOT the main thing you need for recovery. Some Protein, yes, but not mostly protein. Most litrature recommends 4:1 carb:protein ratio where the protein is mostly there to help speed up glycolgen replacement. Have a look at any of the Endurance focused recovery drinks.

In Cycling, unless you are doing specific, high power track type training (think Chris Hoy), you are probably getting enough protein as it is. (Unless you are Vegan or similar, then you have to be a little more focused)

jimshady101

ryan_sherlock wrote: »

Ehh, for an endurance sport like cycling, Protein is NOT the main thing you need for recovery. Some Protein, yes, but not mostly protein. Most litrature recommends 4:1 carb:protein ratio where the protein is mostly their to help speed up glycolgen replacement. Have a look at any of the Endurance focused recovery drinks.

In Cycling, unless you are doing specific, high power track type training (think Chris Hoy), you are probably getting enough protein as it is. (Unless you are Vegan or similar, then you have to be a little more focused)

Completely agree with the carbs but in the ratio of 4:1, I would personally take with a pinch of salt. Depending on the level of training, effort, and body weight the amount of carbs required varies. A ratio of 3:1 is more ideal!:cool:

Here's an excellent link worth reading, talks about recover and the importance of protein and carbs. http://pamelamorrisfitness.com/pdf/protein.pdf


"1)Protein supports your physical needs by building and repairing muscles broken down during
endurance workouts and weight training sessions.
2) Protein is an essential part of the immune system. Endurance athletes are constantly
challenging the health of their immune systems as they increase their training workload.
3) Protein is present everywhere in the body including blood, bones, muscle and connective
tissue. When protein is insufficient or restricted, the resulting intakes of nutrients such as
calcium, iron and zinc may be inadequate. Athletes must get enough of these elements for
cell repair and rejuvenation on a daily basis"