# Post ride recovery habits (nutrition)



## Marc (Jun 15, 2006)

I'm not sure if we covered this in the nutrition thread, but I'm too lazy to go look, and we need to pad the post count of this forum anyway.



Beginning about halfway through last summer, I started incorporating a post ride recovery drink into my cycling after reading some advice from some nutritional experts.  I had known I should have been practicing this all along, but my apathy got the best of me again.

I find that the day after, the difference between using a recovery drink and not is amazing.  My legs feel less sore or not at all, I'm not tired, I don't huff and puff going up stairs, and most importantly, I recover and rebuild fast enough to go out riding the next day.

There are some commercial recovery drinks out there, but I've had very good luck with mixing 1 to 1.5 servings of Hammer Gel (my preferred energy gel) with .5 to 1 serving of Solgar's Whey to Go whey protein (which has the lowest fat content of all the whey protein supplements I could find).  If I've had a particularly strenous ride or one with a lot of elevation and climbing, I'll increase both ingredients and sometimes bring the protein to gel ratio closer to one.

A lot of cyclists I know use a recovery product from Endurox, and I believe Power Bar makes one, and actually so does Hammer Nutrition.  I'm sure there are plenty others out there.

I've actually heard of some riders using chocolate milk, mixed themselves with skim milk.  This would probably taste pretty good, but most chocolate syrups contain a lot of simple carbs, like sucrose and glucose.  I find the combination of simple and complex carbohydrates in a product like Hammer Gel works the best for me, and leads to no indigestion or naseau.

So what's your recovery routine?  Probably old hat for the more experienced riders/higher level athletes floating around here.


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## skibum1321 (Jun 15, 2006)

I don't use a post-ride recovery drink. Recovering for me usually just involves making some dinner. Maybe I should look into it... 
I also don't use any of the gels. Most of the time I just have a granola bar or something when I'm riding.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2006)

skibum1321 said:
			
		

> I don't use a post-ride recovery drink. Recovering for me usually just involves making some dinner. Maybe I should look into it...
> I also don't use any of the gels. Most of the time I just have a granola bar or something when I'm riding.



I'll bring something solid, granola bar or power bar, if I'm going to be out over three hours.  I'd highly recommend trying Hammer Gel though, I get fantastic results.


Also, dinner is good if you can eat it within 20 minutes after you stop riding, although I usually try to do both.  A recovery drink and then dinner within an hour or so and you'll feel great the next day.  The advantage of a recovery drink is it can be digested and abosrbed fast, when your body is yearning for nutrients and replenishment most.

I was quite amazed at the difference it made.


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## freeheelwilly (Jun 15, 2006)

Beer!:beer:  My recovery drink of choice!

I ride 6 days a week but my 4 "after work" rides are only 28-32 miles and rides that short don't warrant a "recovery" drink in my mind.  I eat dinner - that's my recovery.  On the weekends my rides are longer and I'll often mix up some Endurox after those.  Can't say I've ever noticed any huge improvement the next day.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2006)

freeheelwilly said:
			
		

> Beer!:beer:  My recovery drink of choice!
> 
> I ride 6 days a week but my 4 "after work" rides are only 28-32 miles and rides that short don't warrant a "recovery" drink in my mind.  I eat dinner - that's my recovery.  On the weekends my rides are longer and I'll often mix up some Endurox after those.  Can't say I've ever noticed any huge improvement the next day.



I notice it most at the beginning of the season when I'm getting my legs back into the swing of things, actually.

The noticeable results to diminish as the season goes on though, you're right.


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## andyzee (Jun 15, 2006)

My opinion for what it's worth, which probably isn't much, you don't need no stinking recovery drink. What you need is to make sure you get all the nutition and hydration you need before and during your ride. I once did something like 1000 miles in a period of about 12 days. My intake for that started with french toast every morning, for some reason my body just requested that, and power bars and a good energy drink during the ride. With regards to recovery supplements never used anything. I camped out along the route and at times actually did buy a six pack of beer and just relaxed after the ride. Damn youngsters and their fancy smancy nutrients! :beer:


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## bruno (Jun 16, 2006)

red wine and pasta with tuna. don't waste yer dough on that chemical stuff. maybe gatorade, but the rest of that stuff is snake oil.:-o :razz: :flag: :beer:


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## Marc (Jun 16, 2006)

bruno said:
			
		

> red wine and pasta with tuna. don't waste yer dough on that chemical stuff. maybe gatorade, but the rest of that stuff is snake oil.:-o :razz: :flag: :beer:



Well, I wouldn't waste my "dough" on nutrition products about which I know nothing.  Fortunately, energy gels and protein supplements are pretty simple to understand with a little literature and a high school education.

If you don't understand what maltodextrin, sucrose, fructose, glucose and whey protein are, you can learn in about 5 minutes.

Everything's a chemical at one level or another.


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## Charlie Schuessler (Jun 16, 2006)

Cycling rides lasting up to 2- 2-1/2 Hours I don't do anything special than just raid the fridge.... Rides lasting up to 3- 3-1/2 Hours what ever is healthy and close by...rides lasting more than 4-Hours, anything that's edible may just be swallowed whole without chewing...even a Big Mac!


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## bruno (Jun 17, 2006)

Marc said:
			
		

> If you don't understand what maltodextrin, sucrose, fructose, glucose and whey protein are, you can learn in about 5 minutes.
> 
> Everything's a chemical at one level or another.



git yer nutrients from whole real foods i say! tastes better too. but the wine and pasta is essential!!!::-D :-D :-D :-D


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## marcski (Jun 17, 2006)

Recovery drink:  Water
Post ride routine:  Drink Water, Shower, drink more water, eat.  

Goto sleep.  Wake up.  Repeat.


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## Marc (Jun 18, 2006)

bruno said:
			
		

> git yer nutrients from whole real foods i say! tastes better too. but the wine and pasta is essential!!!::-D :-D :-D :-D



I'm pretty sure what I'm eating is real.

I have had instances where quite elaborate objects were total figments of my imagination, but no, I'm pretty sure the gel and protein are as real as the keyboard I'm typing on.


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## jplynch019 (Jun 28, 2006)

I agree with Bruno on this one.  Wash down a bottle of gatorade when you get back and then start the carbo re-load cycle immediately (within one hour).  That means a bagle, pasta, rice, fruit, biscuits. whatever.  And of course the red wine.  There was a great supplement to an issue of Bicycling magazine called Best Foods for Cycling printed in 1999. Good information on what to eat before, during and after your rides.


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## YardSaleDad (Jun 28, 2006)

Marc said:
			
		

> I'm pretty sure what I'm eating is real.



It is just missing nutrients.  A Snickers bar is healthier than most of that "performance" food.  For the trail I like a couple of the little kindergarten size boxes of raisins.  It has lots of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and simple sugars for a boost.  It sure keeps the pipes clean too.  Add some sunflower seeds, cashews, and pumpkins seeds and you have lots of protein and good fats, with another dose of fiber.

The bonus is that it is cheaper and tastes better.

When I get home, rice & beans or Pasta(mmmm....spinach lasagna) or some other home cooked meal.


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## andyzee (Jun 28, 2006)

jplynch019 said:
			
		

> I agree with Bruno on this one. Wash down a bottle of gatorade when you get back and then start the carbo re-load cycle immediately (within one hour). That means a bagle, pasta, rice, fruit, biscuits. whatever. And of course the red wine. There was a great supplement to an issue of Bicycling magazine called Best Foods for Cycling printed in 1999. Good information on what to eat before, during and after your rides.


 
I'll agree with the carbo re-load, but Gatorade! I wouldn't drink that before, during, or after exercise. In reality, a beer after a good workout suits me better than gatorade. Just my opinion


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## Marc (Jun 28, 2006)

YardSaleDad said:
			
		

> It is just missing nutrients.  A Snickers bar is healthier than most of that "performance" food.  For the trail I like a couple of the little kindergarten size boxes of raisins.  It has lots of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and simple sugars for a boost.  It sure keeps the pipes clean too.  Add some sunflower seeds, cashews, and pumpkins seeds and you have lots of protein and good fats, with another dose of fiber.
> 
> The bonus is that it is cheaper and tastes better.
> 
> When I get home, rice & beans or Pasta(mmmm....spinach lasagna) or some other home cooked meal.




Nooo... I'm not missing anything, I know what I'm consuming and what I'm not.



I think maybe some of you are assuming I don't eat anything but a post ride recovery drink.

I make sure I eat a full meal within an hour of the end of a ride requiring recovery.  I'm not advocating using supplements and energy products alone.  I'm consuming them in addition to what the whole foods fans are eating already.

But when you cease a prolonged physical activity, as soon as you are cooled down which takes for me in the area of 5 minutes, (a reason I never rest at water stops or anything on long rides long enough to cool down) your body immediately tries to replace the glycogen that was just depleted from your muscles.  

If you give them a carbohydrate and protein source that requires little or no digestion time, unlike more complex whole foods, you replace your glycogen stores with minimal muscle cannibalism and you begin rebuilding torn muscles immediately.  This is why you see guys at the gym chug protein shakes right after a workout.

Then you eat your big meal to continue the rebuilding and restoring process.  This leads to a more complete recovery which in turn allows for faster gains to be realized.


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## Marc (Jun 28, 2006)

andyzee said:
			
		

> I'll agree with the carbo re-load, but Gatorade! I wouldn't drink that before, during, or after exercise. In reality, a beer after a good workout suits me better than gatorade. Just my opinion



Agreed about the Gatorade, Andy.



And the beer.  It's carbo-loading...


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## Marc (Jun 28, 2006)

YardSaleDad said:
			
		

> It is just missing nutrients.  A Snickers bar is healthier than most of that "performance" food.  For the trail I like a couple of the little kindergarten size boxes of raisins.  It has lots of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and simple sugars for a boost.  It sure keeps the pipes clean too.  Add some sunflower seeds, cashews, and pumpkins seeds and you have lots of protein and good fats, with another dose of fiber.
> 
> The bonus is that it is cheaper and tastes better.
> 
> When I get home, rice & beans or Pasta(mmmm....spinach lasagna) or some other home cooked meal.



Also I'd like to point out that "healthier" is too general a term when talking about a Snickers bar.  When you're participating in cardiovascularly intense activity like cycling, the last thing you want is a sugar spike given to you like a Snickers bar does.  Too many simple sugars.  Similar to why Gatorade can make a cyclist feel miserable.  Your glucose spikes, and then falls.  The sudden fall can make one feel hypoglycemic.


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## skibum1321 (Jun 29, 2006)

Marc said:
			
		

> But when you cease a prolonged physical activity, as soon as you are cooled down which takes for me in the area of 5 minutes, (a reason I never rest at water stops or anything on long rides long enough to cool down) your body immediately tries to replace the glycogen that was just depleted from your muscles.


Does this mean that you don't plan to stop for more than 5 minutes during the Climb to the Clouds?


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## Marc (Jun 29, 2006)

skibum1321 said:
			
		

> Does this mean that you don't plan to stop for more than 5 minutes during the Climb to the Clouds?



Yes.  I'm absolutely miserable if I have to go through warm up more than once on a ride.


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## YardSaleDad (Jun 29, 2006)

Marc said:
			
		

> When you're participating in cardiovascularly intense activity like cycling, the last thing you want is a sugar spike given to you like a Snickers bar does.



If you look at what is in a snickers bar you will understand why it is a revered food among the AT thru-hikers.  It provides a blend of fats, protein and sugars, in a calorie dense package.  It also tastes way better.  I prefer the dark chocolate snickers myself.


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## jplynch019 (Jun 29, 2006)

The gatorade is probably an acquired taste. Seems to keep me from getting the "Jimmie Legs" at night.  :smash:


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## freeheelwilly (Jun 29, 2006)

YardSaleDad said:
			
		

> It is just missing nutrients. A Snickers bar is healthier than most of that "performance" food. .


 
Wrong.  Completely and unequivocally wrong.


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## YardSaleDad (Jun 29, 2006)

freeheelwilly said:
			
		

> Wrong.  Completely and unequivocally wrong.



Oh, now I'm convinced 

Granted snickers is not the greatest food out there, but at you are fairly close to the original ingredients it was made from.  The peanut is a peanut.  The chocolate is cocoa.  You also left the main point of my reply out.  Foods close to their original form contain more nutrients, that the "performance" foods lack.  What natural foods don't contain is large marketing budgets.  Spend your money on gels and bars if you like, but it really doesn't beat trail mix, snickers, or a home cooked dinner.  When your doctor says "eat right" he means broccoli, spinach, carrots not overproccessed twice cooked extracts, fortified with dried cow stomach.


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## JimG. (Jun 29, 2006)

YardSaleDad said:
			
		

> overproccessed twice cooked extracts, fortified with dried cow stomach.



MMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

overprocessed twice cooked extracts fortified with dried cow stomach.


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## andyzee (Jun 29, 2006)

JimG. said:
			
		

> MMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
> 
> overprocessed twice cooked extracts fortified with dried cow stomach.


 
You got that right, nothing I like better than a little tripe soup!!  :lol:


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## jplynch019 (Jun 29, 2006)

them's some good eatins!


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## Marc (Jun 29, 2006)

YardSaleDad said:
			
		

> If you look at what is in a snickers bar you will understand why it is a revered food among the AT thru-hikers.  It provides a blend of fats, protein and sugars, in a calorie dense package.  It also tastes way better.  I prefer the dark chocolate snickers myself.



YSD, you didn't refute any of the problems I had with a Snickers bar.  I don't disagree with anything you said in that post, but this is the _cycling_ forum.  We were talking about cycling recovery.  I don't disagree it is good for hiking.  I don't disagree some gels might not be, because that's not what they're meant for.

Again about the Snickers bar- look on the back and see what it has for sugar content.  It's probably listed in the ingredients too.  Why?  Because it's added.  And it's a simple sugar which when you're cycling creates a spike in your blood glucose level which will fall and create the cyclist to feel hypoglycemic.  It's just not conducive to high energy output activities.


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## Marc (Jun 29, 2006)

YardSaleDad said:
			
		

> Oh, now I'm convinced
> 
> Granted snickers is not the greatest food out there, but at you are fairly close to the original ingredients it was made from.  The peanut is a peanut.  The chocolate is cocoa.  You also left the main point of my reply out.  Foods close to their original form contain more nutrients, that the "performance" foods lack.  What natural foods don't contain is large marketing budgets.  Spend your money on gels and bars if you like, but it really doesn't beat trail mix, snickers, or a home cooked dinner.  When your doctor says "eat right" he means broccoli, spinach, carrots not overproccessed twice cooked extracts, fortified with dried cow stomach.



Again, I feel you're missing my point.  I do eat healthy off the bike.  I eat lots of vegetables, I only cook with olive oil, I only eat lean meats and a lot of fish.

But when I'm on the bike, or just getting off is not the time I'm worried about a balanced diet.  It doesn't matter then.  Time is of the essence and you can get plenty your fill of nutrients when you're eating your complete meals.  As I said before, I don't live on sports gel and whey protein.

The problem with natural foods is not only their small marketing budget, but their insanely high price.

Also, enough with the rhetoric, twice cooked, dried cow stomach, blah blah blah.  Hammer gel is sugar and maltodextrin, and whey protein is extracted from cow's milk.  Let's not conjur images of men with respirators cooking in big black vats with tridents at the evil gel plant.

The right tool for the right job.


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## mlctvt (Jul 13, 2006)

check this out... You may not be able to stomach it but.........  


Chocolate Milk: The New Sports Drink? 
Study Shows Chocolate Milk May Help Athletic Performance 

Feb. 24, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (AP)
Quote
"[Milk] is a sports drink ‘plus.’ It will supply you with things you need whether or not you’re working out." 
Keith Ayoob, EdD


(WebMD) During a 2004 Summer Olympics awash in controversies over steroids and supplements, one sportswriter wryly noticed that top American swimmer Michael Phelps was playing it safe -- he preferred to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast between races. 


Now it appears that the six-time gold medalist may have been onto something. A new study shows that plain old chocolate milk may be as good -- or better -- than sports drinks like Gatorade at helping athletes recover from strenuous exercise. 

The study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, was small in scale; it was partially funded by the dairy industry. But dietitians say the study should help to counter the notion that high-tech, expensive supplements are better than whole foods when it comes to athletic performance. They also note that milk contains key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, in quantities that sports drinks can’t match. 

"[Milk] is a sports drink ‘plus,’" Keith Ayoob, EdD, a registered dietitian and associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, tells WebMD. "It will supply you with things you need whether or not you’re working out." 

The study builds on findings that intense endurance exercise reduces the muscles’ supply of stored glucose, or glycogen, a key source of fuel for exercise. To maximize glycogen replacement, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association recommend taking in a serving of carbohydrates within 30 minutes after a long and vigorous workout. 

Milk vs. Sports Drinks 

Common sports drinks such as Gatorade supply those carbs, as well as fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. However, more recent research suggests that adding protein to the mix may further hasten recovery. Hence the new wave of drinks such as Endurox R4 that include protein as well as higher doses of carbs. 

In the study, nine male cyclists rode until their muscles were depleted of energy, then rested four hours and biked again until exhaustion. During the rest period, the cyclists drank low-fat chocolate milk, Gatorade, or Endurox R4. During a second round of exercise, the cyclists who drank the chocolate milk were able to bike about 50% longer than those who drank Endurox, and about as long as those who drank the Gatorade. 

The findings suggest that chocolate milk has an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help refuel tired muscles, researcher Joel M. Stager, PhD, Indiana University kinesiology professor, tells WebMD. 

But the most puzzling result of the study, experts say, was why Endurox -- which has the same carb-to-protein ratio as the chocolate milk -- fared so poorly. Researcher Jeanne D. Johnston, MA, tells WebMD it may have to do with the different composition of the sugars in the milk. Another theory is that the sugars in the milk may be better absorbed in the gut than those in the Endurox. 

Edward F. Coyle, PhD, a researcher on exercise and hydration at the University of Texas, tells WebMD the trial would have been stronger if the researchers had also tested the effect of flavored water or another dummy (placebo) drink. 

The study was partly funded by the Dairy and Nutrition Council, an industry group. Coyle says that the study’s reliance on industry funding is not unusual in the world of sports research, as federal funding for such research is hard to come by. 

A Cheaper Alternative? 

While rapid nutrient replacement may not be important for casual exercisers, it can make a big difference in performance for competitive athletes who work out vigorously once or twice a day, says Roberta Anding, a sports dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. 

Anding has long recommended chocolate milk for young athletes who come to her practice at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. For children and teenagers from lower-income families, it doesn’t make sense to spend serious money on sports drinks when they can get milk as part of a subsidized lunch program, she tells WebMD. The only advantage of sports drinks, she notes, is that they never spoil. 

Ayoob estimates that more than two-thirds of teenagers should be drinking more milk anyway because they don’t get enough calcium in their diets. He also recommends milk for its vitamin D and potassium content. “For me, this is a no-brainer,” he says. 

Sources: Karp, J. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2006; (16: 78-91). “Nutrition and athletic performance -- Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine,” http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/adap1200.cfm. Svrluga, Barry, “Olympics Swim Trials,” Washington Post, July 13, 2004, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44785-2004Jul12.html. Jeanne Johnston, department of kinesiology, Indiana University at Bloomington. Joel M. Stager, PhD, department of kinesiology, Indiana University at Bloomington; Keith Ayoob, EdD, RD, associate professor of pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Edward F. Coyle, PhD, professor, kinesiology and health education, University of Texas. Roberta Anding, clinical and sports dietitian, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston. 


By Richard Sine 
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, M.D. 
© 2006, WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.


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## jplynch019 (Jul 19, 2006)

*Study was funded by .....*

I get a little suspicious of these findings when the study was funded by the American Dairy Association. If Anheuser Bush had funded it they would have found Bud Light to be the ultimate recovery drink.  :beer:


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## ga2ski (Jul 27, 2006)

PBR  = Post Bike Ride


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