A few thoughts on recovery

[Tim Kelley]

This is how I feel after a big 5-10K calorie day:

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And making sure it’s real food and not junk/overly processed helps too.

[Dirt]

Yup! Great advice.

[americancyclo]

We were talking about chocolate milk during the ride and afterwards too, since I heard that study was sponsored by the Dairy and Nutrition Council, which does’t invalidate it, nor does it affect the delicious taste of chocolate milk. I tend to try to get some bananas and carbs in me within 30 min, even on days that I’m just commuting. I’ve been tempted to look in to recovery drinks and powders, but I find that my body reacts so poorly to energy bars while on the bike, that I’d be better off focusing on real foods like you mentioned. Keeping well hydrated after the race helps me out too. I don’t have proper compression socks, but I’ve got a pair of knee high snowboard socks that I wear around, to keep my legs from cooling off too quickly.

[skreaminquadz]

I second the chocolate milk suggestion. I’ve used it now for a couple of years and it works much better than any recovery shake/bar I’ve ever used. Plus it tastes SOOOOO much better than the recovery stuff.

[KS1G]

3rd the chocolate milk. And for those of you without children (and may not be up on what’s available), it now comes in 8oz ultra-pasturized packs (Coscto, of course, sells it by the case). No refrigeration needed until you want it chilled for drinking and lasts for months. Very handy to toss into a lunch bag (kids) or backpack/pannier (my commute) or have in a small ice chest in car (post ride). I suspect convenience stores may have these as well (emergency mid-ride refueling).

250 mile weekend. Word. Wondered how Seagull was – except for the year there was remnants of a hurricane (windy & wet!), something has always come up. I’m now hoping for 2012.

[vvill]

I love chocolate milk too although the last few years I’ve noticed I can’t take dairy as easily as I used to But I tend to eat a lot regardless of whether I’m riding a lot or not, so it’s difficult for me to tell how different my recovery intake is. I’ve never done a 250mi weekend though 😮

Nice tip on the compression socks. I have a pair I originally bought for a gift that wasn’t used. May try those.

Agree with the light riding on the next day to stretch out.

[txgoonie]

I’m coming at this from the perspective of a runner, which is what I have much more experience in. So there’s an asterisk next to all of my suggestions;) But while the effects might not be exactly the same, much of the recovery principle are.

– I also have tried numerous different kinds of recovery drinks. Endurox and Recoverite work great (but taste like *ss). Powerbar recovery works alright. But, even after all the stuff I’ve tried, chocolate milk still is my all-time favorite. For the lactose intolerant, both Silk and Lactaid chocolate milks are insanely tasty (and fab-o as hot chocolate) and are also effective. Seems less important which recovery drink you choose – you’ll have to do some experimenting for yourself – and more important when you take it. 30 minutes seems to be the most agreed-upon window. 3 hours later just isn’t going to cut it. I also supplement with extra salt (either salt tabs or a salty snack) b/c I’m a heavy sweat-er.

– Spinning is great recovery for any activity. I’ve done it the same day as well as the morning after, and both seem to work equally well. (You might not have the energy to do it the same day.) Walking also can help. I only discovered this after moving to an apartment and having no choice about walking the dog. Morning after a really hard run, I can be creaking pretty badly. By the end of a 30-minute walk, I usually feel pretty normal.

– It’s torture. It sucks. I hate every minute of it. But if I don’t do a 20-minute ice bath immediately after any 18+ mile run, I will pay for it the next day. It makes a huge difference. I use a whole bag of store-bought ice. I’ll sit in the tub while it’s filling up b/c stepping into a pool of ice water is just too much trauma. Put on a warm hat and a scarf, sip a cup of hot tea (or hot chocolate!), and enjoy;) If you’re having trouble with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), you might want to give this a try.

– You absolutely much stretch after any really hard effort, but be super careful about aggressive stretching in the days following. It can actually be counterproductive if you do too much. Never stretch cold muscles – you need a light warm-up first. And despite its loveliness, resist the urge to hit the spa. After a hard effort, your muscles are inflamed, and 20 minutes in a hot tub will only make it worse. Give yourself at least 2-3 days before you put a concerted effort into loosening up. A massage the next day would not be pleasant, but a few days after can be heaven.

[Dirt]

Awesome info txgoonie. The ice bath thing is excruciating, but it does help. I haven’t done one in decades.

[justasaintz]

This years Seagull’s first half was pretty pleasant. But the second half was absolute torture, there was headwind in every direction you turned. Not a pleasing ride when you have deep rims and the wind is taking shots at you at every turn.

But the feeling of finishing it was absolutely awesome, was so glad to be out of that wind.

I like the ideas on recovering. I always wondered what helps the best in recovering, I never thought of the compression clothes, should give them a try. Thanks Pete. Though I have to say, I can’t see myself taking a icebath!!

[Dirt]

If I had to do one thing that helped with recovery, it would be drinking chocolate milk within 30-40 minutes after finishing a ride. Stretching would be a very close second.

As I get older and my rides get longer, it is only the combination of things that allow me to keep it going. Basically a lot of work went into preparing for and executing the 250+ mile weekends that I’ve done this year. It isn’t as simple as eat everything I see.

[pfunkallstar]

I will definitely give the chocolate milk a go, seems like a good option. For now I usually just stock up on protein blend (whichever one pops up on slickdeals.net), take a hot shower, and do some light stretching. Also, those massage sticks are awesome for rolling out sore thighs and calves – although a better option is NMTI up on Rt. 7, it is a massage school so 60mins = $35.

Since I’m not racing anymore, I tend to focus on lean muscle development and maintaining a decent weight, so eating is pretty important. I tried doing a lean diet last year and dropped ten pounds in about two weeks, gave up on that pretty quickly!

[Dirt]

You bring up a really good point…. Massage. I’ve started getting massages every other week. It helps quite a bit. A good sports massage combines some deep tissue massage with some work on flexibility and range of motion. Me likey.

[txgoonie]

I lurv the TP Quadballer. http://www.tptherapy.com/ I have a few of their pieces and they’re awesome. It huuuuurts to roll out tight quads, hamis and calves, but it feels soooooo good afterward. I use the foam rollers at the gym pretty often for my back, too. I’ve tried a friend’s Stick http://www.thestick.com/and I don’t think it works as well as my Trigger Point stuff, but it’s better than nothing.

I have really tight hips, too. I’m one of those people who can’t sit cross-legged on the floor very comfortably. Nothing is better for that than yoga.

[Tim Kelley]

@txgoonie 9330 wrote:

I lurv the TP Quadballer.

+1 for Trigger Points lineup of products. For most sessions when I have tight legs, I start with The Grid and after a few passes I move to the Quadballer and then once everything is loose I really dig in with the TP ball. Great stuff!

[jrenaut]

Seriously, reading this forum is worse than clicking on all the “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” links on Amazon. I imagine all other posters here living in 5,000 sq foot warehouses filled to the brim with bikes, clothing, accessories, and all the other necessary things for comfortable cycling.

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