Training & Nutrition - Recovery?

I'm getting older and find that it takes me longer to recover from the same level of exertion. Anyone know if there's a way of addressing it, or is it just one of the many age-related things this 42 year old seems to be putting up with more and more?

For me, the secret is to eat better. Here is my theory. When we are youngsters (I am 48) we can shovel anything just about into our bodies and they will take it - but as we get older, we lose that ability. So, what I do is try to help my aging body out. Eat right, get enough rest, etc. I find I heal up very quickly when doing this - and I have a lot of energy too.

Also, if you are carrying any extra weight - lose it!

just my dos colones

For me, the secret is to eat better.
Also, if you are carrying any extra weight - lose it!


+1. Do a search on "recovery" or "recovery drink"... it is amazing how much it helps to feed your muscles in the first couple hours after a heavy workout. Traditional soreness is a thing of the past.

True that - I can't remember the last time I was sore.

I do all that: eat right, recovery drink, etc., and from my perspective at 61 it's obvious that it takes longer to recover the older you get. What I used to recover from in 24 hrs. at 20, now sometimes takes me 72 hours. Back to back interval workouts are a thing of the past. Which doesn't mean accepting defeat. Denial is not just a river in Africa. It does mean training smarter, spacing your hard workouts, and watching more closely for signs of overreaching. I've taken my MRHR for years. That works really well.

On the good side, what with better nutrition and smarter training, I've gotten faster every year. I know that some year that's going to go the other way, but that's not this year.

dramatically increase fish oil intake, get more sleep, take a multivitamin and a ZMA supplement.

Furthermore go see your doctor and get a bloodwork hormone profile done. You may find yourself to be low in free testostone or high in estradiol. There could also be potential thyroid suppression. If it exists, correcting that problem will make you feel LOADS better.

The idea of revocery time increasing dramatically as you age is beginning to be debunked to a large extent. It happens, but much more slowly and it counteracted much easier than most people believe. But it does take more planning on your part.

What is ZMA?

And what is MRHR?

zma is a zinc magnesium combo supplement, taken before bedtime. It improves sleep and are minerals almost every athlete is deficient in.

mrhr -
morning resting heart rate. You can follow a formula to determine if you're overtrained by keeping a log of your mrhr

And what is MRHR?Sorry. MRHR is Morning Resting Heart Rate. Typically get up and pee, maybe get dressed, then lie down and watch your heart rate (HR) for 5 minutes. Think restful thoughts, never anything about bicycling, etc. Image wind on quiet water. Your HR will stabilize around some number by the end of this period. If you're a total compulsive about this stuff, like me, you'll record it in a spreadsheet or other graphical training diary. If it kicks up 5-6 beats after a hard training session, that's a warning to keep the intensity down until the MRHR comes back down. Everyone is different, however. You have to get the feel for your own variations in MRHR and how those readings might effect your day's training decisions.

ZMA is Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate. I have not tried this particular supplement. I do find it a bit offputting that most of the pages that show in a google search for ZMA are pages of companies that are trying to sell you the stuff, not researchers interested in learning about it. One view is here:
http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/5439.0.html

I do supplement with zinc, B6, and magnesium in fairly high doses, but I take a lot of other vitamins and minerals in fairly high doses, also. My guess is that these three vitamin and mineral supplements alone are not of greater interest than other vitamins and minerals. There's also the interesting involvement of BALCO labs in the tests of this supplement. Could it be "contamination" that produced such good results?

dramatically increase fish oil intake, get more sleep, take a multivitamin and a ZMA supplement.

Furthermore go see your doctor and get a bloodwork hormone profile done. You may find yourself to be low in free testostone or high in estradiol. There could also be potential thyroid suppression. If it exists, correcting that problem will make you feel LOADS better.

The idea of revocery time increasing dramatically as you age is beginning to be debunked to a large extent. It happens, but much more slowly and it counteracted much easier than most people believe. But it does take more planning on your part.After my hard solo 100k in a cold rain yesterday, in which I took an hour or more out of many riders, I went out on a very hard 110k group ride today, had one long solo breakaway and otherwise made myself particularly hard to stay with. But my MRHR was up by 7 this morning, and will still be up tomorrow, so I'll rest or snowshoe one day and then do a recovery trainer ride on Tuesday: Z1, followed by 45 minutes of one legged pedalling intervals in Z2, and then a session at the gym. That should recover me nicely. What I'm talkin' about. You gotta pace yourself. I don't need a blood doctor; I need a shrink. Not to brag or anything. ;) I think in the long run, the bike is cheaper.

After my hard solo 100k in a cold rain yesterday, in which I took an hour or more out of many riders, I went out on a very hard 110k group ride today, had one long solo breakaway and otherwise made myself particularly hard to stay with. But my MRHR was up by 7 this morning, and will still be up tomorrow, so I'll rest or snowshoe one day and then do a recovery trainer ride on Tuesday: Z1, followed by 45 minutes of one legged pedalling intervals in Z2, and then a session at the gym. That should recover me nicely. What I'm talkin' about. You gotta pace yourself. I don't need a blood doctor; I need a shrink. Not to brag or anything. ;) I think in the long run, the bike is cheaper.

Have you had it checked? You still may be surprised by the results.

I agree with more better quality rest, and better nutrition+PWO recovering drink. I'd like to add longer warm up and warm down and good stretches after warm up and warm down. You're probably doing all these though.

I do all that: eat right, recovery drink, etc., and from my perspective at 61 it's obvious that it takes longer to recover the older you get. What I used to recover from in 24 hrs. at 20, now sometimes takes me 72 hours. Back to back interval workouts are a thing of the past. Which doesn't mean accepting defeat. Denial is not just a river in Africa. It does mean training smarter, spacing your hard workouts, and watching more closely for signs of overreaching. I've taken my MRHR for years. That works really well.

On the good side, what with better nutrition and smarter training, I've gotten faster every year. I know that some year that's going to go the other way, but that's not this year.
You're 61 and still getting faster??? That is inspiring.

You're 61 and still getting faster??? That is inspiring.Don't get too carried away! I've been riding on and off all my life, but only doing modern focused training since 50. Still, while my MHR has dropped about 1 beat per year since then, my LTHR has remained about the same while my LT power has increased every year. I'm definitely faster than I was at 18, 30-60 minutes in a century. Although a lot of that is better technique and better tires.

Don't get too carried away! I've been riding on and off all my life, but only doing modern focused training since 50. Still, while my MHR has dropped about 1 beat per year since then, my LTHR has remained about the same while my LT power has increased every year. I'm definitely faster than I was at 18, 30-60 minutes in a century. Although a lot of that is better technique and better tires.
Surprising tires. I noticed on another thread that you use Tricomps. Thats what I have on my race wheels. They feel fast. My Pariba Criterium Pros are realy fast. My Hutchisons and Attack force feel much slower.

Surprising tires. I noticed on another thread that you use Tricomps.I switched to Vredesteins after I saw a test in Bicycling Mag, years ago now, that said they had half the rolling resistance of other tires. I don't know about that, but they are fast, and don't puncture more often than other tires. Less than some. I ride them at the full 145 lb. inflation.

"They say" that the greatest engineering advance in the automobile is in tires. After all, they had twin overhead cam engines in 1920. I think it's similar with bicycles. I had a friend, and a good rider, too, who was passed climbing Alpe de Huez by a guy riding a bike so old it had one of those vertical plunger brakes over the front wheel. The rolling resistance of the tires was the biggest thing I noticed going from my old steel 12 speed with 1-1/4 X 27" tires to a modern bike with modern tires.

zma is a zinc magnesium combo supplement, taken before bedtime. It improves sleep and are minerals almost every athlete is deficient in.

I've purchased ZMA at GNC an dit was expensive as hell. Jus tabout everything in GNC can be purchased in the pharmacy at every major store. I have yet to find an equivalent - is it named something differently? Example: I was getting Glucosamine / Chondroitin from Wally World for a 1/3 of the price GNC had it. Crazy......

GNC is a rip-off. Even their protein shake containers are much more expensive.

I'm 52 and can totally relate to the slower recovery issue. I started doing yoga a couple of years ago, and it seems to have improved my recovery. Not like an 18 year old, but every little bit helps.

+1. Do a search on "recovery" or "recovery drink"... it is amazing how much it helps to feed your muscles in the first couple hours after a heavy workout. Traditional soreness is a thing of the past.

Even after easy workouts, it is beneficial. I always have some accelerade after a workout, be it cycling or running.

Ive been meaning to try endurox or cytomax, anyone have any good experiences with these?

Even after easy workouts, it is beneficial. I always have some accelerade after a workout, be it cycling or running.

Ive been meaning to try endurox or cytomax, anyone have any good experiences with these?

I think for a recovery drink you want, ideally, a 4:1 carb-protein ratio. Cytomax has no protein, but Endurox does.

I like Accelerade, personally.

If you are dehydrated, you will still get sore/tight muscles. Drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep. Eat or drink 75-90 grams of carbs with a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein ratio within the first 30-45 minutes after a long ride, eat plenty of high quality carbs w/veggies or fruit for dinner, get plenty of sleep.

I drink one fat free Quik Chocolate milk and a Dr. Pepper immediately after riding. That works well for me.

Oh, and at night before bed, I drink a tall glass of water and take 4-5 Advocare "Nighttime Recovery" pills. Oh, and did I mention get plenty of sleep??? heh

I'm usually feeling up to doing it all over again the next day (ie: suffering)

or is it just one of the many age-related things this 42 year old seems to be putting up with more and more?Who knows? But 42, is a little young to be sensing any kind of big slide. I'm 54 and continue to maintain >90% of my aerobic capacity. Only recently have I come to terms with the decline of some anaerobic capacity.

Maybe someone can find a "study." But I'm pretty sure that the really noticeable fall-off in exercise capacity usually starts in the 50s, and becomes more severe in the 60s.....

I am 47 and hmmm, how to put this? In my 20's and early 30's I was faster - semi-pro triathlete sponsored by Nike. My body can't take the same stresses it did in terms of back to back intervals and some of the other things noted above. That said I am healthier now - I eat better, sleep better and do sports (mostly climbing and yoga) that make me an all around better athlete. At 47 I am more flexible and have better balance than I did when I focused on tri's.

I treat it all as play now - everything I do is fun - cycling, climbing , yoga, rowing (when I get the chance). I dropped the entire mentality of "working out". That's not to say I don't train hard, but keeping it fun keeps me pretty motivated.

In addition to the good advice above on nutrition (especially post-ride), sleep, etc. I'd add that variety helps as you get older. Mixing cycling with other sports (note I said sports not the gym) gives you a chance to both recover and work on complimentary skills.