Training & Nutrition - Post Ride Recovery Shake?

So, what makes up the ideal post endurance ride recovery drink?

When I was very into lifting, I used to formulate my post workout drinks meticulousy: dextrose, malto, whey, BCAAs, vitamins, and whatever else was popular at the moment. I haven't read as many abstracts on the physiology of cardio, and the nutrients required to facilitate muscle recovery... but I'd think that you'd want your nutrients post ride to be heavy on the dextrose/maltodextrin, with some BCAAs. And I don't suppose you can go wrong with some whey protein, although I guess this would be less critical.

What do you guys drink after a long ride?

Beer. Jameson.

Yeah, I do that too. A PBR every mile or two, depending on the spacing of bars. But I mean, when you try to drink something to HELP your body recover from the exercise... not hurt it. ;)

I eat some candy corn with a couple cups of non-fat milk. Gets me protein (in case I need it) and sugar carbs. Tastes good, too.

I eat some candy corn with a couple cups of non-fat milk. Gets me protein (in case I need it) and sugar carbs. Tastes good, too.

Personally I can't stand the taste of candy corn, but in one book I have there is a recovery drink made just from sugar and milk. Man does that taste great after a long ride.

Powerbar "Recovery" drink and a Powerbar ProteinPlus bar.

I'm getting the feeling that most people don't feel the need to do anything special?

I'll have two scoops of Endurox R4 if I really went after the ride. That gives me 52 grams of carbs ( 40 grams sugar - mostly dextrose ), 13 g protein, some vitamin c & e, and electrolytes. Also has a high glutamine and bcaa content. I really don't think it's necessary however unless you went out for a huge personal best or something. Basically if I feel like I am gonna pass out when I get off the bike from very high effort over an extended period of time then I will use it.

If you just went out for a cruise, try a gatorade, the eat some food 30 minutes later.

metrex and gatorade

i've found real food makes me feel the best. a huge plate of pasta, maybe some chicken, and lot's of water does more for me personally than specialty drinks seem to. before a ride, i'll eat a banana, a piece of bread, and a clif bar but afterward i need something substantial and solid for the stomach.

After I go out for a ride, I can't eat. No way. Nor for at least a half an hour. And thats a critical half an hour... your muscles' glycogen stores are depleted, and they are proteolysing for energy to recover. Eating themselves. So I think a shake is really important for me.

After I go out for a ride, I can't eat. No way. Nor for at least a half an hour. And thats a critical half an hour... your muscles' glycogen stores are depleted, and they are proteolysing for energy to recover. Eating themselves. So I think a shake is really important for me.

i would say we are opposites here, my friend. love to eat afterward. i just need 5 minutes to get off my feet and have my heartrate go down a bit, then i'm in the fridge.

But yeah, your right - you should have something quickly after a ride, otherwise you'll really feel it during the next session. some of the shakes are pretty amazing in terms of carbs\protein per serving, but they just don't go down right with me.

I'm just trying to figure out what to do with this 10lbs of Maltodextrin I still got leftover. ;)

donate it to the local homeless shelter? :p

i've found real food makes me feel the best. a huge plate of pasta, maybe some chicken, and lot's of water does more for me personally than specialty drinks seem to. before a ride, i'll eat a banana, a piece of bread, and a clif bar but afterward i need something substantial and solid for the stomach.
I also run best of "real food". Right after a ride a down a bagel or two, and then I get in some Egg Beaters for some high quality protein with no fat! I enjoy being able to eat "guilt free" after a big ride! To me, that is half the fun! :)

whey protein with fruit, yogurt, shot of maple syrup, granola, blah blah blah

wut is the drink?

I have heard that a protein to carb ratio of 1:4 is the best for getting nutrients to your muscles the quickest. Accelerade has this ratio already. I make my own with 2 scoops of gatorade and a half a scoop of whey. After a really intense workout I will have a whole scoop and an extra banana as well.

If you're that serious about it, you might want to go with the majority of your carbs from an all-glucose carb like maltodextrin, instead of the sucrose heavy gatorade.

I'm not too serious about it to not use the tub of gatorade I have! No, I know what your saying though, and I am buying some accelerade as soon as I get through my gatorade. The stuff looks pretty good. Plus, back to the serious thing, I believe that post workout is the most important meal of the day, especially for recovery, and it's not too hard to just throw that shake together in my bottle and shake it up. and if i'm going to try and recover the quickest, I might as well do it the right way, at least the right way in my opinion. And it has been working for me.

I try to approximate the 4-1 carb to protein ratio with my own mix. I toss a scoop of whey protein into the blender with a cup of orange juice (the kind with lots of pulp) and a cup of frozen mixed berries (lots of antioxidants and tastes good), plus 2-3 ice cubes, then pulverize it all in the blender. Tastes OK and really seems to help me recover from rides over 50 miles.

imho Cytovol, made by EAS, is great for the immediate post workout/race recovery. check the ingredients, but it's been working GREAT for me. Some shakes, particularly EAS shakes, would be too much for the gut to handle right away. I usually wait about 1/2 hour and have a whole wheat burrito with egg whites and refried beans, covered in salsa. I will then have a shake as a between meal a few hours later.