DrugCoder

Back when I was weightlifting for college sports, I used creatine and it seemed to help me with recovery. Not as sore after workouts and could do more workouts with less recovery time. By reading different threads on here, everyone seems to think that creatine isn't even close to ideal for cycling. Are there any good supplements that will speed up and aid in recovery? Currently it seems that after a long or hard ride, my legs are very sore and it takes 2-3 days to recover enough for my normal training rides. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

martin_j001

Protein and a good meal are about the best you can do after riding. Most recovery aids that are sold for cyclists are just protein based drinks. I prefer Endurox R4 personally, the orange flavor.

DrugCoder

Cool, Thanks! So basically a healthy meal that is pretty rich in protein will work pretty well? Aside from a healthy meal, would you suggest adding even more protein in the form of a supplement? For the supplement, how many carbs do you look for it to have?

mom2three3

I like the Myoplex Whey Protein in Vanilla... 22 grams of Protein per serving. I mix it with milk and a few cherries or blueberries. Keep in mind, I usually add some kind of carb to this and have it as a meal and not every day. Usually after a long ride.

martin_j001

There is a ratio of carbs to protein for a recovery drink that is supposedly "optimal" for post exercise, it looks to be 4:1 according to the Accelerade/Endurox website. Keep in mind that almost every supplement maker out there has reason to belive theirs is the best though. Protein though is a definite requirement for post exercise, as it helps to rebuild damaged muscle tissues. Amino acids (there are several that are helpful post exercise) are another thing that are helpful too. The absolute best thing you can do is not to rely on things like these though. I haven't found anything that I drink or eat to be specifcally "the answer" to my recovery needs. Recovery simply takes proper eating, hydration, and rest--all three are equally important.

53-11_alltheway

Lately, I've been using Costco whey protein (6 lbs for $20). It seems just as good as the other stuff I was using. I mix in some fresh strawberries in a blender with the vanilla flavor.

531Aussie

I know sports drinks are mainly intended for use during activity, but since I started gulping down Gatorade toward the end of my ride, I can't believe how much better my legs feel that night and the next day. I can almost feel it flooding into my legs when I'm rolling home.
It's almost transformed my recovery, and therefore my training, but I'm 37, so I was finding it harder and harder to recover

As soon as I get home I usually have a bit more Gatorade, then I get stuck inot some protein and all the other usual stuff.

ckleps

I've always been a fan of chocolate soymilk or chocolate skim milk. Low on fat, good protein, and a decent mix of simple and complex carbs, so I've heard. Most of the people on my high school track and cross country teams used this and its always treated us well.

martin_j001

I've actually noticed this too. Lately I use one bottle of Endurox, and then have several of my regular energy drink (Gatorado or Cytomax depending on what flavor I want). It also helps to keep me hydrated better (obviosuly)....

2Rodies

I've tried several but to be honest I think some work better for some people than others. My team is sponsored by eload and they have product called emend that works ok for me. Some of my teamates rave about it. I've had the best results from Enevit's R2. This stuff makes me feel like brand new the next day. The problem with it is it's cost, it's rediculesly expensive so I only use it on back to back race days. Endurox seems to be the second best choice for me and the cost is resonable.

My after ride drink is as follows:

1 bannana
1c ice
1c water
6oz of plain yogurt
2 scoops of Endurox vanilla

Mix in blender.

531Aussie

Where is stuff like this usually sold?

health food shops? Bike shops? "Drug stores", as you call them?

I don't think we'd have stuff like this at our supermarkets.

2Rodies

Just about every bike shop over here sells some brand or another. I've tried just about everything and allthough some worked I just couldn't get past the taste, like the Powerbar recover drink just tastes terrible to me.

I'm sure you could order it online from a bunch of diffferent retailers but I'm not sure how much it would cost to ship it. The Enervit line of products is just the best stuff I've ever used (except their excersize drink I don't like the taste), including their gels. It's just very very expensive.

Here is a link to eloads website. It's very informative, even before I was sponsored by my team I used this stuff. I used to be a Cytomax user untill I tried this stuff, now I'll never go back.

https://www.eload.net/eHome.htm

Voodoo76

Anadrol, Dianabol, Nandrolone, Deca-Durabolin...

Nashville Man

Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein - double chocolate.....Yummy.

www.advantagesupplements.com

531Aussie

thanks

I've totally forgotten about that kind of stuff because my LBS isn't "upmarket" enough

Enthalpic

Good link on recovery.
https://www.velonews.com/train/articles/8058.0.html

timmhaan

supplements usually upset my stomach - so solid food works the best for me. i know that supplements may have extra stuff, but if you can match the protien found in the supplement with actual food (chicken or fish or pork or something) you'll save a ton of money and get very close to the same benefit. people may disagree with me on that, but i've tried a few supplements and real food always works best for me. easier to eat and digest too.

Smoothie104

I pour a big glass of gatorade, mix in one of those "Emergen-C" drink mix packages, 2 scoops of glutamine, and a couple of whole food multivitamins. Then i slug the rest of the gatorade. Too bad Andro is illegal now, when it was legal and over the counter I would pop of couple of them too. Then take an hour nap and get up and eat.

531Aussie

well, after all that, one of my LBS has a good range of the Enervit stuff, include tubs of R2

what's a good price, and how much should I use after 2 to 2.5 hrs of hard riding?

Iron Chef

Beer and Spaghetti

Lectron

Glucosamine & msm(daily), L-glutamine (peptides) and lots of food

tribe3

With meatballs? There is the protein mi amigo!

2Rodies

Timmhaan you should try the eload stuff. I've got a cronic gastro problem and stuff like Cytomax used to cramp me up bad. Eload doesn't have any negative effects on my digestive track, you should check it out.