Originally Posted by vomitron

Yeah, everyone has their ideas, but let's talk about something people rarely talk about here: science.

It has been widely known that in order to maximize production of lean muscle mass, you need to consume your numerical weight in grams in protein every day (as in, I consume AT LEAST 155g of protein). According to a somewhat recent Vanderbilt-Duke joint study, in order to maximize protein absorbtion and to minimize muscle canibalization, you should consume your protein (conventional wisdom says no more than 50g at a time, but there's no data to back that up) within 30 minutes of intense physical excercise. Furthermore, in order to maximize glycogen production, you should consume that protein with carbohydrates in a 4:1 ratio. That means you should be having AT LEAST 200g of carbs and around 40-50g of protein after intense rides. You might be able to get away with less protein, because you're not really looking for massive lean muscle gains as a cyclist (unless you're a sprinter). You can get fancier with BCAA's and creatine monohydrate, but it's silly if you don't provide those basic macronutrients. Cytosport makes a good product called "Muscle Milk" that I like a lot post workout/ride. They also make Cytomax, which is a great during-ride drink mix. They make these other supplements with d-ribose and pyruvate which actually increases your lactic acid threshold (i.e. less burn). They have their science down, and they even cite their studies on the label.

Other than that, your best bet is as many simple and complex carbohydrates as you can eat. If you're like anyone who isn't ********, you're probably worried about diabetes from too much sugar. The trick is to look at how sugar exists in nature. It's almost always hand-in-hand with fiber. The amount of fiber you consume with sugar will give you the glycemic index, or glycemic load of a particular food. So long as your glycemic index is low, you can eat as many carbs as you want (because the load on your insulin levels is mitigated).

Do some googling. Look at sites for triatheletes. Drink more water than you think you should, and try to eat fresh more often than not.