I have never used them post long runs or rides but I'm not bouncing back as fast anymore as I age. If you use them which ones and why?
Also, do you drink protein shakes prior to a ride? I know a lot of people like caffeine before a ride but I don't use any caffeinated products.

Any of the Ovaltine flavors

https://www.ovaltineusa.com/#/product

Now that's just crazy talk.

I find my legs feel better the next day after a long ride 40+ miles when I drink Endurox R4. I like the orange flavor.

Ditto

Beer.

I like Hammer sports drinks they seem to help and taste good. Not sure why some folks are so prone to all natural sports drinks are bad?

Fluid Recovery, chocolate milk or a smoothie I make based on Fluid Recovery ( add some L-Glutamine, whey powder) seem to do the trick especially after particularly tough rides or trainer sessions. Stretching and foam roller on the legs are essential too.

Could be placebo effect or legit sports nutrition science but whatever, anything that keeps me on the bike as I age (48) I'll take it!

I really enjoy cold Orange juice after a hard ride.

Sometimes mix BCAAs in.

Half a glass of water.

Then, if it was 90F+ and I was going hard, beer.

If it was cooler but during summer, a proper Ernest Hemingway style daquiri:
2oz Rum
1/2 large limes worth of juice
1/2oz simple syrup

Post cold ride, Sazerac:
2oz rye whiskey( lI use Rittenhouse or Old Overhort)
1/2 oz simple syrup
8 dashes peychaud bitters
1-2 dashes angostora bitters
Absinthe rinse in rocks glass. Mix first 4 ingredients in shaker, strain into rocks glass.

Chocolate milk. I always drink it immediately after a hard workout.
A lot of the Marines in my platoon swear by Pedialyte, but I think it's just overpriced watered down Gatorade

And gatorade is just overpriced water with salt and sugar.

Bottle full of water, good pinch of salt, an oz or 2 of simple syrup. Tastes better than gatorade, and does the same thing. Really all gatorade does over water is give you salt. If you're paranoid...you can get some potassium chloride...which is just no sodium table salt for people on salt resitricted diets, to get some potassium in your system. But from the nutrient loss rates i've seen, sodium loss/hyponatremia is the only thing you really need to worry about.

Edit: i suppose if you're spending 15 hrs a day in full gear in the middle of a desert for weeks on end potassium loss might be an issue. But who knows, lol? I had hyponatremia once and it was not fun...so I do make sure to bring something besides just water on long, hot rides.

I agree on the Gatorade being overpriced as well. The powdered stuff is pretty cheap though and you can dilute it so it isn't so sugary.

A glass of fat free milk has essentially the same nutrition as expensive recovery drinks. Chocolate milk is actually quite good. Another option is to mix it with an envelope of Carnation instant breakfast.

Alcohol is probably the worst thing anyone could drink.


-Tim-

Sometimes I drink a big protein shake. I've read it helps repair muscles.

Most times I drink several beers. It contains alcohol and tastes good. Avoid water. Fish f*ck in it.

Buy it at Costco. $10 for over 4 and a half pounds of mix. Makes 9 gallons at standard dilution, 18 gallons at half strength.

I just ordered this from Amazon. Thanks for the referral.
I appreciate the milk advice fro others but I simply detest it.

True.

Milk too, though, for some.

$10 buys a crapton of salt, sugar, and limes too

And honestly...I've never seen the need for any sort of recovery drink after a ride...save perhaps after a 80-100 mile ride or something. Though honestly...if I'm doing that distance i've sort of committed the day to riding anyway so if i have zero energy when I get back that's just fine lol.

P.S. Just went for 35 miles...at a bar drinking a nice Kolsch beer, waiting for wings.

I drink Gatorade during rides, not after. I just wanted to point out how cheap it is. Yes, I could try to concoct my own sugar salt flavor drink, but I make a reasonable income. I can afford a $10 can of Gatorade every 3 or 4 months.

Amen, but dont buy thr protein shake thing. And dont believe everything you read, especially on the interwebs. There's plenty of vegans on relatively low protein diets that are phenomenal athletes.

For a recovery drink, anything will do, really, but if beer is to be had, I make sure to get at least as much water to go with it. Nutrients and electrolytes only need to be in the beverage if I'm not getting food at the same time. And that's the thing, as far as pre-ride nutrition goes. Sometimes I'd just rather drink the banana, yogurt, berries, granola, and egg (like this morning's smoothie) than eat them.

I get protein shake stuff from Costco, too. Tastes like a yummy milk shake, and that's mostly why I drink it.

Think I'll have a nice "recovery drink" when I get home.

Didn't ride today, but is that required?