Mugambo

Please suggest any tips based on your experience for accelerated recovery.
My understanding is limited currently to 8 hr sleeps, cold packs and lots of water throughout the day.
Please advise if there is any better way that works for you.
Want to know if I'm doing something wrong.

joe_5700

Being young seems to really help in recovery.

Fat Boy

Testosterone, HGH and Epo seem to work wonders.

black_box 

recovery drink within 30 minutes of the ride (chocolate milk or a special sports/protein drink), have a proper meal shortly after that. Then sacrifice a chicken.

chasm54

LOL! it's cheaper if you sacrifice the chicken before having the proper meal. Something about killing two birds with one stone...

calamarichris

~Spend last 15 minutes of ride spinning at minimum effort (i.e. don't sprint up the final hill to your house and jump off the bike.)
~Recovery drink immediately
~Careful & meticulous stretching & deep yoga breathing
~Massage (or self-massage with foam roller or massage stick), pushing in the direction of your heart.
~Elevate legs for at least 20 minutes (which frequently turns into a post-ride nap.)
~A small salad with meal (leafy greens to offset the free-radicals & carbon-monoxide sucked up during the ride.)
~Bo-coo water & sleep.
~Politely duck partying neighbors who might encourage imbibing.

colombo357

Choose your parents wisely for good genes.

Hermes

Think about your recovery at the start by getting a good warm up and proper nutrition on the ride.
Post ride compression tights - Skins or 2XU.
High cadence low effort ride on the road or trainer the next day.

TheKillerPenguin

Stretch.
Eat pretty much immediately after a ride. Proteins + complex carbs.
Stretch.
Get enough sleep.
Stretch.
Don't half-ass recovery rides. Slow means slow.
Stretch.

Mugambo

Thanks, does being under 30 help?

Please elaborate if it contributes to this thread. Thanks

border reiver

never stand or walk when you can sit
never sit when you can lie down
never just lie down when you can lie down with your legs elevated

Mugambo

~Probably thats the mistake I'm doing, pushing hardest in the last 15-20 mins
~As suggested by another member, does chocolate drink/sports drink work?
~Should stretching & deep yoga breathing be done before or after or BOTH?
~In the direction of heart! - WOW I'm going to try that! Thanks!
~Elevate legs - nice will try that too.

Your post has been really helpful, thank you and I'm going to do them all.

brianappleby

make sure you eat well enough while on the bike, and make sure you eat enough immediately afterward. According to Racing Weight i need to drink what is effectively 2 recovery drinks within an hour of getting off the bike.

Mugambo

Will try that if I have another chance. But for now, too late by decades.

sbxx1985 

Be aware the HGH and EPO will cause excessive facial hair. And acne on your back.

Substitute a latte. Your performance will suffer, but it'll be cheaper.

calamarichris

I hope they work as well for you as they have for me. I just rode 111 miles last Saturday at a pretty god clip (considering the wind), and would have ridden more than 74 on Sunday if I didn't get roped into a family thing.

~Any "Recovery" drink with protein should be great. I like the Hammer Recoverite, but there are probably cheaper or better varieties out there.
~If you really want to get fanatical about it, before your ride:
- - 15 minutes easy spinning on trainer or rollers
- - Careful stretching & deep yoga breathing, then go riding
Then do the exact same routine after your ride. I usually try to stretch a little further after the ride, since the muscles should be warmer.
~In addition to elevating your legs, you can also get compression socks. I've heard them mentioned by a few folks in here, but haven't tried them. Maybe someone can chime in...?


When you stretch, don't just hammer it out. Slow down and concentrate on relaxing through the pain/tension of the stretch. I've found that concentrating on that relaxing-through-the-pain/tension also helps sustain hard efforts, when you're muscles start to get tight and it gets harder to maintain fluid pedaling form.

joe_5700

Absolutely.

wens

Chocolate milk is one of the best things you can have as a recovery drink (within 20 mins of the end of your ride)

998

recovery drink w/i hour post ride
soak in tub with tons of empsom salt

gjb483

ice bath

SteelCan

Ice bath comment after a workout reminded me of a Seinfeld ep

George: "What day is today?....Aw. ..Tuesday! Damn it. I shouldn't have worked out today. Mr Wilhem has called a big meeting and now I'm gonna be sweating through the whole thing."
Jerry: "Why. You took a shower?"
George: "Aahhrgh...it wouldn't take...... long pause, audience laughter) ten minutes from now, I'll be sweating all over again ,I can feel it. I'm a human heat pump!"
Kramer: "You should take cold showers."
George: "Cold showers? They're for psychotics."
Kramer "Well I take 'em........They give me a Whooooosh."

ptle

I think nutrition has a big part in recovery.

Try to get some kind of protein in you as quick as possible after the ride. This is the best time for your muscles are able to absorb protein. On every ride I do, where I drive out, I carry a cooler with a bottle with protein, and a bottle with cold water. That way I can make a protein shake within two minutes of finishing the ride. If that's not for you consider drinking chocolate milk, soymilk or you can skip this step and eat soon.

Eating a meal within an hour helps.

Also drink lots of water before and after your work out. Drinking lots of water helps prevent you from being sore and is just good for you.

fogrider

if the weather is hot and sunny, sunblock does wonders. as for eating and drinking...eat and drink before, during and after.

calamarichris

People actually sit through commercials for this?

Fox Farm

Really?