Recovery: supplements?!

Not really a supplement, but I generally have a PB&J sandwich and a glass of milk when I get home from a ride. Just after the ride I have a gatorade or sports drink, and if it is a long ride home ( in the car) I bring my PB&J with me in a cooler.

Everyone is different, but below is what I am using with good results.

My own special mix while riding.
(Same amount in two bottles minus the Emergen-C in the second bottle.)

Gatorade - whole serving
Cytomax - half a serving
Emergen-C - whole packet
Champion Nutrition Whey Protein - 10 grams protein.
Water

Post ride

granola bar
Whey protein - 40 grams protein

I've used a lot of recovery supplements, over the years, for both cycling and weight training. Vitamins, minerals, meal replacements, etc. Most of them work, I would feel better almost immediately and recover quicker, but only for awhile. Then the body will adapt to the supplements and I would plateau. Then, when I stopped taking them, it sucks. Because then your body will have to readjust, because it's become dependant on the additional supplements. I would catch colds, ache, feel like [censored]. I think it's best to get all your nutrition through natural food as much as possible, no pills.

I get amped up on Coffee pretty good before a ride, along with a regular breakfast of egg whites, bagel , juice. I have baked potatos, small sandwiches, pretzels, peanut powerbars, stuff like that, along with good old Gatorade at half strength during a ride. I love a big old, lean burger (venison burger is the best) with a wheat bun and lettuce, pickles and stuff after. Met-RX is also great after a ride. A vanilla Met-RX shake is real good a few hours after riding. All kinds of good stuff in there...

I've had a similar problem on the trainer. After a few days, it becomes harder and harder to reach that target rate. I just picked up a copy of the Spinveral DVD #8 - Recovery and Technique. I am now doing it almost every other time on the trainer. It seems to help.

I stick with mostly water and sports drinks while I'm on the bike, take plenty of supplements (all natural). The one supplement that I do swear by is the Co-enzyme Q10. I believe my recovery time is improved by this. A Jan '05 article by Dr Ray Strand states:

"[font=Arial]The serious athlete needs to be adding potent optimizers to their cellular nutrition each and every day that they have a hard workout or are competing. This can easily be accomplished by adding an additional antioxidant tablet along with some additional grape seed extract (90 to 180 mg) and CoQ10 (60 mg gel-form). This cellular nutrition along with these optimizers will optimize your antioxidant defense system, repair system, and immune system. Your recovery from your hard workouts will be much faster, and your overall performance will be enhanced."
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Lots of good advice being tossed your way, so I'll add a few thoughts. My indoor training sessions took a boost when I loaded prior to my rides with appox. 100 grams of Maltodextrin. The carb boost made a difference in my ability to sustain longer rides and hit higher HR's. I also consume approx. 100 grams of maltodextrin within 30 minutes of completing my rides. This begins to replenish the carb stores you need for recovery and your next ride.

Hello D.
I am not a professional rider, just a power coach. Did you ever try liquid amino acids straight away after the ride 25ml and another 25ml for overnight recovery?? It works very well for me and I do a lot of endurance training as well. To battle the fatigue I am using here in London an equipment we call the Vibrogym,a vibration platform. Massaging the quadrizeps, hamstrings, calves, outer and inner adductors on that maching before training and shortly after will help you instantly. For more information please have a look at my website www.ptlondon.com or www.bettervibrations.com an US inventor is also selling a platform, I think his name is bosco. I bet there are some platforms around in Chicago and maybe they would let you use the platform for a free trial. I wish you good luck.
best regards thor

dwj444 said:

What does anyone use to aid recovery? I've read a lot about different supplements but haven't found any consensus about products that supplement diet in aiding the body's recovery after strenuous riding.

I've been riding again regularly for about two weeks now (mostly on the trainer; the weather is just too unpredictable in Chicago right now) and am experiencing some let down recently. My legs are fatigued and I have difficultly generating a spin that get's my HR into my target range.

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for dietary supplements that might help me with muscle recovery and general energy, both during and after a ride.

Thanks.
D.

dwj444 said:

What does anyone use to aid recovery? I've read a lot about different supplements but haven't found any consensus about products that supplement diet in aiding the body's recovery after strenuous riding.

I've been riding again regularly for about two weeks now (mostly on the trainer; the weather is just too unpredictable in Chicago right now) and am experiencing some let down recently. My legs are fatigued and I have difficultly generating a spin that get's my HR into my target range.

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for dietary supplements that might help me with muscle recovery and general energy, both during and after a ride.

Thanks.
D.

I was on a ride in Maui and the gentleman who organized the ride (Donnie Arnaux) provided supplements for the ride, (before, during, and after). The supplements he provided were Endurolytes, and Endurox. The ride itself was pretty gruelling (for me at least) , going up the slope of Haleakala Volcano starting at sea level, ending at 10,000 ft. over about 30 miles actual distance. (I made it to 7000 before time constraints and dead legs forced me to turn around. On my way down I laid down the bike and ended up going the rest of the way by car. I noticed the next day, that in spite of numerous aches and pains as a result of the fall, my legs felt absolutely fine. No tenderness, no fatigue.
When I got home, I bought the product to see how well it worked. Results were impressive. I did several centuries and faithfully used the product after all my hard rides with great results. I also tried Cytomax with good (but not as good as Endurox for me) results. I was pretty skeptical about supplements out of the natural range untilk this experience, now I am sold.