After ride routine

Chicken legs said:

All,
Rode yesterday in 37 degree heat for 20 kms (I know, I know but it wasn't that bad), well hydrated, stopped halfway for the usual coffee and cake and cycled home. Today I feel awful. Usually after a ride I have something to drink and collapse in a heap but I'm thinking that's not the way to do it - I just don't feel like eating after a ride - during a ride I can wolf down a bacon and egg sandwich no trouble at all - but when I get home.....another story.
Here's the thing, I'm intending to ride on Wednesday with my cycling buddies and it's about 50kms, and no doubt the weather will be just as hot - any suggestions so I don't feel awful on Thursday?
Thanks.

Bacon and egg sandwich durig a ride uggh!! that would just sit in the pit of mu stomach and probably make me feel awful for the rest of the ride.

I would suggest that you drink (alot), you may think that you kept your hydration up but in that heat it can be rather difficult. For a 50k ride in that heat water alone won't do, you will need to replace your salts and electrolytes too. A good sport drink. Drink a lot more after your done too, between the ride and rehydrating after it you will probably need to drink a few litters of fluids 4 or more would not surprise me.

After every ride:

1. Make sure you cool down before you stop. A lot of people do intervals right to their door stop. You really should spin easy for a little bit before you stop. I turn my watch off about 5 minutes away from my apartment and just relax from then on.

2. Make sure you take in some carbs and a little protein right after you finish. Within 15 minutes I believe is the ideal time. I love Endurox recovery drinks. Mix 2 scoops with 12oz of water and it seems to help a lot. This is the first thing I do when getting in my door. I also have heard adding some sugar to milk can produce the same ratio of carbs to protein (4:1).

After hard rides:
3. I sometimes take an ice bath. I've noticed a big difference in my legs after a very hard ride if I sit in a cold tub for 10-15 minutes. DO NOT take a hot bath. Fill the tub up and then get in. Don't sit in it while it fills. Be careful though, there will be some shrinkage 🙂.

4. Take a nap as soon as you can. Even if it's a short one, it can really help with recovery.

An hour and a half after finishing and having my recovery drink, I eat something. Some carbs with protein.

Hope this helps.

-Matt

mattjf said:

After every ride:

1. Make sure you cool down before you stop. A lot of people do intervals right to their door stop. You really should spin easy for a little bit before you stop. I turn my watch off about 5 minutes away from my apartment and just relax from then on.

2. Make sure you take in some carbs and a little protein right after you finish. Within 15 minutes I believe is the ideal time. I love Endurox recovery drinks. Mix 2 scoops with 12oz of water and it seems to help a lot. This is the first thing I do when getting in my door. I also have heard adding some sugar to milk can produce the same ratio of carbs to protein (4:1).

After hard rides:
3. I sometimes take an ice bath. I've noticed a big difference in my legs after a very hard ride if I sit in a cold tub for 10-15 minutes. DO NOT take a hot bath. Fill the tub up and then get in. Don't sit in it while it fills. Be careful though, there will be some shrinkage 🙂.

4. Take a nap as soon as you can. Even if it's a short one, it can really help with recovery.

An hour and a half after finishing and having my recovery drink, I eat something. Some carbs with protein.

Hope this helps.

-Matt

Thank you, I appreciate the suggestions. Will try that next time.

a 20k ride shouldn't have been that taxing on your body... no matter how hot it was. if you at least drank something you should have been OK. perhaps you are just feeling crappy today... maybe getting sick?

Geoff2010 said:

a 20k ride shouldn't have been that taxing on your body... no matter how hot it was. if you at least drank something you should have been OK. perhaps you are just feeling crappy today... maybe getting sick?

You're right. Turns out I was cooking a virus so I can't ride tomorrow anyway (sigh). I'm only a skinny person and I'd conquered all the hills and a particularly narrow bridge with 90 degree corners and was feeling pretty chuffed with myself on that day. What's that old saying "pride before a fall"?

It all starts with the PRE-ride routine of mucking some high quality complex carbs (musli, other whole gains, etc) and being hydrated. During the ride you should be taking in primarily carbs as well, even if it means resorting to cookies, however you are better off using a quality sports drink, and a gel, or bar you can tolerate. POST-ride is going to look a lot like pre ride. If you have started with enough in your tank, and topped up during the ride you will be able to resist eating everything not nailed down in your home and you will be able to take in some high quality carbs in small batches every half hour fo the next one to two hours... When I play by those rules my body recovers faster, I don't feel compelled to eat an entire pizza single handedly, and it is easy to loose or maintain weight. I loned my Nacy Clark sports nutrition book out to a freind, but it worth while investment... In fact good bikes should come with a copy!

your body will have a heck of a time metabolizing a bacon sandwhich on a ride unless you are out for the day and maintianing an easy aerobic pace!

HR