When you train hard, you deserve to get good results. One of the best moments to improve your performance is the first hour after your training session.
Here are 5 simple tips for better recovery:
Under very hot conditions it is, however, necessary to replace electrolytes as well as the lost water.
Thus, we are interested in eating carbohydrates to stimulate the secretion of insulin and get all the benefits of this natural hormone.Insulin promotes the uptake of glucose from blood into cells (advanced version will come later), stimulates the synthesis of glycogen and promotes synthesis of muscle proteins.
Endurance athletes also need proteins immediately after training to recover from their effort. Just like carbohydrates, proteins stimulate secretion of insulin, which help building up the muscle again.
I have seen it a lot of times, when people are chatting after a race. Exactly that moment is one of the easiest moments to get ill.
Depending on your overall fitness, I will recommend that you do a 5-20 minutes ride after each training session.
Finally, getting enough sleep is crucial for recovery. When you’re asleep, your body is able to repair muscle tissue and replenish energy stores. Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night.Every rider—from the weekend warrior to the seasoned pro—wants to improve in the cycling world.…
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What about some advanced tips - like iced water - how does that fit in? What about massages and hot baths? Which of these are good for cyclists, we often read about other athlete's using them but not cyclists (or perhaps just not enough media about cyclists).
I know T-mobile used cold ice baths efter all of the stages in this years Tour de France.
I also use ice bags on my legs after hard workouts or races - and I have had VERY positive results. It can really cure the feeling of sore and pounding mucles quite fast. Just make sure that you use a towel or simular between the ice and your skin to prevent frostbites.
Lars,
How many do you use? Do you just fill plastic bags with ice and put them on your legs? Do you use ice packs which you put in the refrigerator? Which muscles do you concentrate on? How long would you put them on for? Do you put them on for intervals (ie on for 5 min, off for 5 min)? How many times if you do intervals?
Does anyone know what the benefit is? My neighbour (in the Aussie 4x100m sprint team for the Worlds) was talking about hot and then cold baths being for neurological benefit rather than physical. Is there any literature on this?
How long would you spend in the ice bath for each session? I'm curious if you also use NSAIDS at all.
I really haven't used ice baths - just bags of ice (actually I use a kind of brown soap available here in Denmark. It doesn't get hard when it is frozen - so I always have a few bags of soap lying in my freezer...).
I REALLY do not like to use pain killers at all (I like to feel when I am sore, to prevent myself from doing more harm than good) - I have, however used some antiinflammatory/ pain killing gel on my knee once.
Any particular intervals you use on the legs, or just stick it on and see how you feel?
Great advice. So many folks don't realize the importance of cooling down properly. It is an integral part of training itself. Teaching ones body to recover takes some time.
I usually only cycle back and forth to work etc.. but I am an avid handball player. We practice near the beach in Coney Island. Those of us who jump in the cold ocean water afterwards will swear it helps recovery time. Its like sitting in a ice bath.
Thanks for the ice suggestion. I filled my tub with cold water, the tap water gets pretty cold. My legs feel great! Much better than after previous hard rides.
From a runners standpoint, I would stand in a trash can of ice water for 15 minutes. My coach informed me that it was to help reduce the lactic acid buildup in your legs, so you recover faster. I would ice my legs after hard runs, which were spread out onto Tuesdays and Thursdays.