Anyone that’s ridden a bike has felt that dog tired achy feeling in your legs a time or two. Maybe it’s that they don’t seem to cooperate when you go up the steps or get up from your office chair. You’re probably felt yourself dragging around, kind of saggy in the days following a hard work out. It happens to all of us from time to time, but is very preventable. 
If you’ve been riding for years you probably have a system of some sort for leg and whole body recovery. If you’re new to the game or your tricks aren’t really giving you good results then you may find these ideas helpful.
Anne Stein with Bicycling Magazine wrote a great article this past summer, “Ride Hard, Recover Harder”. The first thing you need to understand is that riding hard creates inflammation. It is a response to the microscopic tears that happen to muscle when you ride hard. The rebuilding process makes your legs stronger, if you let them recover.
We’ve also consulted with our Bike Virginia nutritionist to give you some fueling tips that will help you feel tip-top on multiple day events or just your normal cycling schedule.
1. Spin It Out
Doing a cool down phase during your ride is a must. Spin at about 30% of your max effort for about 15 minutes. Do this at the end of your ride. Stein calls this “coffee shop pace.” This helps stimulate blood flow that will flush lactic acid. You can also take a walk, a swim or a very light jog to get this same effect. The point is don’t just ride into the finish and stop.
2. Rub-a-dub
No, we’re not just talking about swimming with your rubber duck, this is about massage. Visit the massage tent to reduce the stress hormones you’ve stimulated during your ride. Massage also helps work out knotty tissue and adhesions. An affordable alternative to massage is using a foam roller to roll out your own legs.
3. Chill It
Cold baths or cold showers can reduce inflammation and get you back on track for your next ride. Start with a few minutes, soak up to 15 if you can take it. Otherwise look for a nice cool spring or river for a dip which is even more fun.
4. Liquid Life
Christine Turpin, Nutrition Consultant for Bike Virginia says dehydration can be a rider’s worst enemy. As little as 2% drop in body weight (3 pounds for a 150 pound cyclist) can impact cycling performance. Dehydration can disrupt your heart beat; impairs nutrient absorption; affects blood circulation; weakens athletic performance and; impairs concentration. She recommends drinking 16-24 ounces for each pound body weight lost during a ride. For an even smarter plan, hydrate before and during your ride so that you don’t have dehydration to worry about as you try to recovery.
5. Eat Yourself Into Recovery
The right combination of carbohydrates to protein, in a 4:1 ratio, is associated with faster glycogen replenishment in the muscles, better muscle protein synthesis, reduced muscle soreness and improved muscle strength and body composition. Christine Turpin, our official Bike Virginia nutritionist says, “a great food source with this combination is chocolate milk — who would not want a reason to drink chocolate milk! The milk has both casein and whey proteins (long and short acting) which makes it an ideal recovery food.”
Christine also tells us as far as caloric replacement, it is very individualized. “My recommendations are listed below. It’s important to refuel with a combination of CHO and PRO immediately after the ride and then again two hours later, which could be their regularly scheduled breakfast, lunch or dinner. Proper fueling every 3.5-4 hours throughout the day will top off the take and supply the muscles with adequate energy for the next event.”
CHO Refueling Recommendations (cycling lasting longer than 90 minutes)
- 1.5 g CHO/kg immediately after exercise
- Additional 1.5 g CHO / kg 2 hours later
Protein Refueling Recommendations
- Endurance Athletes = 1.2 – 1.4 g/kg
- Do it again after two hours
If your riding schedule includes back to back training days or you are taking part in a multiple day event these tips can help you enjoy and perform better. Remember that your body needs both muscular and nutritional attention if you are going to ask it to perform again right away and expect to have good performance or a comfortable ride.
By Dr Kim Perry, Executive Director, Bike Virginia with Contributing Author Christine Turpin, RD, LDN, CSCS. Learn more about Christine and her company Nourish 2 Perform here.