Value for money in recovery supplements?

fixie fox

Has anyone done a value-for-money analysis of recovery supplements?
I bought Elivar Recovery recently as they market it for over35s and I'm well beyond that - it's got extra calcium etc etc.

But with postage it cost over 50 Euro (900g) which they say is 13 servings. That works out at nearly 4 quid a serving.

I know it's difficult to make direct comparisons, but there must be better value than this out there? But I'm not into it enough to make up my own.

That 'serving' has 28g of protein (with all the other good stuff of course). I'm 143 lbs (65kg) and 28gms seems a little high from this page which seems well balanced.

ford2600

fixie fox wrote: »

Has anyone done a value-for-money analysis of recovery supplements?
I bought Elivar Recovery recently as they market it for over35s and I'm well beyond that - it's got extra calcium etc etc.

But with postage it cost over 50 Euro (900g) which they say is 13 servings. That works out at nearly 4 quid a serving.

I know it's difficult to make direct comparisons, but there must be better value than this out there? But I'm not into it enough to make up my own.

That 'serving' has 28g of protein (with all the other good stuff of course). I'm 143 lbs (65kg) and 28gms seems a little high from this page which seems well balanced.

What are looking for in supplements you can't get in food?
Are you doing extreme training?

To answer your question I'd say post in the health and fitness forum

c50

Hi.
The best supplements i found at a reasonable price are rice with chicken and loads of vegetables for recovery, carbs,protein,fats. its all there.

Cyclists dont need recovery supplements or whey protein, regardless of shallow or deep pockets.

Eat healthy.

mamax

I got a free recovery sample from elivar, to be honest it tasted horrible !
Plan your post workout with food

Lumen

I'm no medic but I thought that bone density in older people was best preserved by eating sufficient calcium and doing significant load-bearing exercise (i.e. not cycling).

bambergbike

Food, hydration and sleep can fix a lot. Beyond that, I think you need to put your finger on exactly what your specific problem is before you look for a fix. Taking a generic recovery supplement with a list of ingredients as long as your arm is logically going to work out a good bit more expensive than specific supplementation with something you actually need, but working out what that specific something might be isn't easy. Your recovery problems might not even be nutrition-related at all, maybe you could fine-tune your other recovery strategies.

ian_rush

The SIS stuff is much cheaper and similar. The shakes are handy if you don't have time to eat after a cycle but I think most experts recommend whole foods.Liam Hennessy recommended a tuna sandwich which is definitely cheaper.

ian_rush

The SIS stuff is much cheaper and similar. The shakes are handy if you don't have time to eat after a cycle but I think most experts recommend whole foods.Liam Hennessy recommended a tuna sandwich which is definitely cheaper.

Statler

As others have pointed out whether or not you need to take anything like this after cycling is open to debate, I sometimes use a protein recovery shake with a couple of bananas blended into it if I'm either stuck for time or the fridge is a bit bare. I got a sample of the Elivar and agree with mamax it's tastes like crap. Also €50 for 900g is very steep.
I use SIS protein recovery, €27 for 1.6kg on Wiggle at the moment, sometimes pops up cheaper on sale, it tastes decent, or at least as decent as a powdered drink can. I'm no sports nutritionist but I reckon to an extent protein powder is protein powder, I also don't really buy the whole over 35 angle of Elivar. Slightly off topic but dig deep enough and you'll probably find both are made with ingredients from Glanbia, I read somewhere protein powder is a massive export for them so chances are it's used in both Elivar and SIS.

CatFromHue

What do people drink for hydration (I never thought I'd say that lol) post cycle?

Say after a good 2hr spin that has you sweating a good bit?

fixie fox

Statler wrote: »

As others have pointed out whether or not you need to take anything like this after cycling is open to debate, I sometimes use a protein recovery shake with a couple of bananas blended into it if I'm either stuck for time or the fridge is a bit bare. I got a sample of the Elivar and agree with mamax it's tastes like crap. Also €50 for 900g is very steep.
I use SIS protein recovery, €27 for 1.6kg on Wiggle at the moment, sometimes pops up cheaper on sale, it tastes decent, or at least as decent as a powdered drink can. I'm no sports nutritionist but I reckon to an extent protein powder is protein powder, I also don't really buy the whole over 35 angle of Elivar. Slightly off topic but dig deep enough and you'll probably find both are made with ingredients from Glanbia, I read somewhere protein powder is a massive export for them so chances are it's used in both Elivar and SIS.

Thanks. Yes, it's basically whey protein which is probably not that expensive. I'll check out the SIS all right for 'like-for-like' when I run out next time.

pprendeville

These guys are meant to be good. Natural ingredients with whey being the optimum protein according to a plan I got from a nutritionist.

ford2600

pprendeville wrote: »

These guys are meant to be good. Natural ingredients with whey being the optimum protein according to a plan I got from a nutritionist.

Is Barry Murray in favour of supplements?

wav1

Plain old pint of bainne.less than a euro.

sidebyside

a bottle of chocolate yazoo!!cheap cheerfull and does the trick!!!

Inquitus

sidebyside wrote: »

a bottle of chocolate yazoo!!cheap cheerfull and does the trick!!!

Yazoo does do the trick but its actually much dearer than mixing your own protein shake.

fixie fox

I never realised that SIS was Irish. The protein ratio is low compared to Elivar though.

pprendeville

ford2600 wrote: »

Is Barry Murray in favour of supplements?

Yes, here's what he says: Apart from a following a healthy diet, some general vitamin and mineral supplements can significantly improve health. Athletes need more than the RDA’s. Modern farming has reduced nutrient contents of foods.

MultiVit - Normal Strength (general health): Quest , Solgar Earth Source Nutrients, Natures Aid, Lamberts, Life Extension
Fish Oil (protects muscles& joints, helps heart & brain): Natures Aid/Lamberts or Aliment
Vit D3 – new but excellent research, v useful for athletes (increases energy levels, reduces stress, improves mood, controls insulin, boosts immunity): Solgar VitD3 1000IU or NATURES ANSWER D3 OIL Note: not required if getting >30mins of direct sunlight per day
Protein: Best ones are with Natural Whey/No sweetners: see www.pulsin.co.uk

I would only use them in periods of very intense training/racing and so far I haven't. So during stage racing for example I think they'd be a good option or if I had a couple of sick kids who were keeping me awake 24/7 and was wrecked the whole time they might be a good option also. Otherwise if you're just doing long slow distance I think natural foods suffice. Time and a place for most nutritional options I guess.

bazermc

wav1 wrote: »

Plain old pint of bainne.less than a euro.

They even have protein bainne. I picked up a litre this morning to give it a try.

WillyFXP

fixie fox wrote: »

I never realised that SIS was Irish.

It's not

bazermc

WillyFXP wrote: »

It's not

What does the I in SIS stand for then?

fixie fox

WillyFXP wrote: »

It's not

You are correct - I don't know how I got that notion!

WillyFXP

bazermc wrote: »

What does the I in SIS stand for then?

"In"

ht9zni1gs28crp

'For Goodness Shakes' brand on Wiggle are delicious! And cheaper still that SIS...

for those that have a sweet tooth you will actually look forward to these at the end of training! I usually only take them after a race or a cycle over three hours. Anything less and food will suffice in aiding recovery.