Recovery

dexty

Hi, I am a fairly good cyclist but the one thing i cant master is recovery. I can go out and have a really good ride or set a really good time but it's 5 days rest before I could remotely get back to that level. 2 fulls days of rest and i'll be dropped like a stone, just nothing in my legs. I tried everything, recovery shakes, uping my daily protein, lots of water, milk, etc etc...all the regulars! Basically nothing i can do/find aids or speeds up my recovery in anyway. Totally against the grain the only couple of times i've actually recovered quicker than normal was when i went out and had a skinful! (Or abt 5 or 6 pints!). Take tonite for eg. After a quick group spin of 65K and @2500ft on Tues nite in a group of 8 with burst of sprinting on hills, my legs are still recked to go out do it again tonite. And there is no way that i could possible have eaten or drank any better! I would love to be able to go out tonite again with fresh recovered legs! Any tips? Normally I ride Tues & Thurs nite with a long one on a Sunday 100-160K.

QueensGael

dexty wrote: »

I tried everything, recovery shakes, uping my daily protein, lots of water, milk, etc etc...all the regulars!

Try this
https://peakendurancecoachingblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/how-you-can-cycle-faster-and-further-for-free-paddy-doran/

ford2600

QueensGael wrote: »

Try this
https://peakendurancecoachingblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/how-you-can-cycle-faster-and-further-for-free-paddy-doran/

what he said.

http://www.aclai.ie/blog/680/sleep-deep-perform-better-13-steps-to-a-super-deep-sleep-2/

For high intensity efforts is 48hrs not the typical recovery?

disco1

This could be down to your job in that it could be tiring or stressfull, or age, or stress that your maybe not too aware of....sleep .....family commitments...

Lots of things play on energy and recovery.

dexty

ok thanks all. I dont have a stressful job and sit all day so not tiring! Am thinking about some cycling specific blood tests or the likes. I could be running low on something like magnesium or iron. It's just trying to find one that'll take you seriously and know what they are talking about and perhaps know a bit about cyclings/high intensity exercise and whatyour levels should be! There was one at the bikeexpo in Manchester last year but cant rem their names!doH!

Leroy42

Is it all the time or just as the season progresses? You could be building up fatigue that you aren't allowing to go away and are thus stuck on a level. One of two days will help with the recovery of the last session, but simply repeating the intervals sessions will mean that you are probably not only returning to your previous fatigue level but the cumulative effect means that you are actually increasing it.

It is very hard to say without more information, but maybe look at the number of kms, intensity or whatever data you have to see if you can spot a pattern. Whilst not written in stone, the rule of 3 weeks on with a week of less intensity is well tried and tested.

Maybe you're body just needs a longer rest period to get over the fatigue and then you can start the process again.

tommy_tucker

dexty wrote: »

I tried everything, recovery shakes, uping my daily protein, lots of water, milk, etc etc...

Yes but have you tried Carbing The F££K Up, as you mentioned the only time you recovered well was when you had a feed of beer, which is full of carbs. Your muscles are depleted of glycogen so your not going to feel fresh again until you fill them with fuel.

Fruits and veg along with spud, rice, pasta.........some form of high carb food.

I find i have the edge in stage races as the days go on because other people are sucking down the protein shakes and i'm smashing in the carbs and recovering much better and more fresher, it happened at every stage race i've gone to so far, it gets easier as the days go on.

It works very well for me, take it or leave it...................................

dexty

pk thanks, I like the idea of easy week after every 3 hard ones!

Cheers Tommy re point re CTFU. How long beforehard do you carb up? a few hrs? or over the 24hrs b4? I read somewhere that carb loading the day before wasn't really true so that kinda put me off. And after the ride, how much and for how long do you carb up too? And by CTFU u mean as much porridge and spuds as you can take while staying away from sugary quick release carbs?
Will deffo give this a go!
Cheers,
D

ford2600

dexty wrote: »

pk thanks, I like the idea of easy week after every 3 hard ones!

Cheers Tommy re point re CTFU. How long beforehard do you carb up? a few hrs? or over the 24hrs b4? I read somewhere that carb loading the day before wasn't really true so that kinda put me off. And after the ride, how much and for how long do you carb up too? And by CTFU u mean as much porridge and spuds as you can take while staying away from sugary quick release carbs?
Will deffo give this a go!
Cheers,
D

Whatever about beforehand, plenty carbs afterwards is a good idea.

Whether it's just the glycogen replacement or the hormonal response kickstarting recovery I'm not sure. Does it matter, it works for most

outfox

and sit all day so not tiring

This doesn't help the quads, I find. Have you tried a short daily leg stretching program? Also, having a short spin session the day after a hard ride can be good. Maybe 30 min at high cadence, very low effort. This helps clear lactic acid.

harringtonp

dexty wrote: »

ok thanks all. I dont have a stressful job and sit all day so not tiring! Am thinking about some cycling specific blood tests or the likes. I could be running low on something like magnesium or iron. It's just trying to find one that'll take you seriously and know what they are talking about and perhaps know a bit about cyclings/high intensity exercise and whatyour levels should be! There was one at the bikeexpo in Manchester last year but cant rem their names!doH!

To rule this out you could buy a tub of Reflex One Stop and see how it goes for you. Has protein and a huge array of vits/mins. Not cheap but much cheaper than going down the consultation line.