Cycling Recovery Tips
You've finished your ride so what should you do next? In this video we detail the best post ride tips and tricks. Including what food you should eat after your ride and what stretches you should do.
Transcript
00:00 We've all been there.
00:01 We get back from a long, hard ride
00:03 and we just want to stuff our face with junk food
00:05 and take an earned rest on the sofa.
00:07 But it may not be the best idea
00:08 for not only your recovery that day,
00:10 but also for your injury niggles further down the line.
00:13 With all that in mind,
00:14 here's our top tips for all the things you should do
00:16 immediately after your ride.
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00:23 You're back from your ride
00:31 and the first thing you probably do
00:32 is head straight for your fridge.
00:34 Looking for chocolate, cake, toast, it doesn't matter.
00:37 Whatever it is, you're probably gonna want to eat it.
00:40 If you can get ahead of your nutritional strategy
00:41 before you even leave the house,
00:43 that can be key to your recovery.
00:45 Therefore, getting ahead of your post-ride routine
00:48 before you even head out can be key.
00:50 Preparing a protein recovery shake or a protein bar
00:53 that you can eat immediately after your ride
00:56 will mean you avoid any other less nutritious alternatives.
00:59 Lastly, you may have initially topped up
01:02 your recovery stores with a protein shake
01:04 and fluids when you got back from your ride.
01:06 But it's also key to have a balanced meal
01:08 within a few hours of your ride
01:10 to complete that recovery process.
01:12 You should look to consume a meal which is lean in protein,
01:15 such as eggs, chicken, or tofu,
01:17 alongside complex carbohydrates, such as rice or pasta,
01:21 and fats, such as avocado.
01:23 Depending on the type of session you have ridden,
01:26 after a hard ride, a cyclist should look to consume
01:28 one gram of carbohydrate for every kilogram of body weight,
01:32 along with 20 to 30 grams of protein in their recovery meal.
01:35 Now, our next tip is even more crucial
01:47 in the warmer summer months,
01:48 as keeping on top of your hydration levels
01:50 is key after every long ride.
01:52 One way to understand how much water
01:54 you have lost through sweat
01:56 is to weigh yourself before and after your ride.
01:58 Studies have shown that even low fluid losses
02:00 can significantly affect your ability to ride.
02:03 A 2% drop in body weight due to sweating,
02:06 for an 80 kilogram rider, this would be 1.6 kilograms,
02:09 will impair performance noticeably.
02:11 Therefore, replacing water and lost source
02:13 with an electrolyte drink after your ride
02:15 will mean your body can begin recovering sufficiently
02:18 and maintain other normal bodily functions.
02:21 You can also tell how dehydrated you are
02:24 through the color of your urine.
02:25 If it's running dark, it means you need to drink more water,
02:28 whereas if it's running quite clear,
02:30 it means your hydration levels are back to normal.
02:32 You've begun your refueling and rehydration process
02:41 and you're out the shower, all clean,
02:43 but there's one thing that you should do
02:45 which will really tip the scales in your favor
02:47 when it comes to your recovery,
02:49 and that is a good cool down.
02:51 This can be done in a few different ways.
02:53 You can either foam roller
02:54 or you can just carry out a few basic stretches
02:56 after each ride.
02:57 And here are Cycling Weekly's top four stretches
03:00 you should do after every ride.
03:02 Lying down, bend your upper leg
03:04 so that your foot is up towards your glute.
03:07 Use the same hand on that side
03:08 to pull the leg of the ankle closer
03:10 and you should feel a stretch across the front of the quad.
03:13 Hold for 30 seconds on each leg,
03:15 rolling over in between.
03:17 Take a big step forward with your right leg,
03:24 keeping the knee directly above the ankle.
03:27 The knee of the left leg should be resting on the floor.
03:30 Put your hands on the ground either side of your foot,
03:32 a bit like a sprinter in the starting blocks.
03:35 Hold for 30 seconds on each leg,
03:37 return to the start position
03:38 before repeating on the other side.
03:41 Sit on the floor with both of your legs outstretched.
03:44 Extend your arms by reaching forward
03:46 and bending at the waist as far as you can,
03:48 whilst keeping your knees straight and your back straight.
03:51 Be sure to stretch until you feel a gentle pull
03:53 in your hamstrings.
03:55 If you feel any pain, you should stop the exercise.
03:58 Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat.
04:01 Lie on your back and slightly bend one leg.
04:08 Raise your other foot up onto your bent leg
04:10 and rest it on your thigh.
04:12 Then stretch forward,
04:12 threading your arm through your legs
04:14 to hold onto the back of your knee
04:16 and pull it towards you.
04:17 Hold this stretch for 30 seconds
04:19 and then swap to the other leg and repeat.
04:22 Those are our top tips,
04:25 what you should do after every ride.
04:27 Do let us know in the comment section below
04:29 what advice you'd give to your fellow cyclists.
04:32 If you've liked our video, give it a thumbs up
04:34 and don't forget to subscribe to our channel
04:35 for more videos like this.
04:37 And don't forget to subscribe
04:38 to the Cycling Weekly channel.
04:40 Until next time though, we'll see you then.
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