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.
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00:00We've all been there. We get back from a long, hard ride and we just want to stuff our face with
00:04junk food and take an earned rest on the sofa, but it may not be the best idea for not only
00:08your recovery that day, but also for your injury niggles further down the line. With all that in
00:13mind, here's our top tips for all the things you should do immediately after your ride.
00:30You're back from your ride and the first thing you'll probably do is head straight for your fridge
00:34looking for chocolate, cake, toast, it doesn't matter, whatever it is, you're probably going to
00:39want to eat it. If you can get ahead of your nutritional strategy before you even leave the
00:43house, that can be key to your recovery. Therefore, getting ahead of your post-ride routine before you
00:48even head out can be key. Preparing a protein recovery shake or a protein bar that you can eat
00:54immediately after your ride will mean you avoid any other less nutritious alternatives.
01:00Lastly, you may have initially topped up your recovery stores with a protein shake
01:04and fluids when you got back from your ride, but it's also key to have a balanced meal within a
01:09few hours of the ride to complete that recovery process. You should look to consume a meal which
01:14is lean in protein such as eggs, chicken or tofu, alongside complex carbohydrates such as rice or
01:20pasta and fats such as avocado. Depending on the type of session you have ridden, after a hard ride
01:27a cyclist should look to consume one gram of carbohydrate for every kilogram of body weight
01:32along with 20 to 30 grams of protein in their recovery meal.
01:44Now our next tip is even more crucial in the warmer summer months as keeping on top of your
01:49hydration levels is key after every long ride. One way to understand how much water you have
01:55lost through sweat is to weigh yourself before and after your ride. Studies have shown that even
02:00low fluid losses can significantly affect your ability to ride. A 2% drop in body weight due
02:05to the sweating, for an 80 kilogram rider this would be 1.6 kilograms, will impair performance
02:10noticeably. Therefore, replacing water and lost source with an electrolyte drink after your ride
02:15will mean your body can begin recovering sufficiently and maintain other normal bodily
02:20functions. You can also tell how dehydrated you are through the color of your urine. If it's running
02:26dark it means you need to drink more water, whereas if it's running quite clear it means your
02:30hydration levels are back to normal.
02:38You've begun your refueling and rehydration process and you're out the shower
02:43all clean but there's one thing that you should do which will really tip the scales in your favor
02:47when it comes to your recovery and that is a good cool down. This can be done in a few different ways
02:53you can either foam roller or you just carry out a few basic stretches after each ride and here are
02:58Cycling Weekly's top four stretches you should do after every ride. Lying down, bend your upper
03:04leg so that your foot is up towards your glute. Use the same hand on that side to pull the leg
03:09at the ankle closer and you should feel a stretch across the front of the quad.
03:13Hold for 30 seconds on each leg rolling over in between.
03:22Take a big step forward with your right leg keeping the knee directly above the ankle.
03:27The knee of the left leg should be resting on the floor. Put your hands on the ground either
03:31side of your foot a bit like a sprinter in the starting blocks. Hold for 30 seconds on each leg
03:37return to the start position before repeating on the other side.
03:44Sit on the floor with both of your legs outstretched. Extend your arms by reaching
03:48forward and bending at the waist as far as you can whilst keeping your knees straight and your
03:53back straight. Be sure to stretch until you feel a gentle pull in your hamstrings. If you feel any
03:58pain you should stop the exercise. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat.
04:08Lie on your back and slightly bend one leg. Raise your other foot up onto your bent leg and rest it
04:14on your thigh. Then stretch forward threading your arm through your legs to hold on to the back of
04:18your knee and pull it towards you. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and then swap to the other
04:24leg and repeat. Those are our top tips what you should do after every ride. Do let us know in the
04:31comment section below what advice you'd give to your fellow cyclists. If you've liked our video
04:36give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe to the Cycling Weekly channel.
04:40Until next time though, we'll see you then.