Weight loss and recovery drinks

womble88

I'm trying to increase fitness and lose weight ahead of my wedding on November 1st. I've been eating more sensibly, upping the training etc over the last months, but now I'm getting more serious - training more and harder and cutting back a bit more on food. Now you wouldn't say I'm dieting, or that I'm training super-hard, but.....

What I'm wondering is whether recovery drinks are a good idea - immediately after exercise or night-time ones before bed? I want to be able to train most days, but don't want to slow or stop weight loss (want to lose one stone if possible). I tend to just have recovery drinks if I have trained long/hard (2 + hours) or done a reasonable weights session. Also - would protein drinks be a good idea before training (weights) to add muscle/convert fat to muscle, or should I just concentrate on eating less and training more?

Apologies if this has been covered in another thread, but I can't find it....

richa

IMHO...

If you are eating sensibly & training sensibly then you don't need recovery drinks.

You want your body to utlise body fat for its source of energy.

Why do you want add muscle? Are you trying to reduce weight or reduce size?

Infamous

RichA wrote:

Why do you want add muscle?

???

My question would be, why would you NOT want to add muscle?


Womble88, Post workout is the best time to eat anything (be it food or "recovery drinks"). however, as RichA said, if you eat sensibly you shouldn't need them.

Bikerbaboon

i always try to have a protine shake after any 1 hour or more ride, even if its choc milk. I just find that the day after my legs feel better than if i go with out.

richa

Infamous wrote:

My question would be, why would you NOT want to add muscle?

Additional weight & bulk.

unclemalc

Agreed, but make sure you continue to drink AFTER you've finished the ride and I would be drinking carbs and electrolytes here, not just water.

Muscle is heavier than fat for the same volume so beware 'weight loss' by getting fitter - you will probably lose flab but put on muscle tone, in places like the tops of the legs, while losing fat from around the middle and around the butt.
In my own experience there was a noticable initial reduction in flab and 'weight loss' but which tailed off as the muscles improved. Now it's more difficult to shift weight-as-fat as my body is now used to the level of work I make it do.
I will now have to look more carefully at diet (I REALLY like eating....) and probably set new targets for distance and stamina to get a noticable improvement in body-shape.
BUT, I don't want to end up like a pro-trackie and have to keep that level of muscular bulk, so as always, its a sensible balance that's called for.
Good luck .

Infamous

I would imagine that the muscle would have to be huge, in order for the extra weight to overcome the positive effects of being stronger.

He's not talking about going on roids.

unclemalc

Lol. I hope not. Its just that I've seen some guys do riding and power training and end up having a lot more muscle bulk than they initially wanted but then thought it was cool and so it went on....
Just take it steady, reduce the crap food, increase the good, do the miles without killing yourself and ....Hello Handsome... 8)

magibob

Hi.

On a similar topic. I am overweight, (Fat B*****d) and looking to cycling to help me lose weight. I live in Mallorca where it's REALLY hot and humid at the moment. Hence I spend a lot of the time on the bike sweating like a Glass-Blower's @rse. I drink lots of water mixed with isotonic drinks.

Question. Is there anything I can use that will replace the salts etc, but isn't loaded with Calories as this would seem to defeat the object a bit.

Thanks

Andy

womble88

Thanks all, v helpful. I should have said fat loss rather than weight loss - I'm not looking to be a climber (fat chance, if you'll pardon the pun). Just want to lose the gut, get fitter and be a bit quicker on rides, duathlons, sportives.

Seems like I'm doing roughly the right things, but I'll see how I go without recovery drinks even after long/hard rides (and concentrate on re-hydrating and eating good food soon after training), and maybe some protein drinks (low or no carbs) if I feel I need something extra.

unclemalc

Majibob - I went into this in a bit of detail when I found i) the price of over-the-counter drink powders and ii) most of them are loaded with aspartame ( :shock: ).
If you sweat a lot, like I do, then you must keep ahead of the thirst so, to paraphrase Robert Millar's axiom, - "if you're thirsty, it's already too late". Take plenty.
Personally, I use 50% cloudy apple juice (my preference - need not be yours) : 50% water, with ~ 1/4 teaspoon of BOTH rocksalt (for sodium) and 'lo-salt' (for potassium). On a 25-miler I would get through at least 1 x 750ml bottle of this at this time of year. I normally pop at least one dextrose/Vit C tab halfway. I drink a bit more of this mix after I'm home, because I generate a lot of heat and continue to sweat way after I've got my feet up. :oops: (The 50% is to avoid over-carbing during the ride, which is supposed to be a problem. This was advice I read in a BR health forum so I heeded it without question.)

How much to drink is what you need to find out, but more rather than less is better to avoid bonking, cramps and after-ride headaches.

Kléber

Magibob wrote:

Question. Is there anything I can use that will replace the salts etc, but isn't loaded with Calories as this would seem to defeat the object a bit.

I envy you, all the warm weather. Shop around in the supermarket and look on the labels for some mineral water that is highly mineralised. They all list the minerals in them, look for one with higher quantities and aim to drink a fair amount. Also, you'll put the salts back just by eating. Remember, if you sweat a lot, the actual weight of salt lost isn't huge*, so don't overdo it.

* perhaps someone has the data for this?

ride_whenever

isn't lucozade hydroactive carb free, so that should do the trick, don't have one to hand though.

richa

Magibob wrote:

Question. Is there anything I can use that will replace the salts etc, but isn't loaded with Calories as this would seem to defeat the object a bit.

Nuun or Zym tablets will do just the job.

http://www.nuun.com/
http://www.gozym.com/

UncleFred

I'm currently experimenting with Nuun.

I sweat a lot of very salty sweat so I need something to get keep my electrolyte levels up. I was drinking about 8-10 bottles of Gatorade on a long ride (5-6 hours) but found I was putting on weight, plus all the High Fructose Corn Syrup can't be good for you.

I've switch to Nuun now and although I do find I drink more liquid, I still seem to remain hydrated and cramp free.

Last race I did it was 102 degrees! 3 Bottles of Nuun in 1 hour.

fatbee

If loss of unwanted body fat is your number one priority, and you are prepared to put increasing fitness somewhat on hold while you do it, then avoid comercial recovery drinks like the plague:

Post-ride protein is a good idea (thus avoiding using up muscle and other lean tissue as opposed to fat,) and electrolytes are a beneficial addition to plain water. But most "recovery drinks" are substantially sugary water, and really do a number on losing fat.

Many people don't know this, but if properly fuelled (including protein before and after exercsie,) a ride can continue to burn fat for hours and hours after you get off the bike. But only if you largely avoid carbohydrate.

Really, an evil scientist charged with inventing a magic potion to stop fat-loss dead in its tracks, couldn't come up with anything more effective than a carb-filled "recovery drink". The moment that sugar gets into your bloodstream, it's goodbye to fat-burning and a big hello to insulin and possible weight gain.

magibob

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll try to hunt down some of those Nuun or Zym in Spain.

Cheers

Andy

Trickyupnorth

fatbee wrote:

If loss of unwanted body fat is your number one priority, and you are prepared to put increasing fitness somewhat on hold while you do it, then avoid comercial recovery drinks like the plague

I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to such things, so would you please explain that statement for me?

Can I drink bottles of water with nuun in and still lose weight?

Only, I've got a bit of a spare tyre which I'd like to get rid of. I've recently read that when I go on a ride I should be drinking water with electrolytes etc, so nuun would fit the bill.

But, I've also read that for rides over 1 hour I should be consuming carbs as well. So can I lose fat and take on carbs? :?

Thanks

Richie

NJK

Trickyupnorth wrote:

fatbee wrote:

If loss of unwanted body fat is your number one priority, and you are prepared to put increasing fitness somewhat on hold while you do it, then avoid comercial recovery drinks like the plague

I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to such things, so would you please explain that statement for me?

Can I drink bottles of water with nuun in and still lose weight?

Only, I've got a bit of a spare tyre which I'd like to get rid of. I've recently read that when I go on a ride I should be drinking water with electrolytes etc, so nuun would fit the bill.

But, I've also read that for rides over 1 hour I should be consuming carbs as well. So can I lose fat and take on carbs? :?

Yes you can take on carbs during a ride and lose fat as long as your overall calorie intake is slightly less than what you need. Tricky bit.

A lot depends on the intensity and duration of the ride as to how much carbohydrate you need to consume.





Thanks

Richie