Aiding Recovery

alomac

Hi guys,

Is there anything I can do to speed up or otherwise aid muscle recovery after riding? In addition to being a begining MTBer, I also commute on an old three-speed (though only around 10mi/day) which I've been doing for several months now, but now my legs are pretty much always tired or sore. It's gotten to the point where I haven't gone MTBing for the last two weeks because I don't have enough in the tank to make it through the 'hard' bits.

Cheers,
Adam.

TimesLikeThese

I get this from time to time.
You really need to listen to your body at times like these and have a complete rest for a week or two.
Ensure you are getting plenty of sleep - at least 8 hours a night - more if you can as its primarily when you enter deep sleep that your muscles repair and grow from your work outs. Although a good afternoon power nap can also help.

Diet wise... Protein is the building blocks of muscle and you need to ensure you are getting enough of it and at regular intervals - typically 3 hourly.
1g per lb of 'lean' body weight - do not include fat in this calculation - is the accepted wisdom.

oily fish like salmon is a good source of protein with the added benefit that the fish oil also aids recovery. Take a few portions a week of this after workouts to aid recovery. Dont go over the weekly limit as the fish unfortunately also contain toxins from pollution.

Whey protein is a way to supplement your diet to help get enough. Dont confuse it with bulking powders which also contain a lot of carbs and fat.
Taking a shake 1st thing in the morning, post workout and last thing at night will make a difference.

L-glutamine has been shown to minimise muscle breakdown and speed up muscle recovery.

Google them or check out wiki but those are the first places to look to minimise downtime and aid recovery.

Ditch Witch

The first 30 minutes post exercise are the most important regarding recovery.
The following 2 hours are the second most important.

Initially, get some carbs down you to restore your glycogen stores. This first 30 minutes is the time your body is most receptive to using carbs for this purpose.

Then, some protein to give yourself the building blocks to repair your muscles.

Allegedly, the perfect recovery drink is a glass of chocolate milk. I use "For Goodness Shakes".


REMEMBER: Fitness is gained during recovery NOT DURING EXERCISE.


Too much protein is as bad as too many carbs, so take it easy on the protein drinks if you eat meat.