Improving recovery time

phreak

At the moment I'm mostly riding on the turbo, doing 3-4 sessions a week. These are typically tempo sessions of around 1 hour, with 10 minute warmup/cool down attached at either end. Up to this week I've also been commuting 25km round trip to work, although I try and take this pretty easy.

I'd like to be able to recover a bit better between each session as I'm currently struggling to maintain output across each session. I thought maybe protein would help, but looking at my diet I'm already consuming the 1.3g per kg of body weight that appears to be recommended for endurance athletes, and I've read in various places that too much protein can hamper performance so I'm reluctant to OD on that.

Any ideas for better recovery?

Pokerface

phreak wrote:

Any ideas for better recovery?

Are you getting lots of sleep? It's important.

As for recovery drinks - a good mix of carbs and protein post-ride is what is recommended. Something like REGO. Don't take the full 'dose' if you don't want to OD on protein.

But if you are getting enough rest, and have a healthy diet, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to maintain your current training load. (I think!)

phreak

I try and get 7-8 hours a night but at the moment I've usually been doing the sessions before work so getting up at 5am to do them, maybe the quality of sleep isn't as good as it could be.

Regarding the drink situation, I typically have 2 bottles during the session, 1 of water and 1 of the High5 4-1 drink. I usually have breakfast or a meal before training so do you think 2 of water would be fine during the workout with the High5 afterwards? Does it matter when you get the carbs/protein in so long as you do at some point?

Pokerface

phreak wrote:

I try and get 7-8 hours a night but at the moment I've usually been doing the sessions before work so getting up at 5am to do them, maybe the quality of sleep isn't as good as it could be.

Regarding the drink situation, I typically have 2 bottles during the session, 1 of water and 1 of the High5 4-1 drink. I usually have breakfast or a meal before training so do you think 2 of water would be fine during the workout with the High5 afterwards? Does it matter when you get the carbs/protein in so long as you do at some point?

Sounds like you have more than enough hydration while training. Carbs and protein drink is usually best directly AFTER the ride. Helps the recovery process a lot more than any other time.

Not sure if the HIgh 5 is a recovery drink or just a 'sports' drink. There's a big difference.

phreak

EnergySource 4:1 is a ‘state of the art’ sports fuel for use during exercise and to help muscles recover after exercise.

http://www.highfive.co.uk/energy_endura ... e4_1UK.htm

I appreciate that's on their own site so may not be entirely impartial but they sell the product based on the claim that the 4 parts carbs to 1 part protein is the ideal mix for recovery.

ut_och_cykla

Protein needs to trickle in during the day I believe. A good carb/protein drink before you sleep might help sleep quality but if you're simply not sleeping quite enough it won't make much difference.
personally if you're not getting best performance on your turbo sessions either reduce their number or make one or more of them shorter and less taxing for a while until it feels like you're on top of things again. Doing different stuff on a turbo can be as good as a rest - different sessions/intervalls or simply high cadence (but lower effort ) work.

sampras38

Pokerface wrote:

phreak wrote:

I try and get 7-8 hours a night but at the moment I've usually been doing the sessions before work so getting up at 5am to do them, maybe the quality of sleep isn't as good as it could be.

Regarding the drink situation, I typically have 2 bottles during the session, 1 of water and 1 of the High5 4-1 drink. I usually have breakfast or a meal before training so do you think 2 of water would be fine during the workout with the High5 afterwards? Does it matter when you get the carbs/protein in so long as you do at some point?

Sounds like you have more than enough hydration while training. Carbs and protein drink is usually best directly AFTER the ride. Helps the recovery process a lot more than any other time.

Not sure if the HIgh 5 is a recovery drink or just a 'sports' drink. There's a big difference.

Same here...seems plenty of fluid too me, and dare I say it, perhaps a little overkill to use high5 during a turbo session.

I'm usually pretty hydrated before my turbo sessions and only tend to go through around 1 x 750ml of fluid per session, and that's usually no more than squash, ribena etc. if i haven't finished the bottle by the end (I usually do), then i'll just have some more straight after with my meal of carbs and a little protien.

My guess it could be a sleep thing, or are you stressed about anything at the moment?

phreak

Don't feel any more stressed than usual, just quite busy at the moment. I'll have a bit of a break over Christmas so will see if that helps get some zip back into the legs. I'll try just water or squash on the turbo with the High5 as recovery afterwards to see if that helps.

boneyjoe

Trying to juggle training, work, family, this weather(!), illness etc is a constant challenge. If you feel you are getting enough carbs and protein in your diet (and enough sleep etc), but are still feeling flat, then you should probably cut back a bit, at least until you're feeling strong again. I find early morning workouts can really take it out of you as well, so perhaps try shifting them to later in the day?

phreak

Yeah, I was mainly doing early workouts as I was studying for an exam in the evenings so it was the only spare slot in the day. The exam is gone now so shall start to shift back to evening workouts. It may be all the signal required but turbo sessions done at the weekend tend to be the best quality, so that probably does suggest it is good sleep etc. that plays a part.

sampras38

phreak wrote:

Don't feel any more stressed than usual, just quite busy at the moment. I'll have a bit of a break over Christmas so will see if that helps get some zip back into the legs. I'll try just water or squash on the turbo with the High5 as recovery afterwards to see if that helps.

if you're convinced your diet is generally good and you're getting enough food/fluid in you througout the day, I doubt very much whether you will need High5 after a 1 hour turbo session. Glass of milk to start the process off maybe, then your normal meal. The body responds much better to food than it does supplements.

Have you tried measuring your resting heart rate to see if you are perhaps overtrained or do you have a cold perhaps?

Not in all cases but sometimes a fluctuating RHR can indicate you're either a little under the weather or overtrained.

shockedsoshocked

sampras38 wrote:

phreak wrote:

Don't feel any more stressed than usual, just quite busy at the moment. I'll have a bit of a break over Christmas so will see if that helps get some zip back into the legs. I'll try just water or squash on the turbo with the High5 as recovery afterwards to see if that helps.

The body responds much better to food than it does supplements.

?

sampras38

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

sampras38 wrote:

phreak wrote:

Don't feel any more stressed than usual, just quite busy at the moment. I'll have a bit of a break over Christmas so will see if that helps get some zip back into the legs. I'll try just water or squash on the turbo with the High5 as recovery afterwards to see if that helps.

The body responds much better to food than it does supplements.

?

Wasn't that difficult to understand surely?

What I meant to say was you don't need to buy powders half the time when normal food will suffice.

I will use high5 but only for really long/hard rides, sportives or other events. Anything else and I'll just use squash/juice etc, and sometimes some Elete water for hydration/electrolytes if the conditions are particularly tough. An hour on the turbo does not need High5. A glass of skimmed/semi-skimmed milk and a banana will do just as well for recovery.

coopster_the_1st

phreak wrote:

I try and get 7-8 hours a night but at the moment I've usually been doing the sessions before work so getting up at 5am to do them, maybe the quality of sleep isn't as good as it could be.

Regarding the drink situation, I typically have 2 bottles during the session, 1 of water and 1 of the High5 4-1 drink. I usually have breakfast or a meal before training so do you think 2 of water would be fine during the workout with the High5 afterwards? Does it matter when you get the carbs/protein in so long as you do at some point?

Is the point in bold the problem?

Have you tried eating after the session?

irezumi

phreak wrote:

I thought maybe protein would help, but looking at my diet I'm already consuming the 1.3g per kg of body weight that appears to be recommended for endurance athletes, and I've read in various places that too much protein can hamper performance so I'm reluctant to OD on that.

Note the word 'reccomended'. These are always rough guides and everybody will be different.

Getting up at 6 instead of 5 can make a lot of difference to me. Again sleep patterns can be very individual. If I wake at 5 I feel exhausted in the day, if I'm up at 6 I'm fine. This is still getting 7-8 hours of sleep.

What I'm trying to say is ignore what is recomended and alter things so they suit you.

phreak

Coopster the 1st wrote:

phreak wrote:

I try and get 7-8 hours a night but at the moment I've usually been doing the sessions before work so getting up at 5am to do them, maybe the quality of sleep isn't as good as it could be.

Regarding the drink situation, I typically have 2 bottles during the session, 1 of water and 1 of the High5 4-1 drink. I usually have breakfast or a meal before training so do you think 2 of water would be fine during the workout with the High5 afterwards? Does it matter when you get the carbs/protein in so long as you do at some point?

Is the point in bold the problem?

Have you tried eating after the session?

Done it that way since I was a kid waking early for swim training. I'd always have breakfast beforehand as it gives me the energy for the session. Going to try eating my main meal after training tonight though to see how that goes.