building up muscle and drinks

warren30

hi guys getting in to my mtbing now,I had problems with my legs few years back,they are weak,I want to build them up fitness and muscle,I eat healthy and go out on bike every other day,my legs are feeling stronger fitter after 8weeks,I go for hour to hour half ride some speed rides other days ride up hill on trails burn legs,I eat some carbs hour half before go out a bananna and drink water just before I ride,on the ride I drink just water when finished I have a reco protein drink 50g is that enough powder or to much i eat healthy protein carb meal after ,is this ok or should I do more I've read a bit gets confusing,do I need drink more protein drinks daily like body builders etc,any other tips or drinks I should take,should I take a reco energy drink beforehand,is the reco stuff good,couple bikers in my lbs recommened it over other protein drinks.sorry for so many questions,just like know what others do

njee20

Do you mean SIS Rego?

I'd be wary of taking too many protein recovery drinks, it's very easy to start taking on more than you're burning, you won't gain muscle, you'll just get fat.

Cycling (MTBing at least) doesn't really build muscle, it does burn fat, so you tend to end up quite lean. If you want to be really bulky then take up track cycling and start doing squats and what not.

You don't really say what you want to achieve, if you just want to be stronger then ride your bike more - as you're doing. If you want to bulk up for aesthetic reasons then so be it, but don't expect there to be any riding benefits.

Andrew_J_Heard

i agree with njee20.

to many protein shakes an be a waste of time. unless your really pushing yourself or doing hardcore weight training etc a decnt meal will do just as much as a protein shake.

as for building muscle id say weight train your legs if you want to build muscle and use the cycling for keeping lean. you wont necessarily find that bigger muscles mean better cyclist though. two of the best guys i know riding wise arent big muscler guys. they are very lean.

warren30

thanks for reply ,yes I mean sis reco is it good stuff or overhyped,is there anyfing else worth using which is better or cheaper,my aim is to get fitter leaner put bit muscle on in legs as I have weak legs due to arthritis,had it bout 8years it's under control at moment,I enjoy going out on bike feeling good about myself now.

warren30

thanks for info,is there anyfing else I could drink or take then,I don't wana get big legs strong and fit legs,helps with my arthritis cycling and I enjoy it might get road bike to

nozzac

The protein in the drink is just decent quality protein - mostly whey powder. It's no different to eating some meat for example, except it's liquid. If that is convenient then it makes sense. If you're expecting it to do any more than eating meals containing protein then you'll be disappointed.

I disagree that cycling doesn't build muscle. It might not be as effective as doing low rep heavy squats obviously but it will build some muscle, especially if you eat enough protein to satisfy your requirements and enough carbs before, during and after so that you limit catabolism - not all that easy for very long, hard rides. Some very keen cyclists are frequently short of carbs and protein due to the amount of exercise they do and consequently lean right out. That isn't necessary if it isn't your goal.

How much extra protein you need will depend on your normal dietary protein, level of exercise and current muscular mass. You might need a fair bit or you might need no extra. It makes sense that if muscular development is a goal to cover that uncertainty by taking extra protein and see how it goes. If you want that in a drink then any high protein drink will do.

Bear in mind that whilst there are some valid reasons for timing protein intake around the exercise period, the majority of muscle reparation is not done in the hour after exercise but spread over the whole 24 hours after.

warren30

thanks nozzac for info, Im gona take 30g of sis recovery after every ride and see if enough and how I get on with my mtbking,

njee20

I'd just ride your bike more. Unless you're feeling constantly tired Rego is unlikely to be of little benefit. I only use recovery drinks if I'm doing successive hard rides.

Noel PT

Recovery drinks can have a massive impact on your riding and recovery.

The reason we use drinks rather than eating after training, is because they digest sooner and have the correct proportions of Carbs, protein and Fat that our body craves in that golden 15mins post training.

A good book to consider in "The performance Zone" it breaks it down and gives you a good plan to follow.

Good luck