Recovery Drinks / Protein and all that...

rickeverett

Just wondering what peoples stance is on this ?.

I have always been dubious of all these miracle sports drinks and solutions etc. There is also a noticeable trend at the moment with Protein shakes and workouts etc. I see teens with protein shake bottles etc.

I have a good balanced diet and eat well pre and post ride. Only things I take out is water with flavoured electrolyte tablets and gels, fruit or bars on longer rides. (obviously there might be a cafe or sandwich stop on day trips etc)

Anyway my brother is into sport science etc and said I should give Recovery drinks a go.
I'm using Hurricane XS Recovery from My Protein after intensive / long rides and I have to admit I feel miles better.

craker

Chocolate milkshake for me. Does well in various 'Best Recovery Drink' type tests. I'm trying to fit triathlon training around a 5 day a week bike commute and find my legs get pretty tired by the end of the week, so recovering quickly is important (though I have no evidence the chocolate milkshake etc is making much of a difference).

ravenvrider

I will come out on the pro side of these, throughout my racing period i either used protein/carbo shakes or just ate chicken and pasta etc within 30 minutes of finishing my ride, i always felt it improved my recovery time, as soon a sis rego came out i started using that. After a very long time away i got back into riding a couple of years ago very overweight and unfit, i immediately started using rego after every ride, i honestly believe it speeded up my return to fitness.

Last year i broke my back (downhill mtb) 3 months off then 4 months of bad ibs (apparently high impact traumas to your body can cause ibs) left me 12lbs lighter, weak with smaller muscles. I got rid of it end of feb this year by going wheat free and using those friendly bacteria drinks. I also upped my rego to 3 scoops after every ride, and increased my protein intake substantially....my recovery has been surprisingly quick, my leg mass has exceeded my size before my accident and my speed is as close as i can tell faster as well all, in the space of 12 weeks.

This is just my gut feeling but i swear by rego, and upping your daily protein/carb intake (dependant on the amount you already eatl).

CXrider

One has to take the advice of professionals and ASSUME that these work for all of us, when combined with a decent diet in the first place.
I do know some of them taste crap and some are just tolerable. The worth thing is not shaking them enough and getting the lumpy stuff in your mouth. Yuk.

downhill paul

A lot of the SIS products are full of sweeteners (aspartame) which aren't good for you. also a lot of pre and post sports drinks are loaded with sugar, far more sugar than you need to sustain energy during exercise and help with recovery.
chocolate milk is no exception. the right mix of protein and carbs sound like a good idea for recovery, but not when you take in to account the amount of sugar you are taking on at the same time.
I personally use the smooth chocolate impact whey protein from my protein. I'm not sure if the xs recovery would make any more difference, but the impact whey works for me. I feel so much better drinking it after a long ride, I also don't feel as sore in the mornings.

simon_masterson

Apparently there are benefits to ingesting whey protein after exercise, but it's convenient and even cheap (in comparison to chicken, tuna, eggs etc). I only buy unflavoured whey from MyProtein though, not any of the fancy stuff!

Anonymous

The new For Goodness Shakes ones are nice :P

I am pretty sold on the concept but only use the 'fancy stuff' as a treat/motivational treat.

Are the teens you see with protein shakes the same ones with Red Bull in the day and alcopops/coloured cider of an evening?

Cygnus

I don't use SIS anymore because of the Aspartame in it, I now use High5 and it claims it has no artificial sweeteners.

martinperry

+1 for the High5
Purely anecdotal, but beyond about 60 miles fast, I hurt the next day - With a shake within 20 mins of getting off the bike, I dont!
I Dont bother on sub 60 / gentle rides though.
May be a placebo, but it works for me

ravenvrider

I agree sis should remove their sugars but for me they are a cost effective option I normally pay about £23 a tub where as high5 is usually a lot more....i don't drink tea or coffee or have sugar on cereal etc so I'm not that bothered by the small amount in sis.

supermurph09

I tend to buy the goodness shakes when they are on offer as £2 a time is on the expensive side compared to a big glass of milk straight after the ride. However I have recently been taking cod liver oil tablets daily and I think they have made a difference to how I feel. My body feels in better shape, not so much aching.

team47b

A 'normal' male needs about 58grams of protein a day, an athlete like what we is needs about 85grams, this is easily achievable with a normal healthy diet, so there is generally no need for extra protein in processed form, but if you don't need this extra protein it's no problem as the body is very good at converting protein to fat to use later when you is watching TV

ravenvrider

I did a little digging and found an article on cycling performance tips...cptips

Strength - 1.6-1.7 grams of dietary protein per kg of bodyweight per day
Endurance - 1.2-1.4 grams of dietary protein per kg of bodyweight per day
Average person exercising for 30 minutes 4x a week - 1.0 - 1.2 grams of dietary protein per kg of bodyweight per day
Thus the average 70 kg (154 pound) cyclist will need from 80 to 100 grams of protein per day. And for those at the elite level, the requirement may be as high as 120 grams for the ideal 70 kg rider.

DavidJB

Choclate Nesquik....milk...done.

DavidJB

Supermurph09 wrote:

I tend to buy the goodness shakes when they are on offer as £2 a time is on the expensive side compared to a big glass of milk straight after the ride. However I have recently been taking cod liver oil tablets daily and I think they have made a difference to how I feel. My body feels in better shape, not so much aching.

+ 1 started taking CLO and I recover much faster.

Monty Dog

They are of benefit provided you are doing high-intensity training and racing - the kind of stuff that leaves your legs hurting. For most general riding, a balanced diet should be OK. Keep count of the calories though as they're not much help if you pile on the pounds as many are designed for weight athletes to 'bulk-up'

downhill paul

ravenvrider wrote:

I agree sis should remove their sugars but for me they are a cost effective option I normally pay about £23 a tub where as high5 is usually a lot more....i don't drink tea or coffee or have sugar on cereal etc so I'm not that bothered by the small amount in sis.

It's not the sugar in SIS that is the problem. it's the artificial/harmful sweeteners (aspartame) that is the problem.

chris_bass

downhill paul wrote:

ravenvrider wrote:

I agree sis should remove their sugars but for me they are a cost effective option I normally pay about £23 a tub where as high5 is usually a lot more....i don't drink tea or coffee or have sugar on cereal etc so I'm not that bothered by the small amount in sis.

It's not the sugar in SIS that is the problem. it's the artificial/harmful sweeteners (aspartame) that is the problem.

why do people hate aspartame so much?

all the evidence proving it to be harmful or that it causes cancer has been disproved. They were based on results on rats and it was more to do with the size and structure of the rat's stomach that caused its problems and human's stomachs are completely different and are able to deal with it.

thegreatdivide

For recovery after a high tempo ride or a long distance beasting I use:

1 x 25g scoop of MyProtein Impact Whey (unflavoured £11/13 per kg depending on vouchers)
1 x 15g scoop of Goody Cao chocolate drink powder (Lidl £2.50 for a huge box)
A dash of water or milk so it’s a thick shake.

The above costs buttons compared to bought chocolate milk or pre made recovery drinks.

charlie_potatoes

ravenvrider wrote:

I agree sis should remove their sugars but for me they are a cost effective option I normally pay about £23 a tub where as high5 is usually a lot more....i don't drink tea or coffee or have sugar on cereal etc so I'm not that bothered by the small amount in sis.

Why would you not include sugar in a recovery drink?

charlie_potatoes

Chris Bass wrote:

why do people hate aspartame so much?

all the evidence proving it to be harmful or that it causes cancer has been disproved. They were based on results on rats and it was more to do with the size and structure of the rat's stomach that caused its problems and human's stomachs are completely different and are able to deal with it.

It must cost SIS a big chunk of market share by including it. Makes no sense to me.

kajjal

I Just have a chocolate milk shake , I put enough rubbish in my body without chemical gels and strange powders

norvernrob

I use Vyomax protein powder, £21 delivered for 2.5kg which lasts ages. Tastes decent and seems to stop my muscles aching as much after a ride. Can't be too fattening either as I've gone from 74.9kg to 71.9kg in a couple of months riding.

thegreatdivide

Kajjal wrote:

I Just have a chocolate milk shake , I put enough rubbish in my body without chemical gels and strange powders

Whey Isolate isn't a strange powder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whey_protein_isolate

Look at all the cr+p they put in chocolate milk!

kajjal

thegreatdivide wrote:

Kajjal wrote:

I Just have a chocolate milk shake , I put enough rubbish in my body without chemical gels and strange powders

Whey Isolate isn't a strange powder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whey_protein_isolate

Look at all the cr+p they put in chocolate milk!

I was waiting for someone to mention that

rickeverett

For those older posts who said extra protein is stored as fat.... Its wrong.
One of those big misconceptions apparently. Protein in it true form isn't stored / converted as fat in the body. Any excess that isn't absorbed is crapped / peed out.


Apparently the "protein makes you fat" argument comes from meat, egg, milk, cheese eating which.... Contains fats!



Thats from latest sport science know how anyway.

Mikey23

I personally have better things to spend my money on. But if it works for you that's ok...

NeXXus

madasahattersley wrote:

rickeverett wrote:

For those older posts who said extra protein is stored as fat.... Its wrong.
One of those big misconceptions apparently. Protein in it true form isn't stored / converted as fat in the body. Any excess that isn't absorbed is crapped / peed out.


Apparently the "protein makes you fat" argument comes from meat, egg, milk, cheese eating which.... Contains fats!



Thats from latest sport science know how anyway.

That is quite simply not true. If there was a magical type of calories that were never stored then obesity wouldn't exist - people would just eat their RDAs of all nutrients then they could just stuff themselves on a pure protein diet.

Protein is just as calorie dense as fats - 9kcal/gram.

4kcal/g

rickeverett

madasahattersley wrote:

rickeverett wrote:

For those older posts who said extra protein is stored as fat.... Its wrong.
One of those big misconceptions apparently. Protein in it true form isn't stored / converted as fat in the body. Any excess that isn't absorbed is crapped / peed out.


Apparently the "protein makes you fat" argument comes from meat, egg, milk, cheese eating which.... Contains fats!



Thats from latest sport science know how anyway.

That is quite simply not true. If there was a magical type of calories that were never stored then obesity wouldn't exist - people would just eat their RDAs of all nutrients then they could just stuff themselves on a pure protein diet.

Protein is just as calorie dense as fats - 9kcal/gram.

Sorry mate your wrong.

Protein can't be stored or converted to fat. Its "stored" or really used in cells and muscles. Essentially its the body itself.

It is only used as a fuel when carb and lipid levels are low. Your body actually begins to break down muscle (protein) as a last resort. This happens a lot in endurance activities.

A good article is on Wikipedia of all places. Search Protein.

goonz

^this.

Joeblack

Immediately after any hard exercise (gym/hard ride etc) I go with a shake consisting of a scoop of 100% whey optimum nutrition, one banana, a handful of spinach! one scoop of creatine, half almond milk half water, a tablespoon of peanut butter and a shit of natural honey (manuka).

Then within a hour and a half I'll have a carb heavy dinner, chicken/fish with rice and veg.

I'm 6'3" 88kg with a body fat % of 8. I sometimes still get a bit of doms but a lot of that has to do with what I do after exercise not what I eat.

Stretching and warming down will help no end as will keeping relatively active after a hard bout,