Recovery drinks
rumbataz
Posts: 796
Recovery drinks is one area where I have been lacking. After a bike ride or a run I just drink a glass of water. I see people at the gym and on online forums talking about all sorts of recovery drinks.
As I understand it, the main aim is to provide carbs and protein - with the protein to aid muscle recovery/repair.
There also appears to be a golden period straight after exercise which is the optimum time to consume recovery drinks.
What do people go for in terms of recovery drinks? Are they actually worth it? Also, what are the simplest (i.e. easiest to prepare) recovery drinks that you should drink?
As I understand it, the main aim is to provide carbs and protein - with the protein to aid muscle recovery/repair.
There also appears to be a golden period straight after exercise which is the optimum time to consume recovery drinks.
What do people go for in terms of recovery drinks? Are they actually worth it? Also, what are the simplest (i.e. easiest to prepare) recovery drinks that you should drink?
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Milk.0
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Milk
I put Cadbury's chocolate powder in as well as I like the taste but it's a faff to make cold as it's hard to mix.
Once in a while I have a For Goodness Shake but I'm only kidding myself and keeping my bank manager happy.0 -
I use SIS Rego. Constantly on pretty much half price at Wiggle and works out just as cheap as milk with drinking chocolate in. Currently £23 for an 80 serving tub that you just mix with water - 25p or so a bottle.
Not sure how well the protein element works but it seems to stop me feeling so drained after a long/hard ride.0 -
I usually use milk for a recovery drink, with some fruit and chia seeds.
Bought some protein powder recently and so mix that in as well.
Trick is to have some form of protein shortly after exercise.0 -
Chocolate milk shake works for me and stops my legs aching.0
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Thanks for all the advice. I'm trying avoid negating my daily calorie deficit as I'm striving for a small, but consistent weight loss every month. As mentioned, I currently just drink water but have been reading about the importance of some protein after a workout.0
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Milk
I put Cadbury's chocolate powder in as well as I like the taste but it's a faff to make cold as it's hard to mix.
Add a little bit of boiling water to the chocolate powder, a few teaspoons will do power and mix this into a smooth paste. Then stir in the milk.0 -
^^ That's a good tip.
I have some HIgh5 protein recovery shakes that I use if I feel particularly bad, but usually I just have some regular chocolate milk. I'd been using nesquik powder as it dissolves in cold milk up until now...0 -
Add a little bit of boiling water to the chocolate powder, a few teaspoons will do power and mix this into a smooth paste. Then stir in the milk.Milk
I put Cadbury's chocolate powder in as well as I like the taste but it's a faff to make cold as it's hard to mix.
That's basically what I do, except just use a few teaspoons of cold milk, which actually works fine. There is a knack to it though.0 -
Add a little bit of boiling water to the chocolate powder, a few teaspoons will do power and mix this into a smooth paste. Then stir in the milk.Milk
I put Cadbury's chocolate powder in as well as I like the taste but it's a faff to make cold as it's hard to mix.
That's basically what I do, except just use a few teaspoons of cold milk, which actually works fine. There is a knack to it though.
Aah, you youngsters reinventing the wheel... Back in the day we only had cocoa powder. That seemed to be completely hydrophobic, and required some vigorous creaming with a tiny bit of cold milk before you could contemplate making any kind of drink with it.
Nesquik and hot chocolate are both a very expensive way of buying sugar with a tiny bit of cocoa powder...0 -
Exactly - Cadbury's is the same, hence the above.
Cocoa isn't actually THAT cheap and sugar won't mix in when cold, so happy to settle with Cadbury's0 -
They do work however a more general approach to quality calorie intake would provide better results but that does depend on your overarching aims?
If your ramping up your hours on a bike this would mean a more comprehensive approach to diet, use of a foam roller and quality sleep but all provide benefits on a less demanding regime.
I have an allergic reaction if I consume too much milk but I've used the SIS recovery drinks in the past and found them to taste half decent, effective and light on my stomach.
That said I don't use them now and simply eat in a more informed way with no adverse effects.“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”
Desmond Tutu0 -
I use SIS Rego. Constantly on pretty much half price at Wiggle and works out just as cheap as milk with drinking chocolate in. Currently £23 for an 80 serving tub that you just mix with water - 25p or so a bottle.
Not sure how well the protein element works but it seems to stop me feeling so drained after a long/hard ride.
Second that
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Recovery drinks is one area where I have been lacking. After a bike ride or a run I just drink a glass of water. I see people at the gym and on online forums talking about all sorts of recovery drinks.
As I understand it, the main aim is to provide carbs and protein - with the protein to aid muscle recovery/repair.
There also appears to be a golden period straight after exercise which is the optimum time to consume recovery drinks.
What do people go for in terms of recovery drinks? Are they actually worth it? Also, what are the simplest (i.e. easiest to prepare) recovery drinks that you should drink?
Don't bother thinking of anything like this unless your ride is 3 hours or more, personally I wouldn't bother unless I've been out for 4 hours (even then most of the time I wouldn't bother).
If you're riding 3 or 4 long rides a week then of course it's not doing any harm, it can be sensible. To a lot of people its the equivalent of over eating though, so if you're trying to lose any weight and aren't doing long ride after long ride don't bother!
If you're eating well and not doing big mileage I certainly wouldn't do it, unless you feel some need to reward yourself with something like milkshake, which is tempting for sweet toothers.0 -
You really only need to take supplements/recovery drink if you're working your body to the limits.
I use REGO after HIIT sessions or after a threshold ride of an hour or more. It works for me, especially if I'm planning on doing a ride the follow day with limited recovery time after HIIT. If I'm doing Zone 2 ride for a couple of hours then I don't bother. A ham/chicken sandwich is sufficient.
I shouldn't worry about the 'weight' issue. A 500ml REGO is about 170 calories with fat content of roughly 1%. A 300ml milk shake is about 250 calories with a far higher fat content and a far lower protein content. You still need to consume some calories after physical exercise otherwise you'll probably make yourself ill!
Recovery drinks work for some and for others they don't or don't see the point. Best to try and see if you get any benefits.0 -
Sure, my cycle rides don't wear me out at the moment as they're quite short rides and done mainly for enjotment. However, my jogging outside does wear me out completely. So it was mainly for the running that I was thinking about recovery drinks, plus my gym sessions which sometimes deplete me of a lot of energy.0
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Recovery drinks are sometimes more convenient but they don't give you anything you can't get from normal food.0
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I use Nesquick and milk. Occasionally blend in a banana and some peanut butter (and a dash of vanilla), but while that's delicious it's a bit overkill. Sometimes I like to kid myself I'm drinking it for the recovery but really it's just tasty...
As mentioned above it's not that necessary (although I do love nesquick) - I don't normally bother unless I'm not going to be eating for ages afterwards, or if it was a really hard ride/run, or if I'm planning to do the same again tomorrow.
I did find that last winter when I was trying to lose weight and running a big calorie deficit it seemed much more important to have something immediately after exercise. But happily I've been able to maintain the target weight all year without doing anything silly like that.0
