Your road to recovery will not only be determined by what you eat, but also when you decide to replenish lost nutrients, so every detail counts. After training or a long ride, your body needs time to return to its normal physiological state.

This process is dependent on rest but also on what you consume when you get off your bike or smart bike. Research suggests there is a minute window of opportunity in which to begin your recovery.

A quick and convenient way to do this is with a recovery drink that contains both carbohydrate and protein but a combination of real food and sports nutrition works too. Meal idea: g of beans on two slices of toast and an electrolyte drink, or a large bowl of cereal with milk and half a protein bar.

Hydration is also vital. If the ride was easy and under 90 minutes sipping a ml bottle of water or electrolyte drink should be sufficient to rehydrate. To continue your recovery you should eat a more substantial meal within two hours of a ride. This meal is vital for the body to replenish the carbohydrates stores used during exercise and provides amino acids and fats to help build and repair muscles.

Meal idea: lean protein such as eggs, chicken, tuna or tofu along with complex carbs such as whole grain pasta, rice, or sweet potato and some fat - try avocado. Some elite athletes prefer to eat a smaller portion of protein and carbohydrates every two to three hours after a training session, particularly if they are training again later that day.

They may continue this pattern for up to six hours. Alongside a disciplined nutrition strategy, sleep, rest and stretching are also vital to recovery. Supplements such as Omega 3 and tart cherry juice are new recovery techniques thought to help reduce muscle inflammation and the dreaded DOMS delayed onset of muscles fatigue.

Other research points to a more individual approach. After all, no two cyclists are the same. Annie Simpson is a performance nutritionist at OTE Sports. For more information on OTE Sports and their range of sports nutrition and healthy snacks visit OTE Sports. Research Source: Lee et al Biomarkers in Sports and Exercise: Tracking Health, Performance and Recovery in Athletes.

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. August 12, 1 min read. Even for short rides, fueling goes a long way. Not only that, but fueling will significantly reduce the margin of error for rides in the days that follow by ensuring that your glycogen stores are as full as possible.

The goal is to ensure sufficient glycogen stores are in the liver and muscles for the work you will do. Aside from fueling your ride, multiple benefits stem from eating hours, if not days, beforehand. There is less chance of GI distress because you are consuming the carbs incrementally.

That is, you are getting them the usual way, with conventional foods. By utilizing regular meals to top off glycogen stores, you can emphasize other nutritional content like minerals and vitamins.

Before your ride, carbohydrate absorption is primarily reliant on your level of glycogen depletion, rate of ingestion, and the type of carb. The lower your glycogen stores, the faster carbs will be absorbed.

The type of carb matters too. The more complex the carbohydrate, the longer it takes to digest and absorb. Whole grains and fiber-filled foods can take a couple of hours.

Fruit and vegetable absorption times are mostly dependent on fiber content. More fiber means longer times, but minutes is usually sufficient for fruits. A good rule of thumb leading into an event is to eat a carb-centric meal hours beforehand. This gives your body ample time to digest.

The time frame can be shorter if your meal is principally simple carbs. What works for someone else may not work for you. Remember that weather conditions can affect how you feel and your hydration needs.

Conversely, fueling solely by feel can leave you under-fueled. Below is an example nutrition plan for a cyclist who will complete a hard, four-hour group ride or race. The pace will vary from endurance to sprinting and everything in between. Each section lists the timing and a few options to provide some variety.

For example, you only want to select one of the bullet points. Your physiology plays a significant role, along with the intensity and weather conditions on your ride, regarding what to drink when cycling. There are many options for what to put in your bottles, including water, electrolyte mixes, and high-carb drinks.

As a general rule, aim for a bottle an hour, and adjust for your physiology and the weather. Post-ride nutrition is vital for replenishing your glycogen stores and kickstarting the recovery process.

Once your ride is complete, the body begins to shift from a catabolic state to an anabolic one, to rebuild and recover. Carbs will restock glycogen, but adding some protein will help resynthesize muscle glycogen while helping to repair and maintain lean muscle mass.

There are many ways to handle post-ride nutrition. A well-planned meal can offer all the carbs and protein you need with the benefit of numerous micronutrients. However, the simplest and most convenient form is a recovery shake.

Current research trends suggest around a carb to protein ratio, and most recovery shake products hover near that range. Another simple recovery drink is a glass of chocolate milk with about 32g of carbs and 8g of protein.

Rest days and weeks are an essential part of any training plan. As you recover, your body undergoes the adaptations that make you faster. This reduction in workload provides an excellent opportunity to return your glycogen to baseline levels.

Making intentional food choices can enhance your recovery and motivation, leaving you even stronger for upcoming workouts. Your body is healing and adapting in response to the stress of training. During this week, you can focus on eating nutritious whole foods that fill you up.

On the other hand, it can be a good time to ease up on your diet and perhaps even include some treats for a well-deserved mental refresher.

Studies have shown that endurance athletes rarely operate with full glycogen stores. In fact, they are often in a glycogen deficit.

This can present a problem, especially if you want to be in top form for an epic event. After carbs are absorbed and converted to glucose by the body, there are essentially three destinations—the liver, muscles, or fat storage.

The liver and muscles either use the glucose immediately or store it as glycogen for later use, which is what we want. Carb loading is a method to help ensure your glycogen stores are full without adding to your fat reserves.

So how do you know when your glycogen storage is full? Additionally, the answer is dependent on how much your muscles can store. However, endurance athletes can store more and varies based on muscle mass.

The rate at which you synthesize glycogen changes depending on the situation. It declines to an almost non-existent level during exercise, but immediately following exercise, the process is incredibly rapid.

At rest, glycogen storage is dependent on the level of your depletion, glycogen capacity, the rate of carb ingestion, and the types of carbs eaten. Carb loading focuses on timing carbohydrate intake, under optimal conditions, to maximize your cycling nutrition.

The key to carb-loading is to avoid huge blood glucose spikes and outpace your ability to absorb and process carbohydrates. This is easier done with low-glycemic carbs. In the three days leading up to your event, increase your carbohydrate upwards to 10g per kilogram of body weight per day.

The key is to spread the carbs throughout the day, not exceeding 1. Carb loading is something to reserve for the events where it will be most beneficial. This includes multi-hour events, stage races, and ultra-endurance races. Carb loading can be difficult to get right, so practice it a few times before your big event.

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Muscle protein synthesis in response to nutrition and exercise. J Physiol. Baar K. Nutrition and the adaptation to endurance training. Sports Med. Ivy J. Regulation of muscle glycogen repletion, muscle protein synthesis and repair following exercise. Jeukendrup, A.

Nutrition for endurance sports: Marathon, triathlon, and road cycling. Journal of Sports Sciences, Kato H, Suzuki K, Bannai M, Moore DR.

Protein Requirements Are Elevated in Endurance Athletes after Exercise as Determined by the Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation Method. PLoS One. Murray, B. Fundamentals of glycogen metabolism for coaches and athletes.

Nutrition reviews , 76 4 , — Sean Hurley is a bike racer, baker of sourdough bread, and former art professor. He is a connoisseur of cycling socks and a certified USAC level 3 coach.

Rumor has it he also runs a famous cycling instagram account, but don't tell anyone about that. Table of Contents Basic Nutrition Principles for Cyclists What Should I Eat While Cycling?

What To Eat for Long Distance Cycling Example Cycling Nutrition Plan Rest Day and Week Nutrition Carb Loading.