Today, I decided to ride for ‘as hard as I can for as long as I could hold’ on my heaviest chain-ring. Interestingly, I survived my 60K ride that included three successful attempts at Hendon Hill. Nobody in my group seemed to care for a climb, so I took it in stride (spin) to the top on reasonably heavy gears. The third climb, which followed immediately after my second was harder and I had to drop the chain down three clicks. Our 8-strong, riding group worked closely, so it made leading and drafting (legal distance) more purposeful and achievable. Towards the last 5K, they broke away to leave me to churn out lower-cadence spinning. Matty wrote about the ride today. Fortunately, the gap was not too wide and my legs retained adequate strength/endurance to finish at my intended pace; my bottle of Perpeteum (Hammer Nutrition) supplied enough calories for my high-intensity ride.
What was different this week was that I observed the quality of nutrition that I ate, particularly after each workout. This meant the protein quantity and type mattered, as did the relative absence of fructose (fruit sugars). When should you consume protein and carbohydrate after exercise? Which type of protein and carbohydrates would be best for full recovery?
In summary, for strength session consume protein within 15-30 minutes of cessation of exercise. For aerobics, consume within 45-60 minutes. Whey protein is the gold standard for protein, especially the amino acid leucine (a Branched-Chain Amino Acid).
Is cold water immersion a valid post-exercise recovery intervention?
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