I'm thinking of trying out some recovery drinks.

I ride to work every day – 15 miles each way – and my legs start to get a bit tired by wednesday each week.

I don't do breakfast very well. If I eat before I set off, I feel sick on the ride (getting up earlier is not on my list of things I'd like to do either). Once I get to work, the options are: a) Muesli bar from desk drawer, b) canteen filth (bacon, sausage etc). Neither are great, muesli bar leaves me hungry and more likely to eat a huge lunch or whatever cakes the office fatties bring in; sausages and bacon are making me fat!

Would a recovery type drink for breakfast be a good idea? Protein for the legs and carbs to stop me eating filth.

Been looking at SIS Rego – bit confused by the flavours, are any of them nice?

Advice appreciated,
Dave

If a muesli bar leaves you hungry, I can't see a drink instead curing that.
Two muesli bars ?

I don't quite understand the eat<>drink thing either.

If I skip breakfast, bowl of porridge when I get to work (typically std Scotts oats, add boiling water, stir while it thickens, microwave ~ 1min. None of this single-portion 'microwaveable' crap !) Mebbe with a banana sliced into it.

If I have breakfast at home first, small bowl of Quaker Oat crunch or Waitrose equiv with some milk – lob in microwave for 45 secs, add some tinned fruit. Takes a couple of minutes and doesn't give me heartburn unlike porridge or other cereal/fruit at that time.
Plus a cuppa, of course 😉

Worth a try ?

What's wrong with taking milk and some cereal in to eat once you've got your breath back?

For Goodness Shakes.. And a bowl of cereal…

As for REGO.. you won't have many friends in the office if you manage to drink it…

You will start floating air biscuits.. 😉

so…. eat more?

sounds sensible :o)

Dave

as a suggestion, how about a tupperwear type box with some yogurt and muesli? you could also add extra dried fruit and/or nuts.

carry with you and eat at work.
i do something similar on those mornings i go to the gym before work

as for drinks, i quite like the for goodness shakes

there's nowt wrong with having a large lunch. a large lunch is less likely to lead to afternoon munchies. just watch what you eat!

Microwave porridge? Banana? Cereal and milk?

I don't think a protein shake or single muesli bar would cut it. I think I eat about 200g muesli a day and a cereal bar is about 50g?

Out of the sis rego and any other powdered recovery drink chocolate has always been the most reliable as it tastes like a chocolate milkshake. Other flavours have varied from nice to nasty but chocolate is consistent and ok.

trouble is that the office canteen is crap, and the options if i go into town are crap (plus it is an hour round trip to get into town and buy lunch – out of town office park).

If I take a sarnie in, it is never enough, so I either go hungry and have aching legs in the afternoon, or I eat the canteen crap and feel really unhealthy (loads of salt in everything, thick gloopy sauces out of a big vat… nothing fresh used).

I feel slightly damned if I do, damned if I don't. If I eat more, it is rubbish stuff so I get fat. If I eat less, I feel knackered. Hence why I was thinking about the SIS drinks to top up what my legs need without resorting to eating the slop they serve us.

Dave

can you not buy enough food the first day of the week to make things at work for the rest of the week? surely you've a small kitchen area where you can knock something up, salads, etc. if you only make the 1 hour round trip on the monday for example, surely its worth it if it means you can eat well for the rest of the week. Or, make things at home at take them in, a tupperware as said wont take up much space and you can fill it with whatever you like.

for breakfast, you could surely get the canteen to knock up some beans on toast. thats not that bad and would fill a hole?

Meal replacement shake full of protein too

I actually think some REGO when you get there is a good idea – I've done it myself a few times and have a similar distance commute. I find they will fill you up for quite a while. Make sure you drink as soon as possible after you get in for best effect.

Downsides – it's expensive-ish.

Strawberry is fookin horrible (but easy to get as ASDA sell it). Chocolate OK.

Have fun…

REGO works well, can't hurt to give it a try and see if it helps.

A pint of skimmed milk.

If not stop off at the chippy for fish n chips.

For Goodness Shakes. You will usually find them on offer somewhere, reduced to £1, or 2 for £2, which is also £1 per bottle…

I'm a big fan of For Goodness Shakes after a big ride, but at £1.49 a shot it ain't cheap for every day. Nicer than Rego, might be cheaper if you order direct from them, and Sainsburys often do them for £1

I have a 12 mile commute, don't eat beforehand like you, but I keep a packet of muesli/bowl/spoon in my desk drawer and milk in the fridge – I'm assuming you have some sort of kitchen area? Glass of water when I arrive, 5 minutes to cool down, get changed, bowl of muesli and I'm ready to start work.

I do find that now my commute is that long I am much more hungry during the day, you may need to eat more anyway, and justbe careful what you eat. The running joke at work is that I have a 20 litre pannier and 15 litres is food. (If I cut down to 10 litres I might lose some of the gut!)

I do the exact same distance what I do is put some porridge with a scoop of protein powder in it in a Tupperware box. Either buy some milk or take some in and then Nike it in the microwave. I invested in a pendle saddlebag so as I could carry my brekkie lunch and spare underwear. Sticking the protein in has stopped me flagging a lot plus I was losing too much weight.

I was doing 20 miles each way, found it best to have a light cereal (small bowl of porridge or crunchie nut) before setting off, and a cereal bar or two when I got there.

When I was commuting more regular (20 miles each way) and sometimes running or cycling at lunchtime I was using rego in the morning. Found I was in much better shape mid week that way. Placebo? Possibly, but I found it enough to keep hunger at bay till lunch easily and I'm a greedy fecker normally!

How about eating something like pasta to carb load the night before.

Porridge, REGO and your work mate will be counting down to piñata time.

Buy a crate of Yazoo milkshakes from Costco and take a couple in a day. You'll get 3 bottles for the price of these forgoodnessshakes. Also take decent stuff like rice cakes, oat cakes, apples, bananas in with you in a rucksack or panniers. It's not rocket science. Why not get scrambled eggs in a roll instead of bacon a couple of days too, for the protein?

Chocolate milk has been shown in tests to be just as good as expensive recovery drinks. They're 50p or so at supermarkets, or you can buy big cheap bottles that'll last a few days.

Joe

How's about……
Tupperware container. Fill with museli, then soak with fruit juice. By the time you arrive at work all the juice is soaked into the museli. You just shovel it in then wash it down with canteen tea. Easy to eat, and does the job. It's what I used to do.

SB

I have protein shakes in work a lot.
You can buy big tubs, Holland and barret have a deal on big ass tubs atm £10 i think and it's a couple of KG! Which is super good value and i think really worth it. Top it off with a Musili bar and you've got a good combo.

SIS Build is really watery but really does work.
Rego is nice and you can make it quite thick like a proper milkshake.

Anyway dude i hope everything goes well and you get sorted, remember other factors like Sleep, Hydration, Stress and all that other crap does effect you too so keep that in mind.

Ellis.

I ride about 15 miles into work 2 or 3 days a week in the summer. I usually have a latte, Quaker oat bar and a banana when I get in and that keeps me going until lunchtime. Probably a couple of quid a day on food but still works out cheaper than public transport.

The oat bar things are ace, by far the most filling cereal bars (like portable porridge). Only Asda seem to sell them AFAIK. Oatcakes are a good alternative as well when I can't get the oat bars.

Rego is expensive and horrible in comparison. One thing I think makes a difference, especially in warmer weather, is using some electrolyte in the morning (usually just a Nuun tablet in a small bottle of water), rather than just plain water.

15 miles isn't really enough to worry about having a recovery shake. Eat a normal balanced diet and you'll be fine. Maybe if you were doing 40 miles each way then it might be something to worry about, but given you body has enough stores for around two hours of riding, then you have nothing to worry about unless you don't want to see your feet in five months time.

FFS – it's just 15 miles. How about just have breakfast at home, then cycle at a speed/effort level that doesn't result in you needing to barf it up?

I usually have breakfast before my 10 mile commute, but today tried just a cup of tea, then bowl of museli when I got in. Felt much better. Also take 2 or 3 frusli bars, I save two for the afternoon so got some energy for ride home. Also took pittas and homous for lunch.

FFS – it's just 15 miles.

Depends on the 15 miles, I agree that 15 flat miles wouldn't worry me much, but my 15 mile commute takes me across the Quantocks and includes some long 17% climbs, quite a different matter 😐

I keep some oats in my desk cupboard, bit of microwave gruel, or if I remember to make some then a flapjack when I get in is just the ticket as it gives you energy throughout the morning not just some sort of sugar rush (not much use when mincing about at a desk), I'm sure someone will tell you oaty stuff is "wrong" but it works for me…

I mix the Rego Banana & Vanilla and have it with part milk & water.
I think it works.

But my riding is in the evening at the end of the day / evening.

I'd go with the (cold) pasta & tuna (for example) cooked & mixed the day before & taken into work in your backpack (tupperware also required), plus the Rego; add salt to taste!

Update:

I didn't bother with any recovery products.

I now have a bowl, spoon and packet of oat cereal in my drawer, and I eat a large bowl of cereal every morning at my desk while I catch up on emails after I have showered and changed.

Hunger levels during the day are much lower, I don't feel the need to eat all the biscuits that people bring in (although i still have a few).

Legs feel much better on the ride home, the feeling that I might bonk has completely gone, and it is a nice ride home – haven't been timing it, but feels quicker.

So, I know it sounds obvious, but I have solved my hunger and nutrition problem by eating more :o)

Dave