[Closed] Is anything proven to help muscles heal quicker?

I have always been massively sceptical of the claims for diet. After previous arguments on here I have read up as much of the research as I can find online.

It is clear that valid and rigorous studies have been done to show that high intakes of protein can help for people under[b] extreme physical stress.[/b]

I could find nothing that suggests it can help the "weekend warrior"

Much of the claims made on nutritional supplements sites are spurious and many of the products are expensive snake oil. Recovery drinks that are mainly whey powder at highly inflated prices for example and the 4:1 carbs to protein ratio that is based on limited studies with malnourished elderly.

[i]My conclusions[/i] ( and give that the validity you think appropriate) based on a basic understanding of physiology and from reading some of the studies remains

1) for racers and others who really push their bodies then following the advice about recovery drinks and so on [i] might[/i] be of some use but careful reading of ingredients and of the research would enable you to do this by using easily available and cheap stuff - no need for the expensive "sports products"

2) for the bulk of us who ride once or twice a week for a couple of hours at a time there is little point in expensive supplements so long as you watch your hydration, electrolyte intake and diet

3) nutritional supplements companies peddle expensive snake oil with inflated claims to the gullible

Its a minefield to pick thru for sure.

SFB your trolling is nomally better than this

FYI it's not trolling as I believe what I say

If SFB wishes to persist in belligerence for belligerences sake, I suggest you all let him.

belligerence ? I call it forthrightness. I haven't offered to hit anyone.

The rest of us can have a more informed discussion thats on topic.

Ice baths I don't believe in personally.

interesting juxtaposition of science & belief 🙂
And my comments are on topic even if I'm completely wrong

Its well understood these days that immediately after hard exercise your body will look to repair itself with the most readily available materials

from what I've read, protein digestion takes place in the small intestine, so it'll be quite some while before the protein (as amino acids) gets there and into the bloodstream, and since repair will begin as soon as damage occurs doesn't that mean you should take the protein [b]before[/b] the exercise ?

Yikes, opened up a can of worms.

that's the outcome every time you discuss on here whether or not pretty much anything is or can be "proven"!

votchy:

No carbs?

Pure orange juice contains 56.7g CHO per 500mls so quite a lot of carbohydrate there then

Ahh i see, for some reason i read orange juice as orange squash.

TJ, I would agree wholeheartedly, although I would include in group 1 those who don't necessarily race or ride at a high level but ride "hard enough" and have demanding lifestyles for other reasons - work, family, demands of internet-lord-dom (latter - see SFB).

Smaller units put into digestion initially can significantly reduce gut transit time. This is the principle that glycemic index describes for the range of simple sugars/carbs. The simplest of sugars i.e gluscose can be in the blood stream in less than 20 minutes

Its the same with proteins and there's some research/hypotheses to suggest that in a metabolic sense, simple proteins can 'piggyback' onto the more readily adsorbed sugars and get into the blood stream quicker than if they were imbibed alone.

I don't accept that these sorts of simple measures are of no use to the weekend warrior - whatever that is.

Drinking a pint of milk at the end of the ride when you're back at the car is hardly a difficult thing to do, even if all it does is reduce your post exercise muscle ache severity or duration (which I find it does).

Since its so easy to do, any of you doubters could easily give it a go and see if it works for you.

If you do the kind of riding that doesn't leave you with muscle ache the day after, I don't think its going to help you very much at all, but for those you do choose to push themselves more, its got to be worth a try?

I take it you are eating enough when you are on the bike? I noticed my my recovery was quicker when I was using high five 4:1, compared with just cereal bars/bananas on a ride. If I don't eat enough on a ride, I'm usually pretty rubbish the next day. I also noticed my recovery was quicker if I'd eaten / drank well (lots) the day before a tough ride.

I use the SiS recovery drink and stretch as soon as I'm in, and then lunch/tea, depending on the time of day. Sports massage helps as well. I've tried the whey protein shakes as well (mainly after weights), but not so convinced about them.

It is worth keeping a diary and logging how you feel/what you are eating etc etc so you can spot any trends. It is worth experimenting with different foods/recovery methods to see what suits you - I've tried the ice bath stuff and it doesn't work for me (its not nice either!)

You don't say how much proper rest you get in between sessions and if this is "proper" rest - I had/have regular rest days, but what is a rest day for me, is considered by some people I know to still be very active.

My wife was constantly feeling burnt out last year, we had upped the speed of rides, time out etc. As a result we bought Anita Bean's 'Food for Fitness' and followed the menus in it. This involved eating a certain amount a certain time before a ride, something in the 'magic window' after a ride etc.

The difference it made to my wife was incredible, much more energy, shorter recovery etc. Now I will point out she is vegetarian, so I'll not deny that it may have had more to do with balancing her diet. We both believed we ate well before and the diet didn't change what we ate, but the quantities of certain things and definately when we ate them.

It doesn't advocate expensive sports drinks, instead it shows you how to make them etc. Best cook book I've ever read.

Benefits for someone exercising once or twice a week? I'm not sure. For anyone exercising three or more? Definately in this house.

but for ordinary biking it's completely unnecessary.

I wouldn't know, as I'm not in either category - given I'm a racer more than a MTBer, every ride is a training ride. I certainly find proper diet and recovery helps real performance for me (though I do still drink beer, and have been known to drink beer the night before races I've won).

I suppose it depends whether your ordinary riding involves going fast and trying to keep up with those going faster, or going slowly enough that you can ride behind women to admire their bottoms, and stopping regularly to take lots of photos.

actually I find I can do both :o)
I have a highly improper diet but am obscenely healthy!

Science officer -......... even if all it does is reduce your post exercise muscle ache severity or duration (which I find it does).

You should know if you live up to your name that that is neither rigorous nor valid 🙂

Its the same with proteins and there's some research/hypotheses to suggest that in a metabolic sense, simple proteins can 'piggyback' onto the more readily adsorbed sugars and get into the blood stream quicker than if they were imbibed alone.

can we see some evidence for this curious hypothesis ?

I have a highly improper diet but am obscenely healthy!

In that case SFB I think you are one lucky son of a...

simon - the mix of carbs / protein to speed up absorption does have a basis in fact - from real rigorous and valid studies. Its applicability to MTBing is less clear

This stuff is splattered all over the internet.

I read this stuff in a sports nutrition book and started experimenting with nutrition on-and off a few years ago.

Do a search on 'Optimum Glycogen synthesis' or similar you'll be able to answer your own questions rather than have the potential for me to spoon feed you information that you can then accuse of having bias.

simonfbarnes - Member

can we see some evidence for this curious hypothesis ?

Can we see any evidence against it from you? Why not contribute something, positive or negative, rather than continual questions?

Oh no, of course you're not a troll.

Can we see any evidence against it from you?

I have none, it's just that carbs and proteins are digested in different ways, so it sounded odd to me that one would affect the other

Why not contribute something, positive or negative

didn't I do that when I said ignore all this nutritional nonsense and eat normal food ?

simonfbarnes - Member

didn't I do that when I said ignore all this nutritional nonsense and eat normal food ?

Well you did although you didn't appreciate that that's what several people were already saying....but since then you're just doing the usual SFB thing *yawns*

He's a one trick pony really, when you think about it.
😉

although you didn't appreciate that that's what several people were already saying

what leads you to think that ? I just wasn't arguing with people who agree with me . Yet.

Is there anyone you wouldn't talk to, as long as they talked back?

as long as they talked back?

would say a can of regular coke straight after a ride be a suitable recovery drink? I had one on Sunday after a 2hr ride and felt surprisingly pukka for the rest of the day.

I had one on Sunday after a 2hr ride and felt surprisingly pukka for the rest of the day.

coincidence

acim - coke is a surprisingly good rehydration.

And for the record I often go for a beer with my mates after a ride [i]

I read not so long ago that drinking beer was the best way of rehydrating after exercise and in a separate article that a bowl of cereal with milk was the perfect meal to 'do everything'following strenous exercise.

Not sure about all the science, but personally I listen to my bodily (stomach!)cravings as nature tends to know what works!

in a separate article that a bowl of cereal with milk was the perfect meal to 'do everything'following strenous exercise.

Not perfect, but for once the over-sugared nature of breakfast cereal may have some benefits. The milk contains protein - casein.

A more effective method would be a faster absorbed protein (say, whey) and some better sugars, and none of the other gash that goes into cereal.

Actually, why do grown adults insist on eating kids food for breakfast? I just don't undertsand it.

Personally when out riding I know I need to stretch - I can feel it, in fact most of the time I can't ignore it (usually at the top of the first long climb)and when I do it re-energises me totally. I usually forget to stretch afterward though what with changing and sorting bikes (before you know it is is half an hour later and we are sat in the pub or cafe), which flippin annoys me because that after-ride stretch helps recvery so much more!!

I eat quite alot during rides so am not usually hungry immediately afterwards.........Guinness usually does the trick!