[Closed] Recovery Drinks.

After a big ride, I find if I don't replace the carbs expended, the next day I wake up feeling like I haven't slept. I also notice that if i eat more protein then i dont feel as achy next day.

drink milk

upgrade milk with...
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or

[img] http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQbsUMdT9oR4jBqboHLv5Lc_OzRX-24kBN9c_qKkCt48xhHSpR-Dg [/img]

Torq. Maybe it's the science, maybe something else, but it works really really well. Better than other recovery drinks. Although sodding expensive.

Try it, you hav enothing to loose. Except £15 or so.. and don't get the Chocolate Orange one.

I suspect it's probably more effective for shorter harder rides than longer steadier ones.

this stuff's quite tasty...

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there's even a sponsored triathlon team, so it must be good!

I do find I feel less achey the next day if I have a recovery drink or bar. Also stops me eating lots of garbage as well. Cheaper "normal" milkshakes seem to help but to a lesser degree.

It could be the placebo effect, I might be tbe gullible fool every advertising man dreams of, but if I feel fresher tbe day after a proper big ride for tbe sake of £2-3, I can live with that.

Milk (with added fruit, whey, flavouring etc to your liking) is a thrifty yet tasty alternative.

I was having a look at a bottle of that "for goodness shakes" stuff the other day. It tastes pretty good but is £2 for 500ml. Milk is 49p for 500ml, and with a dash of whey powder (cost £0.20) has the same carb / protein / fat breakdown.

Torq have changed the choccy orange now.
My protein do good basic powders, I've been using SIS for a while now if you sign up to their emails they have regular offers.

Yazoo- cheap and comes in convenient, various sized bottles.

Frijj in the winter if I'm somewhere I can microwave it (but it keeps on exploding in the mug so that's a bit technically challenging)

Chocolate milk is pretty much the defacto "best", plenty of evidence if you google it.

Erdinger/wheat beer ^^ is a suprisingly isotonic choice also, google "polyphenoles" to find out about the extra immune system boost it also gives.

THE best* recovery drink, bar none -

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* Tastiest, anyway.

Can't stand milk (or milk based drinks).

I just get whatever fluid down my neck ASAP usually either water, tea or a 50/50 mix of supermarket orange juice and water. Food wise it's anything that's in the fridge/cupboards and isn't high in sugar.

> Chocolate milk is pretty much the defacto "best", plenty of evidence
> if you google it.

It is not even close to best. However, it is perfectly adequate in most cases.
Real food works nicely too but it is bit rare occurrence to have a nice balanced meal served within 40 minutes of ending hard workout.

Milk is 49p for 500ml, and with a dash of whey powder (cost £0.20) has the same carb / protein / fat breakdown.

You need to drink about 3 pints though to get the same amounts as reco drink - or something silly like that.

Real food - generally not high enough GI. You need high GI after exercise, then your real food a couple of hours later.

As usual there a couple of believers giving advice. You have to wonder why.
The twenty minute thing is total bunk, chocolate milk is ideal, nothing beats a proper diet. No hyped product is anywhere near the effectiveness of a good nutrition plan and some decent sleep.
And just to be clear, your body will have no need for too much protein/anything else nor will it thank you for too little. Middle of the road is where your body drives.

Middle of the road is where your body drives.

Personal favourite is two slices of brown toast, one with beans one with poached egg and some salt and pepper, quality carbs and protein and cheap as chips (or eggs and beans)

Quite like For Goodness Shakes they seem to surpress my appetite and stop me raiding the fridge after a ride

Doesn't go too well with Chateauneuf-du-Pape though

I've got some stuff from myprotein, just bought the bulk powders and DIY'd it as it was cheaper and meant I didn't have to stick with one flavour for a week.

Whey
D-ribose
HMB
L-glutamine
creatine

google for 'dosage', used to have them on the torque site.
made up with milk

Add fruit and blend if you want carbs with it.

On the plus side it tastes like friji (which I like), has far more good stuff in it, and far less sugar (unless you want it), and works out fairly cheap (milks by far the most expensive component). It's good for quelling my appetite post ride (or more often these days, sail). And seems to stop me feeling completely dead during any exercises the next day. I have yet to turn into a mensheath cover model though 🙁

Pondo I nicked it from here...:
http://www.thegreatcourses.co.uk/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=1950

Available on audible and would probably save a lot of people on here some money. Unless they've already discovered the way of the bean....

Molgrips, got any evidence to back this up? Any at all.....?

You need to drink about 3 pints though to get the same amounts as reco drink - or something silly like that.

This just isn't true.

For example:

A 500ml bottle of For goodness shakes recovery has:

267kcal
16.4g of protein
49.4g of carbs
1.4g of fat

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=279845523

Bog standard skimnmed milk (~500ml):

175kcal
17g of protein
25g carb
0.5g fat

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=252208041

So, by adding 25g of carb (maybe some choco milk powder anyone?) you could make the skimmed milk virtually identical in major component composition.

I'm not against recovery drinks, I often use the powdered ones at events because they're convenient - the same reason I'll buy bottled water even though tap water is fine. Just worth keeping in mind that you're paying a big premium for it.

didgerman - Member
As usual there a couple of believers giving advice. You have to wonder why.
The twenty minute thing is total bunk, chocolate milk is ideal, nothing beats a proper diet. No hyped product is anywhere near the effectiveness of a good nutrition plan and some decent sleep.
And just to be clear, your body will have no need for too much protein/anything else nor will it thank you for too little

I've read reports finding that protein after exercise helps your immune system.

And while your advice is generally sensible, our bodies haven't evolved to do 2+ ours of high power exercise, so those doing that are likely to benefit from specific foods IMO.

I think some of these bought shakes have thickening agents in them that make seem more substantial than they actual are. For instance, that forgoodness shakes and friji have carrageenan added as a thickening agent. I guess that's where the impression that they're about 875%* more substantial and effective than milk (of which they are made) comes from.

*I have no evidence to support this

I'm just curious to how many other books Didgerman has read, as there is usually conflicting advice and views on nutritional issues especially tied to sports. You only have to look at compression socks some can't speak highly enough for them, others think they are a waste of time.

Personally use High5 Recovery drink, combined with the bar as well, it's more than enough to fill me up.

So, by adding 25g of carb (maybe some choco milk powder anyone?) you could make the skimmed milk virtually identical in major component composition.

True, but most recovery drinks have more in them than just milk and sugar. BCAA's, vitamins/minerals, other sugars, for example D-ribose is depeleated during exercise and is what the body uses to re-cycle ATP. So as you run out you're ability to actualy use energy from any source drops. The body can happily make it's own d-ribose from glucose, but it takes about 2 days to recover, or you could just have a drink with a few grames in it and be ready to go again after a good nights sleep.

tin of tuna, raw egg, 300ml veggie juice, dash of tabasco - blend and drink, meal in a glass 🙂

I wasn't comparing milk with For Goodness Shakes, I was comparing it with Torq Recovery. The recommended carb intake for recovery is 1-1.2g of carbs per kg of body weight immediately after exercise. So for me at 85kg (plus some surplus fat!) that'd mean about 125g of the powder or about 4 or 5 scoops, can't remember how big the scoops are. This contains 84g carbs and 27g protein so very roughly the right ratio.

To get that much carbohydrate from milk, at 4.8g/100ml you'd have to drink almost two litres. If you go by the protein content you'd have to drink just under a litre and put the extra 40g or so of carbs in it. That'd be 8 tsps of sugar, so you'd be better off using maltodextrin.

But also, milk is low GI and you actually want HIGH GI after exercise. Although milk is also highly insulnaemic so that might be enough. Or might not, I dunno.

In summary then milk does contain protein and carbs but may not be the ideal recovery drink. In my personal experience of subjectively but rigorously testing these things, if you can't afford Torq then simple carbs work the next best, such as a can of Coke.

Anything carby works much better than nothing. But Torq reco is a bit better. It's up to you if you think it's worth the £££ 🙂 You will be able to run, ride, swim, whatever perfectly well whatever you drink.

From Arthur Lydiard: Finally, when asked about recovery from long runs, Lydiard responded matter-of-factly "We never had any of those sports drinks or go. After a long run, we had a beer."

For me, it's just milk, sometimes, over a litre, other times beer

Maybe that's why people ran slower in those days 🙂

Could be partly. Anyway, we are not Olympians! Whenever you see Rob Jebb or other top fell runners after a race, they are having a pint!

Doesn't matter. No matter who you are, if you want to recover a bit quicker, it can help to take recovery drink. That's all there is to it. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it, but the facts are there.

after a race, they are having a pint!

Just have a pint of something.

Completely up to you what it is though!

It would seem the consensus is its a good idea for a recovery drink then (people are debating the merits of which one rather than to do it or not).

Bit disappointed I don't feel any different then, maybe I was expecting too much and it will be tomorrow I'll feel like running up stairs / jumping on the bike for another all dayer.

Bit disappointed I don't feel any different then

I'm coming up with a theory about cycling. Given how people's physiologies vary I suspect that when we ride we use energy differently, even if we go on the same ride.

So it may be that some people use up lots of muscle glycogen when hammering up and down hills, and others use mostly fat when they are keeping it steady for long distances. The former category probably benefit from stuff like energy and recovery drink more than the latter.

I have a milk shake (banana) and a Lucozade (sports drink) once I get the Muckoff on the bike and are waiting for the 5 mins they recommend for cleaning.

Certainly helps with lack of aces the next day

So molgrips, that would be a no then. When asked for evidence you've come up with what you say is recommended, and a theory you're developing, which is in fact already mainstream. Keep in mind Mr Grips, the idea of a fast recovery being beneficial is far from settled.
Benji, an absolute shit load. And no, there never has been a serious debate about compression socks, no more than unicorns....

I don't think the idea is you feel 'better' the next day, the muscles are still all torn and healing, youre just speeding that process up and replenishing the energy, so you can go ride again. A recovery drink then not going for a ride till next weekend probably isn't so usefull.

Stolen from Farcebook

Stop what you are doing broheim, I have just re-invented the wheel (protein shake);

Get your self some of that strawberry mass gainer all the kids are talking about, peel back the delicious foil lid (sealed for your safety) and breathe all that sweet sweet protein in the air in. It will try to escape ... not on my ****ing watch. Next you will need some frozen mixed berries (raspberry, blackcurrant ... all the good shit). Now get a blender and put those delicious son of a bitch berries in there, add some water (or milk if you think you could beat chuck norris in an arm wrestling comp). Don't skimp on the water, Hydrogen is used in bombs and Oxygen rusts and eventually destroys metal, like tanks and guns and shit. That sound like shit you want in you? ****ing A right, it is.
Next slam that blender up to the slowest setting, you need to seduce the protein shake. No going in dry here. Just when the berries are pummelled into almost nothing pull out your ace in the hole MUDDAFUGGIN full speed. The protein will be smashing into the berries like a drunk nascar racer, it will be all "What the shit is this? I thought we were on full speed already?" this protein confusion will help with muscle confusion and ultimately lead to moar gains.
Finally pour that delicious shit into a glass and just take a second to admire it (Instagram is also recommended ?#?repsforjesus? ?#?hewhomakesabeastofhimself? ?#?getswolegethole?), then when you have had enough time to admire your creation smash that shit down.

To recap you will have delicious protein, mixed with tank killing, H-bombing insanity, that is dizzy from the shirt tearing speeds it was made at. Your body won't know what hit it

Didgerman, I didn't even notice your posts earlier. I'm not pretending to be an expert of course, I have only read a bit, been coached a bit, and done a lot of training sessions. And tried various things, most of which did nothing of course.

However, scrolling back:

As usual there a couple of believers giving advice. You have to wonder why.

Why? Cos I've tried it, and found some benefit. Was that wrong? Is it not possible? I know that some people are very gullible and will say something is good if they've paid for it, but other pepole are also quite analytical and dare I say, sceptical.

The twenty minute thing is total bunk

I'd like to see some evidence for that, if you have any?

nothing beats a proper diet

No-one's saying otherwise, of course. However, timing and GI of food intake seems to be significant.

a theory you're developing, which is in fact already mainstream

Good, that means I'm on the right track then? 🙂

the idea of a fast recovery being beneficial is far from settled

Oh? That is interesting, do you have any more info?

Molgrip you gave some pretty specific advice, maybe start by declaring yourself as a fellow bodger first?
I quite liked this blog....:
http://evidencemag.com/recovery-window/
Not an authority by any means, but is well referenced.
The amount of fluff that gets talked about with regard to 'improving recovery' is huge. A whole industry churning out things like compression socks /titter to improve recovery, ice baths, protein shakes, antioxidants in diet, it's never ending. However, there's little science behind the idea that speeding recovery is beneficial. This is when gains take place, and shortening that time isn't necessarily going to make you fitter.

Molgrip you gave some pretty specific advice,

Just what I've read in lots of places over the years. It may be about to be overturned by modern research, I have no idea 🙂

Reading that link then..

However, as we’ve already covered, it’s usually not necessary for most endurance athletes to maximize glycogen storage after workouts.

Hmm.. 'most endurance athletes' encompasses a pretty wide range of people and activities. Personally, as an MTBer with a tendency to fuel with glycogen rather than fat, I definitely feel better after eating specifically for recovery. This could mean recovery drink, or emphasising simple carbs through normal food.

I've noticed that for me, when trying to do the iDave diet I often stay feeling tired and stiff after a big ride until I do eat lots of simple carbs (ie the re-feed day) which might be most of the week. It can take a couple of days of eating lots of carbs.

Part of the issue is that I also need to lose some fat. So trying to balance recovery with fat loss is quite difficult for me. I either eat plenty of carbs, recover well, ride well and stay the same weight; or I diet, ride worse, recover worse but lose some weight. I know this is how I respond, from experience - but it doesn't seem to be the case for everyone.

Also, the question of what you end up eating after a big ride is perhaps significant. Many people on STW talk about the post-ride munchies, and wanting to eat lots of crap. Recovery drink really seems to help me avoid this.

Pointless asking on here, just google for previous threads if you need to know why (e.g. [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-protein-shakes-do-you-use ]this[/url])

I eat properly before, during and after no need for these overpriced "recovery drinks"

people are sucked in by so called scientific babble.