Once you start riding the bike 3+ times a week, and going on serious rides (90 mins or more), it starts becoming tough to sustain because nutrition starts to play an even bigger part. Your muscles ache, you feel tired the next day- you lose motivation and end up riding less.
This only means one thing:
You need to be looking at your recovery post cycling seriously. That’s why today, I’m going to be delving into 4 of my favourite cycling recovery drink recipes.
They are easy to make, hardly take any time, and will help you improve your cycling performance.
Towards the end of the post, I will also talk a bit about energy gels and how you can use them to complement the recovery drinks. Without further ado- here are my recommended recipes:
Cycling Recovery Drink Recipe #1 : Watermelon Smoothie
You’ll need:
- 1 cup watermelon chunks
- 250 mL low-fat milk (substitute this with oat/almond milk if you’re vegan)
- 1-1.5 scoops vanilla flavor whey protein (substitute this with plan based protein if you’re vegan)
- 2-3 ice cubes
Put it all together in a blender and mix it all up to create an extremely tasty smoothie. The watermelon is extremely refreshing- it has a lot of water stored inside and provides a very nice, mild flavor to the drink.
Also, I’ve recommended you use a vanilla flavored whey/plant based protein. That’s because I’ve noticed the other flavored versions don’t offer a lot of flexibility in terms of smoothie options, and a lot of people tend to not like the flavorings. Vanilla is a neutral flavor and combines well with any combination of fruits or berries that you might be using.
Variations of this recipe: Use Mango or Banana as the fruit instead. The Banana smoothies tend to be a bit thick in consistency and Mango smoothies even thicker- so I’d suggest using no more than 1 scoop of protein powder, as it tends to thicken the drink.
Cycling Recovery Drink Recipe # 2: Coconut Water
This is a cyclist favorite for recovery, especially in my area (New Delhi), where there are tons of street vendors that offer it.
A glass, i.e: around 250 mL of coconut water will be approx 60 Kcal, have around 3.5 g Protein, 11 g Carbs, 0.3 g fats and 2.8 g Fibre.
The biggest thing is that after a long, intense ride, coconut water will help restore the electrolyte balance in your body. That’s why SO many people in tropical areas have it almost daily because they keep sweating all the time.
Variations of this recipe: You can combine a glass of coconut water (250 mL) with 1 scoop of protein powder. Simply mix and drink- it tastes AMAZING! Again, for the best taste- use vanilla flavored protein powder.
Cycling Recovery Drink Recipe #3: Sugar Water
There was a small study done on 14 experienced cyclists a few years ago, which found that simply having sugar water instead of pricey sports drinks, helped them ride much easier.
To make sugar water- simply add 4-5 tbsp of sugar to your bottle of water, mix it up and take it with you on your ride/have it once you’re back.
Variations of this recipe: Did you know you can infuse the flavor of any fruit into water? For instance, you can try a very tasty lemon infused sugar water variation. Cut a lemon in half and put it into a filled bottle of water overnight. The next day, you’ll have lemon infused water! Just mix 4-5 tbsp of sugar and 1/2 tbsp salt (helps with electrolyte re-balancing) and you’ll have a nice drink for the ride OR can use this as a recovery drink as well.
Instead of using plain water, you could also use coconut water to make sugar water. That’ll be even better to help restore your electrolyte balance post your ride.
Also- you can swap out/reduce the sugar concentration in water and use honey instead- a great natural alternative. Even for the table salt- consider using Himalayan Pink Salt instead for a different taste.
Cycling Recovery Drink Recipe # 4: Vegan Smoothie
Here’s a cool vegan recipe I found on trainingpeaks.com :
Peel a banana and put it in the freezer for a few hours. Take a cup of soy milk (unsweetened) and add half a cup of coffee and 1/4th cup dry oats, 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds and 1-2 tsp cinnamon.
Mix it all up for the initial blend, then add the frozen banana for the final blend (this gives just the right, frothy texture to the smoothie).
And voila! You’ve got yourself a tasty vegan recovery drink!
Variation of this recipe: I’d probably swap the coffee for some berries (blueberry or raspberry), and add some mint to make the smoothie taste even more refreshing!
Do You Need Energy Gels For Cycling?
Most amateur cyclists do not need to have an energy gel if they are carrying a sports drink with them. However, for long rides (3+ hrs), carrying at least 1 gel is highly recommended.
Now, I must point out that energy gels are a popular choice of fuel for cyclists, but have a completely different function to that of recovery drinks.
While recovery drinks help you restore nutrition to your body after a race, energy gels are aimed at boosting your performance during a ride- typically on rides longer than 90 minutes.
Energy gels are loaded with carbohydrates and the main aim is to give you a quick energy boost. These are easy to ingest and will have a quick action in your body.
The energy gels come in two types- isotonic and non-isotonic.
Non-isotonic energy gels basically need to be ingested with water so that they mix properly inside your system and are able to diffuse throughout your body effectively. Basically, while on the ride, you will quickly gulp down the gel and take a few swigs of water.
Other riders prefer isotonic gels- these are already mixed with the right quantity of water and can be consumed directly.
The main difference is that isotonic gels offer less energy- so you might consume a bit more. Non-isotonic gels are more concentrated and hence, you’ll likely have to consume lesser.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do energy gels take to have an effect?
Generally, energy gels take about 15 minutes to have an effect. There may be slight variations, however based on your gender, height, weight, body type and other factors that affect metabolism.
Should I drink a protein shake after a bike ride?
In most cases, drinking a simple water based drink or an easy to digest smoothie will be the best thing to drink after a bike ride- because it helps rehydrate the body quickly. For those used to it, having around 20 g of protein in the recovery drink should be the target.
How much recovery drink should you consume after a ride?
Having around 500-600 mL of recovery drink immediately post a ride is a good start. One should generally aim to recover the total amount of fluids lost on a ride over the course of 3-4 hours post a ride. Additionally, eating fluid heavy foods, soups, etc should also be considered.
What nutrition should a recovery drink contain?
For most people, recovery drinks should contain protein and carbohydrates, along with some electrolytes. Aim for 20 g of protein and 20-50 g carbohydrates per recovery drink.