To get faster and fitter, you need to take your post-ride routine as seriously as your riding. We spoke to Jonathan Leeder, now at the English Institute of Sport and formerly the lead physiologist at British Cycling, about the basics of recovery.
1. Warm down
Try to leave time for 10 minutes of easy spinning at the end of a tough session or race as a warm down. “Light pedalling will help your body process any lactic acid that has built up in the muscles,” says Leeder.
Pedal a small gear in the 80-90rpm range and give your heart rate and breathing a chance to slow down. A more gradual slowdown and a few minutes of light stretching will help avoid delayed onset muscle soreness.
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2. Refuel
David Millar, a British former professional road racer, told us he swears by downing a 1.5-litre bottle of fizzy soda as soon as he gets off the bike after a stage. But Leeder cautions against drinking too much in one go.
“There’s a window of refuelling opportunity in the first 30 minutes or so after the end of a ride or race, during which you should definitely consume a high-sugar recovery drink or bar," he says.
"But regular sips over those 30 minutes is better — filling up too quickly with fluids is likely to trigger the need to go to the toilet." Ideally, take a 4:1 carbohydrate and protein drink because this can nearly double your body’s insulin response, which is essential for restocking glycogen.
3. Rehydrate
4. Consider compression
5. Get quality sleep
6. Structure your training sessions
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