- 1). Hydrate during your ride with water or a sports drink. A sports drink replaces minerals lost through sweat, such as sodium and potassium, that help keep the muscles in your body working properly. You'll help avoid cramping, be able to finish your ride and set yourself up for recovery.
- 2). Give yourself a cool-down period before you get off the bike. End with a low-intensity ride for 5 to 20 minutes while keeping the bike in low gear. This will get oxygen-rich blood flowing, helping to remove lactic acid from your muscles.
- 3). Get off the bike and don't exert yourself. You should practice total rest while avoiding too many stairs, heavy lifting such as moving furniture or playing recreational sports. Change quickly into dry clothes to avoid colds or other potential illness.
- 4). Get re-hydrated within 15 minutes of riding by drinking a couple of glasses of water for every pound that you lost on your hard ride. Seek out sports drinks with electrolytes, carbohydrates and protein to help speed recovery. Carbohydrates cause insulin levels in the blood to rise, and insulin helps force protein into worn muscles while also stimulating the synthesis of glycogen, your body's energy source.
- 5). Stretching is important for flexibility and conditioning, especially considering the long period of time cyclists spend in the same position on the bike. Practice static stretches (slow and gentle, without bouncing) for about 10 minutes while your muscles are still warm. As you stretch, you should feel a mild tightness in the muscle, not pain.
- 6). Eat a snack heavy in carbohydrates within 30 minutes of riding to replenish your body's glycogen stores. Sports or energy bars, such as Clif bars, are specifically designed to restore the body after a strenuous workout. It is a good idea to consume a snack that has 1 gram of protein for every 4 grams of carbs.
- 7). Take a cold shower. The cool water will bring down your core temperature, feel good and help relieve inflammation in the muscles.
- 8). Eat a full meal within 120 minutes of riding. Your body will heal faster if you eat a lean protein, such as chicken or fish, along with a complex carbohydrate, such as wheat pasta or oatmeal.
- 9). Get a massage. A professional massage is another good way to increase blood flow to your muscles and begin to break up the lactic acid that builds from heavy riding. More blood flow means more oxygen, and more oxygen means a quicker recovery.
- 10
Ice any part of your body that begins to grow sore such as your knee joints, hamstrings, calves or hip joints. Place an ice pack into a kitchen towel, and put it on the affected area. Hold the ice in place for 15 minutes, and repeat every hour for up to six hours. - 11
Get a good night's sleep. Sleeping accelerates our body's recovery, so get seven to nine hours of restful sleep.
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