Top 8 Food And Drink Actually Suits Your Cycling Recovery

After a long as well as hard ride, your body must have been extremely tired. Most cyclists tend to take a break after a long ride but ignore the significance of refuelling their body. There is no doubt that cycling places a high demand on your body, however, just have the idea of eating something after your those long or intense rides is far enough. In order to prevent you from aimlessly grabbing something, which is not only useless but also unhealthy sometimes, it is imperative for you to understand what kinds of food could better meet your need for proper recovery. General speaking, after your cycling, there are two primary things your body desperately needs, carbohydrates and protein. Here, I will try my best to give you a clear explanation on what to eat after a long ride. Here we go!

Water
Water for cycling recoveryAs we all already know, water is the foundation of our body. Therefore, after a tired worn out, drink a glass of water is necessary. And if your main purpose of cycling is to lose weight, then eating real food soon after biking is not a wise option. You will easily indulge yourself to eat more than you really need, and it is the high possibility that you will supply more calories than you actually burned during the exercise, even it is from the healthy food, you will get farther away from your goal of keeping healthy and slim. Therefore, drinking a big glass of water instead of eating food immediately is beneficial for your health and helps to hydrate yourself without cancelling out the calories out you just spent.

Sweet potato
As I have said at the first beginning, after the riding, the main two things you require to supply at once are carbohydrates and protein. Thus what you need to eat to recover must be something that is rich in these two things. In terms of this, sweet potatoes which are rich in carbohydrates are the perfect option for your recovery from the long and intense cycling. According to a recent study, it is highly recommended that you eat some sweet potatoes in the first 30 to 60 minutes after a ride. Why? Because it is the time when your body is racing to renew your glycogen stores, so you need to eat something that is high in carbs, in this case, sweet potatoes can perfectly fit you. In addition to this, sweet potatoes are also high in vitamin C and potassium, which could help you to accelerate wound healing, facilitating your body’s recovery.

Eggs
Since we have known that sweet potatoes are rich in carbohydrates, then it isEggs for cycling recovery time to find something that is rich in protein. Well, eggs have enjoyed a high reputation for the plentiful protein they constitute. Thus eggs are the great post-ride snack for every cyclist to gain enough protein. More importantly, when it comes to dietary protein, eggs are also a gold standard to us for its rich amino acids which can help to improve our digestible system. Last but not least, eggs could also reduce inflammation for its high store in choline.

Chocolate milk
According to an October 2012 article published in “Medicine in Sports Science,” research proves that chocolate milk contains an optimal 4:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio. Therefore, chocolate milk is also the perfect post-ride food option to recover. Apart from that, chocolate milk also enjoys a high reputation for its another recovery benefits, that are simple carbohydrates and simple sugars which can provide fast energy and insulin for the body. Some cyclists may say that some sports drinks can also achieve the same goal and be as beneficial as the chocolate milk to us. Indeed, many sports drinks can also help to recover from a long and exhausted cycling. However, they are usually more expensive and may contain some harmful essence to our health. Thus, in one word, a glass of chocolate milk can provide a more convenient, sometimes cheaper option to other sports recovery drink.

Smoothie for cycling recovery
A mix of three smoothies with blueberry, orange and peach on a wooden background, top view
Smoothie
Prepare a smoothie previously to have a healthy post-workout snack ready when you get back from your cycling. Smoothie is an excellent post-ride recovery alternative. It is not only healthy but also extremely convenient. For you can prepare it in advance and tailor t to fit your needs. To ensure you could gain the most protein and other nutrition you need, the source of the smoothie should be selected carefully. Blending milk, plain yoghurt and berries to a smooth consistency could be a wonderful combination. Also, a smoothie including banana, a few mango slices, fat-free yoghurt, a tablespoon of honey and a serving of your favourite whey protein powder packs a perfect protein and carbohydrate blend. Anyway, a big glass of smoothie can absolutely meet all your need for cycling recover.

Fruits and Nuts
Fruits and Nuts for cycling recoveryWhen you finish your cycling, it may be too tired for you to prepare something to eat at once for your recovery process. For this concern, fruits and nuts are comparatively easy to carry with for your immediate intake of supplement. Choose some healthy and nutritional fruits and nuts along with your ride. In general, banana is a great fruit choice because of its high potassium content, and it goes well with almond or cashew butter. As for nuts, some raw nuts like walnut will be enough.

White rice
Despite its poor taste for most western countries, it cannot be denied that white rice is rich in simple carbohydrates that can be pass on the body easier than the complicated ones in whole alternatives. Apart from this, white rice could help to build muscles for its high content of important amino acids.

Chicken breastChicken breast for cycling recovery
A plate of baked or grilled chicken could also boost the process of recovery and offer the blend of nutrients to enable cycling recovery. In addition to this, Grilled or baked chicken breast provides lean protein to assist in muscular repair to prepare you for that next ride. Therefore, chicken breast could also be a good option for you to eat after cycling to recover.

To recap

Here, our today’s topic has approached its end. It is imperative for you to understand how to choose the certain foods that could work the best for proper recovery after cycling. I really hope what I have said above could help you to better recover from your bike ride in the future. If you have any better ideas, welcome to leave your messages to us. Also, welcome to browse other related essays on our website.