10 steps to recovery
You can do many things, from massage and yoga to a good night’s sleep, to help recover
01 FORGE RESILIENCE
Building strength bulletproofs your body, according to coach and physiotherapist Nick Cutcliffe. “This comprises two key areas. Firstly, undertake strengthand-conditioning work. This should include core strength, plus work on proximal joints like the hips and shoulder.” Having strong muscles helps protect your joints. “The second part of durability is by doing long, slow efforts. These need to be easy enough to recover and repeat consistently so when you’re far into a race, you don’t break down.” This type of low-intensity training builds endurance and stamina.
02 MOBILITY IS KEY
Cutcliffe highlights the importance of mobility not only for performance but for staying injury-free. “If you want to be more aero on the bike (and to be able to hold the position) you’ll need good shoulder and spinal flexibility. These have a huge impact on performance, but if these positions are at your limits, you risk injury. Pilates, yoga and variations of these are a great way to get started, particularly if you spend a lot of time sat at a desk, in the car or both.”
03 RECOVER EASY, CYCLE STRONG
“As a physio I’d advocate therapies such as massage, compression, heat, cold and many other adjuncts,” says Cutcliffe, “but the number one best recovery for any cyclist remains sleep. Get enough of this and the body has an innate ability to recover in the best way possible.”
04 PICK YOUR CHERRIES
Cherry juice is packed with recuperative powers that are especially useful after a hard race. This is down to naturally occurring compounds called ‘phenolics’. These are super-sized antioxidants that also deliver a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. Numerous studies have shown that tart cherry juice, from Montmorency cherries, reduces muscle damage following strenuous exercise when drunk before and after training.
05 DITCH THE SCREEN BEFORE BED
Sleep is the greatest recovery tool you possess, as it’s the time when your body regenerates and repairs. Those of you who might struggle for sleep should try wearing an eye mask and/or ear plugs, set room temperature to around 17°C and ensure there’s no technological or light stimulation in the 30mins before bedtime.
06 STAND TALL, RIDE FAST
On being sat at a desk, over to Jamie Webb of Brighton Sports Therapy. “This drives bad posture for all cyclists,” he says. “That’s where a standing desk can help. I don’t think it’s the panacea that some manufacturers claim, but it can help. I’d go for a sliding, adjustable desk that you can use standing up or sitting down.”
07 KEEP ACTIVE
Active recovery is vital. In essence, after a hard training session you ride at a low intensity to increase blood flow to your limbs, increasing the speed at which you’ll feed damaged muscles with nutrients, while accelerating toxin breakdown.
08 COOL OFF POST-RIDE
There’s evidence that regular cold-water immersion can impair physical adaptation. But as a oneoff after a ride? Go for it. Why?
09 SQUEEZE OUT THE TOXINS
An ideal scenario would see you enjoy a post-ride massage. For most cyclists, that’s simply unrealistic. Instead, turn to a foam roller or pulse gun. A 15min post-race session will stimulate many of the benefits of a ‘real’ massage including: opening blood vessels to accelerate the removal of waste products and enhance the speed of oxygen delivery to the muscles; relieving muscle tension and soreness; and improving the muscles’ range of motion.
Because cold water lowers markers of inflammation and reduces swelling by decreasing blood flow to the muscles. The ideal water temperature is around 15°C and you’ll need to stay under for at least 10mins. Just be aware that if you really find cold water frightening, this form of recovery can backfire as raised stress (cortisol) levels actually impair the recovery process.
10 COMPRESS TO IMPRESS?
Compression wear is a staple of a triathlete’s wardrobe but what about cyclists? Despite evidence being equivocal, anecdotally it works wonders. This is because graduated pressure, such as a sock with greater pressure at the ankle than the calves, will accelerate the venous return of blood. That sends free radicals created during exercise back to the heart faster, which speeds up their breakdown as well as oxygenating the blood quicker. Correct fit is key to elicit the purported benefits of compression. Research has shown that femoral blood flow increases to 138% of the norm when the garment has blood pressure ratings of 18mmHg at the ankles and 8mmHg at the calves.
"If you want to be more aero on the bike you’ll need good shoulder and spinal flexibility”