Rest and rebuild

What you do after a ride can be as important as what you do during it. Here are ten steps to maximising your post-ride recovery

1 WARM DOWN

When: Before you get off the bike.

What: Once you’ve finished your training session, spin easily for five to ten minutes. ‘Most people do similar rides on regular routes, so have a point at which you start once you’ve warmed up and stop to warm down,’ says coach Will Newton. ‘Stop the clock here if you’re obsessed with your speed.’

Why: ‘Ten minutes easy spinning will break down the metabolites – waste products in the blood – that result from exercise,’ says Newton. ‘Muscle damage and fuel use both create waste products, and easy spinning will flush those metabolites out of the muscles.’

3 CLEAN YOUR BIKE

When: After any stretching but before you go inside. What: ‘Give your bike a spray with water and bike cleaner, lube the chain and leave it to drip dry,’ says Newton.

Why: ‘This isn’t part of the physical recovery process but it’s important

2 STRETCH

When: As soon as you get off the bike, but with a caveat.

What: Does anything hurt?

Focus on that area first.

Why: ‘I’d save the bulk of your stretching for later, but if you have a muscle that’s always particularly tight when you get off the bike it makes sense to do something about it straight away,’ says Newton. ‘If you’re hobbling it might be that your glutes are tight and affecting your lower back, so you’re not going to do any harm by stretching those muscles out straight away.’ and it has a psychological benefit,’ says Newton. ‘People who don’t clean their bike, which is most people, then wonder why they have to spend a fortune getting it fixed. Think about what you can spend that money on, whether it’s kit, a cycling holiday or a sports massage.’

4 HAVE A DRINK

When: As soon as you get inside.

What: ‘People argue over coffee or tea being a diuretic but your body isn’t stupid enough to dump fluid if it’s dehydrated,’ says Newton. ‘Or water is fine if it’s hot and you want to cool down.’

Why: ‘There’s a psychological benefit to having a hot drink when you’re cold or a cold drink when you’re hot, but most importantly there’s a hydration benefit. Your body will take fluid from wherever it can when you exercise, and that fluid needs replacing so drink until you’re not thirsty.’

5 GET SOME NUTRITION

When: Straight after a drink, but watch those shakes… What: ‘ If you’re really not going to be able to eat any time soon then a recovery shake might be better than nothing, but I’d go for a homemade smoothie. Fruit is still full of sugar, but at least you’re taking on the fibre and micronutrients from real food,’ says Newton.

Why: ‘I’m not a fan of nutrition shakes for most people. If you’ve been on the bike for four or five hours you’re probably hungry, and you won’t get anything from a shake that you wouldn’t get by waiting to eat a proper meal. Recovery shakes are artificially processed and often full of sugar.’

6 HAVE A SHOWER

When: Once you’re refreshed but before you dry out.

What: ‘It’s the same as your drink – have a hot shower or bath on a cold day or a lukewarm shower on a hot day,’ says Newton. ‘There’s something good psychologically about having water on your body.’

Why: ‘Even hot water is cooler than your body temperature so will draw heat away from any inflammation, so sit in a warm bath if you want to relax. You don’t need to have an ice bath. There was a fad for ice baths that came from rugby, but I used to work in rugby and I’d say you’d be better off in a swimming pool at 20°C.’

7 EAT REAL FOOD

When: As soon as you’re dry and dressed. What: ‘You want something with a good mix of protein, fats and complex carbohydrates, and something you enjoy,’ says Newton.

Why: ‘There’s nothing better than a steak – rare to medium rare so you don’t frazzle the nutrients – with some rice or potatoes and veg, but what you have is entirely down to personal taste and time. A good mix of nutrients will help to start the recovery process and refuel you, and if you’re short on time you can prepare something the night before or on the morning of your ride.’

8 STRETCH (again)

When: Once you’re warm and fed.

What: ‘Everyone’s different but there are some muscles that take a lot of stress on the bike and are always worth focussing on: quads, glutes, hip flexors, deep hip flexors and the quadratus lumborum, which connects your rib cage to the pelvis,’ says Newton.

Why: ‘ Your quads and hip flexors in particular are likely to need stretching because you’re sat in a position where they’re shortened, and this is the reason why so many cyclists – especially pros – can’t stand upright and walk like a duck. Beyond that there might be areas specific to you that cause pain or discomfort, so stay on top of those as well.’

9 FOAM ROLLING

When: This will depend a little on your physiological response to foam rolling, but it could be later the same day or the following day.

What: Using a foam roller can help to ease sore spots that result from long periods in a fixed riding position.

Why: ‘Foam rolling too soon after a ride can be painful. What’s most important is that you spare the time to do it regularly – I find the perfect time is in front of the television,’ says Newton. ‘Mobility work can seem like a chore but it isn’t so difficult to find the time if you do it instead of slumping on the sofa.’

10 DATA ANALYSIS

When: Once you’re fully recovered. What: Download and analyse your ride data.

Why: ‘This is good for motivation and goal-setting,’ says Newton. ‘Look at the key parts of your ride: how you rode a certain hill – did you start like a monster and finish it in pieces? – or how you performed in a number of intervals. This can help set short and long-term targets.

‘Just be wary of focussing on average speed. Most rides should be zone 2 efforts with specific places where you do work such as hill climbs, intervals or sprints. Set targets around those, rather than simply trying to go faster. ’

Got that? Now you can rest.