Simple recovery tips for ultra-endurance cyclists

Ultra-endurance cyclists love to train. I know this because I live with one. There’s only one weather forecast and that’s rideable or non-rideable.

If you’re reading this, you know exactly what I mean!

To train hard you need to recover hard too, and that’s where many ultra-cyclists fall down or more accurately get sick, injured or a combination of both, often lumped under the broad umbrella of overtraining.

I’d like you to replace the word overtraining with under-recovering, because maybe then your recovery and nutrition would get as much focus as your training.

Recovery, nutrition and ultra-cycling – it takes more!

Recovery is the time it takes for your body and mind to return to a state of readiness for your next training session.

When it comes to the particular stresses of ultra-distance more systems need to recover – muscular, neural, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, and in some cases the digestive system.

The processes that return these systems to a state of readiness post training stimulus are partially driven by nutrition. They’ll return stronger, more resilient, and capable if you get your nutrition right.

How will I know if I’m recovered?

Most ultra-cyclists use a combination of subjective feel and objective data when measuring their state of recovery.

Muscle soreness, fatigue, and heavy legs all count when you’re making an assessment.

So do fluctuations in resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and body weight.

A tip – look for patterns. It’s not so much about a single number, it’s whether that number is increased or decreased in the only sample size that matters –  you.

You need to know yourself, so start using a simple tool to track your heart rate and heart rate variability.

If your resting heart rate rises and stays elevated by roughly five beats per minute then recovery is inhibited. Likewise, if your heart rate variability is decreased, recovery is usually lacking.

Be careful of the meaning you ascribe to the data though, always take into account training context (where you are in a training block) and subjective feel. The best athletes do this extremely well.

In ultra-cycling recovery starts before training

Recovery has its origins in the quality and quantity of your pre-fuel and your ride-fuel.

You’ll fuel differently depending on the intensity or volume of your session, however the bottom line remains; a poorly fuelled session will require more recovery and delay positive adaptations.

I bet you invest in an ultra-endurance cycling coach, it also makes sense to talk to a nutritionist with a specialty in endurance cycling nutrition. Your training and your ability to recover will thank you for it.

Do these four things well, and you’re well on your way

An ultra-cyclist cannot afford to step over recovery basics. Distance will always find out if you’ve taken a shortcut and exploit it.

1. Sleep – seems obvious but it’s underrated as a recovery tool. Ultra-endurance cyclists need more sleep than general population (except when you race, naturally!) so do your best! Short 30-min naps work wonders to enhance recovery time in a sleep-deprived athlete.
2. Nutrition – we’ve talked about pre-fuel and fuel levels. Recovery nutrition is just as important, and it varies depending on the goal of the session and gender. The next section will talk more about this.
3. Hydration – if you finish your session dehydrated then it’s critical that you rehydrate quickly. Rehydrating pumps up your blood volume. Remember, your blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and organs.
4. Downtime – training is a calculated stress designed to encourage a specific adaptation. To apply stress the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and the corresponding hormones, cortisol are employed. Recovery depends on the para-sympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), which means you need to find a way to unwind and destress especially if you just did a mega interval session. I’m not saying that’s easy. Many of you come home from a big ride and jump into family or work commitments.

Recovery nutrition  – tips for ultra-endurance cyclists

For the beginning ultra-endurance cyclist I often start with an easy to remember protocol – 30:30:30

Thirty grams of carbohydrate, thirty grams of protein, inside 30 mins of finishing training.

Once we’ve got a recovery habit going, it’s time to refine.

Carbohydrate – the short window

Your biggest priority, whether your session was focused on distance or intensity, is replenishing glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate in your muscles.

Your body is primed to do this as soon as you finish your session.

I like to see a minimum of 1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight in the first hour, if not the second as well. This can be a mix of  both simple or complex carbohydrates – think chocolate milk, banana, nut butter on toast, cereal and milk, greek yogurt and granola and so forth. The list of foods is extensive and dependant on your preferences and tolerances. Your nutritionist should supply you with multiple options.

All carbohydrate will be broken down into glucose and shunted into your muscles to replenish those glycogen stores. This happens quickly.

Women have a shorter recovery window than men. So ladies, step off your bike and get some carbohydrate in. Women also rely more heavily on circulating blood glucose when training, so a focus on pre-fuel and fuel is paramount.

Protein – the power of daily totals

Protein is important but it’s more important as a daily total versus right after your session. If you’re choosing some of the above foods, your protein needs, immediately post-training, will be met.

Remember, the body’s primed for glycogen replenishment first.

All ultra-endurance cyclists should be aiming for 1.6 – 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Muscular recovery happens over longer periods of 12-24-48 hours so it’s more important to hit your protein requirements consistently every single day.

Many of you train in the evening, which means you are still in muscular recovery the following morning. Front-loading your day with protein will support the never-ending cycle of recovery and performance.

Again, talk to your nutritionist about morning protein options.

Hydration – an ultra-cyclist’s challenge

The simple act of weighing yourself before and after your training session will give a rough measure on how dehydrated you are. Body weight fluctuations, in context, can be meaningful.

If you lose between 2-4% of your total body weight your blood volume is decreased.

Rehydrating will pump up your blood volume again, allowing your blood to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and organs so that recovery can begin.

One of the reasons I like a carbohydrate based drink, like chocolate milk, immediately post training is that it also comes with 500ml of fluid!

Water is not the best hydrating fluid. Fluid with a little salt and a glucose is though, so think about a simple electrolyte product or add a pinch of salt to a fruit cordial or juice. Simple works.

An ultra-endurance nutritionist once said…

I see ultra-cyclists with a training but no recovery plan.

I see ultra-cyclists hung up on delivering specific heart rates and power outputs with inadequate fuel.

I see ultra-cyclists get sick, fatigued and injured but they don’t address nutritional gaps.

That ultra-endurance nutritionist was me and I’m on a mission to change all of the above.

I want you to deliver your best ultra-endurance performance, and I want you to recover from it.