00:00 We've all been there. We get back from a long hard ride and we just want to stuff our face with junk
00:04 food and take an earned rest on the sofa. It may not be the best idea for not only your recovery
00:09 that day but also for your injury niggles further down the line. With all that in mind,
00:14 here's our top tips for all the things you should do immediately after your ride.
00:18 You're back from your ride and the first thing you'll probably do is head straight for your
00:33 fridge looking for chocolate, cake, toast, it doesn't matter, whatever it is you're probably
00:39 going to want to eat it. If you can get ahead of your nutritional strategy before you even leave
00:42 the house that can be key to your recovery. Therefore getting ahead of your post-ride
00:47 routine before you even head out can be key. Preparing a protein recovery shake or a protein
00:53 bar that you can eat immediately after your ride will mean you avoid any other less nutritious
00:58 alternatives. Lastly you may have initially topped up your recovery stores with a protein shake
01:04 and fluids when you got back from your ride but it's also key to have a balanced meal within a
01:09 few hours of your ride to complete that recovery process. You should look to consume a meal which
01:14 is lean in protein such as eggs, chicken or tofu alongside complex carbohydrates such as rice or
01:20 pasta and fats such as avocado. Depending on the type of session you have ridden, after a hard
01:26 ride a cyclist should look to consume one gram of carbohydrate for every kilogram of body weight
01:32 along with 20 to 30 grams of protein in their recovery meal.
01:35 [Music]
01:37 Now our next tip is even more crucial in the warmer summer months as keeping on top of your
01:49 hydration levels is key after every long ride. One way to understand how much water you have
01:55 lost through sweat is to weigh yourself before and after your ride. Studies have shown that even low
02:00 fluid losses can significantly affect your ability to ride. A two percent drop in body weight due to
02:05 sweating for an 80 kilogram rider this would be 1.6 kilograms will impair performance noticeably.
02:11 Therefore replacing water and lost salts with an electrolyte drink after your ride will mean
02:16 your body can begin recovering sufficiently and maintain other normal bodily functions.
02:21 You can also tell how dehydrated you are through the color of your urine. If it's running dark it
02:26 means you need to drink more water whereas if it's running quite clear it means your hydration levels
02:31 are back to normal.
02:32 You've begun your refueling and rehydration process and you've out the shower all clean but
02:43 there's one thing that you should do which will really tip the scales in your favor when it comes
02:48 to your recovery and that is a good cool down. This can be done in a few different ways you can
02:53 either foam roller or we just carry out a few basic stretches after each ride and here are
02:58 Cycling Weekly's top four stretches you should do after every ride. Lying down bend your upper leg
03:04 so that your foot is up towards your glute. Use the same hand on that side to pull the leg at the
03:09 ankle closer and you should feel a stretch across the front of the quad. Hold for 30 seconds on each
03:15 leg rolling over in between. Take a big step forward with your right leg keeping the knee
03:25 directly above the ankle. The knee of the left leg should be resting on the floor. Put your hands on
03:31 the ground either side of your foot a bit like a sprinter in the starting blocks. Hold for 30
03:36 seconds on each leg return to the start position before repeating on the other side.
03:44 Sit on the floor with both your legs outstretched. Extend your arms by reaching forward and bending
03:49 at the waist as far as you can whilst keeping your knees straight and your back straight. Be
03:54 sure to stretch until you feel a gentle pull in your hamstrings. If you feel any pain you
03:59 should stop the exercise. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat.
04:08 Lie on your back and slightly bend one leg. Raise your other foot up onto your bent leg and rest it
04:14 on your thigh. Then stretch forward threading your arm through your legs to hold on to the back of
04:18 your knee and pull it towards you. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and then swap to the other
04:24 leg and repeat. Those are our top tips what you should do after every ride. Do let us know in the
04:31 comment section below what advice you'd give to your fellow cyclists. If you've liked our video
04:36 give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe to the Cycling Weekly channel.
04:40 Until next time though, we'll see you then.
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