00:00We've all been there. We get back from a long, hard ride and we just want to stuff our face with
00:04junk food and take an earned rest on the sofa, but it may not be the best idea for not only
00:08your recovery that day, but also for your injury niggles further down the line. With all that in
00:13mind, here's our top tips for all the things you should do immediately after your ride.
00:30You're back from your ride and the first thing you'll probably do is head straight for your fridge
00:34looking for chocolate, cake, toast, it doesn't matter, whatever it is, you're probably going to
00:39want to eat it. If you can get ahead of your nutritional strategy before you even leave the
00:43house, that can be key to your recovery. Therefore, getting ahead of your post-ride routine before you
00:48even head out can be key. Preparing a protein recovery shake or a protein bar that you can eat
00:54immediately after your ride will mean you avoid any other less nutritious alternatives.
01:00Lastly, you may have initially topped up your recovery stores with a protein shake
01:04and fluids when you got back from your ride, but it's also key to have a balanced meal within a
01:09few hours of the ride to complete that recovery process. You should look to consume a meal which
01:14is lean in protein such as eggs, chicken or tofu, alongside complex carbohydrates such as rice or
01:20pasta and fats such as avocado. Depending on the type of session you have ridden, after a hard ride
01:27a cyclist should look to consume one gram of carbohydrate for every kilogram of body weight
01:32along with 20 to 30 grams of protein in their recovery meal.
01:44Now our next tip is even more crucial in the warmer summer months as keeping on top of your
01:49hydration levels is key after every long ride. One way to understand how much water you have
01:55lost through sweat is to weigh yourself before and after your ride. Studies have shown that even
02:00low fluid losses can significantly affect your ability to ride. A 2% drop in body weight due
02:05to the sweating, for an 80 kilogram rider this would be 1.6 kilograms, will impair performance
02:10noticeably. Therefore, replacing water and lost source with an electrolyte drink after your ride
02:15will mean your body can begin recovering sufficiently and maintain other normal bodily
02:20functions. You can also tell how dehydrated you are through the color of your urine. If it's running
02:26dark it means you need to drink more water, whereas if it's running quite clear it means your
02:30hydration levels are back to normal.
02:38You've begun your refueling and rehydration process and you're out the shower
02:43all clean but there's one thing that you should do which will really tip the scales in your favor
02:47when it comes to your recovery and that is a good cool down. This can be done in a few different ways
02:53you can either foam roller or you just carry out a few basic stretches after each ride and here are
02:58Cycling Weekly's top four stretches you should do after every ride. Lying down, bend your upper
03:04leg so that your foot is up towards your glute. Use the same hand on that side to pull the leg
03:09at the ankle closer and you should feel a stretch across the front of the quad.
03:13Hold for 30 seconds on each leg rolling over in between.
03:22Take a big step forward with your right leg keeping the knee directly above the ankle.
03:27The knee of the left leg should be resting on the floor. Put your hands on the ground either
03:31side of your foot a bit like a sprinter in the starting blocks. Hold for 30 seconds on each leg
03:37return to the start position before repeating on the other side.
03:44Sit on the floor with both of your legs outstretched. Extend your arms by reaching
03:48forward and bending at the waist as far as you can whilst keeping your knees straight and your
03:53back straight. Be sure to stretch until you feel a gentle pull in your hamstrings. If you feel any
03:58pain you should stop the exercise. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat.
04:08Lie on your back and slightly bend one leg. Raise your other foot up onto your bent leg and rest it
04:14on your thigh. Then stretch forward threading your arm through your legs to hold on to the back of
04:18your knee and pull it towards you. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and then swap to the other
04:24leg and repeat. Those are our top tips what you should do after every ride. Do let us know in the
04:31comment section below what advice you'd give to your fellow cyclists. If you've liked our video
04:36give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe to the Cycling Weekly channel.
04:40Until next time though, we'll see you then.
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