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Francis Cade: Top Tips for Post-Ride Recovery
- Jun 2017
Sore, stiff legs, dry lips, downing pints of water through the night to try and hydrate… not ideal on a multi-day event. Ex-racer and Vlogger Frances Cade has put together his top tips:
There are a few small things you can do, which make a huge difference to how your body recovers. These add up to making quite a significant difference over the course of 3 hard days, you’ll thank yourself.
At the Finish
Within 15 minutes, swig down a recovery shake or some easy to digest carbohydrate like an energy bar. In an ideal world, 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. The protein will help to produce muscle building amino acids, but don’t ingest too much protein – too much will stop you absorbing the carbohydrate. This tides you over until…
Within an hour
I believe eating a medium sized meal works best. Whole foods work best, rice, avocado, grilled veg etc. You actually have a window that’s a bit longer than an hour, but I get hungry quite quickly after a ride, this is personal preference.
Stretching
There’s some debate about the benefits of stretching, but as long as you’re careful it feels good and won’t cause any harm. After a gentle warm up, focus on your leg muscles but don’t neglect the rest of your body. Do what feels good and you’ll be faster the next day.
Massage
After a ride, muscles tighten up, loosen them up by giving them a massage yourself. This really does make a difference. Apply pressure on the sore bits, whether it’s with a tennis ball, foam roller or just your hands. Again, do what feels good and you’ll be faster the next day.
Ice Bath/ Cold Shower
One for the masochists, cool your legs down. Ice baths/Cold Showers are said to reduce muscle swelling, flush waste products and constrict blood vessels. It’s a lot more bearable if you just target your legs.
