Post-workout Protein Drinks For Cycling

Good nutrition is an essential part of sport performance and recreational exercise. Activities, such as cycling, deplete your body of nutrients to provide energy for the workout itself. You need to replace those nutrients so that you can keep performing and recover more quickly. Post-workout drinks for cycling should be primarily carbohydrate based, not a protein drink. However, some protein with your carbohydrate drink can improve your recovery after a cycling workout.

Importance of Carbohydrates

Cycling is an aerobic endurance activity that is sustained over a period of time and requires your body to constantly provide energy. During this type of workout carbohydrates are the most easily accessed and preferred form of energy. Cycling will deplete the amount of glycogen stored in your muscles. Glycogen is glucose that the body can store in muscle and in your liver. It is necessary to replenish glycogen after cycling so that you can recover and ride again another day.

Combining Carbohydrate and Protein

While it used to be that cyclists would consume primarily carbohydrates after a workout, research has found that including protein with your carbs will aid in muscle repair and reducing soreness, according to Nancy Clark, MS, RD. Consume a drink that is approximately 3 or 4 g of carbohydrate to 1 g of protein. It does not have to be exact, as long as there is more carbs than protein. To maximize glycogen replenishment, consume your drink within four to six hours of completing your workout.

Suggestions

Recovery drink products made by Gatorade, Gu and Accelerade are available at sports nutrition and equipment stores. However, one very popular method of getting carbs and protein post-endurance workout is to drink chocolate milk. The chocolate provides high glycemic carbohydrates that are absorbed quickly by your body to replenish glycogen. Milk has both whey and casein protein to aid in muscle recovery and muscle building. You can also make a fruit smoothie with milk or yogurt.

Considerations

Post-workout drinks are often quick and easy to consume but you can also use food to replenish your body. Clark recommends a V8 juice and turkey sandwich or cran-apple juice with string cheese and crackers. If you sweat a lot make sure you replace lost fluids with water and electrolyte drinks. The most important thing is to consume what your body can digest easily and replace what it needs.