Recovery Drinks (Quantity)

I'm a bit confused about how much recovery drink I should have after a ride. I've been alternating between the Clif Vanilla recovery drink on some days and 8 ozs. of low-fat chocolate milk on other days. (Both work well.) The Clif directions tell the user how many scoops to use based on body weight. It's one scoop for 8 ounces of water for someone my weight. (123 lbs.) I was wondering if I should drink more milk (or add more Clif scoops), when I go on a particularly long or hard ride. Any thoughts? I really don't like to eat after a long ride, but I have no problem drinking.

I never drank recovery drinks until I started training for a century and I am totally amazed at how much better I feel as a result of using them. I also started using the Clif energy drink during my rides (instead of water) and, again, the difference in how I feel is astounding.

Thanks.

Alex

I like the Clif Mango-orange recovery. If I'm planning a big ride, I'll make a double serving of recovery. Extra fuel, extra water. I also am not fond of eating right after a ride, but know I need to consume something or I get loopy.

Sometimes milk products are irritating to my gut, so this year I'm going to try a different recovery plan. I'm thinking V8 juice and something salty-protien. Like a slice of Spam. (no kidding) I'm a huge sweater, and need salt and water after a ride.

Today I forced myself to eat a banana near the end of my ride and didn't drink my V8.

We'll just see how this works out.

But back to your original post: yes, I found I felt much better if i drank TWO servings of Clif recovery after long rides.

Thanks, Knot. I'm ramping up my mileage in the coming weeks, so I will definitely double up on the recovery drinks.

Alex

Besides a recovery drink, don't forget to ice them legs after a long effort. It really helps them to bounce back quickly. I usually aim to ice while consuming said recovery item. It takes my mind off the cold water!!

Thanks, Denise. but where/how do you ice your legs after a ride? My longest ride ever (Saturday -- one loop of the IM course plus a couple extra miles back to the rental house) was only 40 miles. I've always felt perfectly fine the next day without ice, but now that I'm preparing for a century and significantly upping my mileage, I may need to do more. Any hints?

Now, can I hijack my own thread? DH did the Ironman yesterday and I told him about your GI issues. He recommends Hammer Digest Caps. He's used them on many mountain ultramarathons, the Silverman, and IMAZ. He swears by them. Depending on the particular issue, he might also take them with a pepto-bismol tablet. He used the Digest Caps yesterday. :o

Alex