How much protein should I eat as a cyclist to boost recovery?
To boost recovery, all riders should aim for an intake of approximately 0.3g/kg body weight of high quality protein per meal. For full body fitness exercise and older (60+) athletes, some evidence is available that this minimum should be doubled, up to 0.6g/kg body weight.
Why should I eat protein to stimulate recovery?
Getting enough protein after exercise is vital for recovery as this provides your muscles with enough building blocks and stimuli:
- Muscle rebuilding: Cycling training can cause microscopic muscle damage, which is a common and expected response to exercise. Proteins supply the necessary amino acids to repair and rebuild these muscles and supporting them to be stronger than before.
- Endurance adaptation: Eating protein after cycling training is necessary to support the synthesis of new proteins required for various training adaptations beyond muscle growth, such as improved endurance and overall training progression.
- Reduce post-exercise fatigue and soreness: Including protein in a post-exercise meal can accelerate glycogen restoration. By eating a well-balanced meal after your training, you will more likely get in a combination of carbs and protein, which can reduce post-exercise fatigue and soreness.
- Injury prevention: Proper recovery reduces the risk of fatigue and injuries in future exercises. It's like keeping your bike well-maintained to prevent breakdowns during the ride.
How do I get my protein intake on point?
Use the FoodCoach app to structure your training and receive customized protein recommendations for every meal. Strive to adjust each meal to meet your protein target. Keep in mind, every meal is a chance to enhance your performance!
If your meals primarily consist of low-quality protein sources, aim to consume protein at the upper end of the recommended range provided by the FoodCoach app.
The FoodCoach app makes it easy to achieve all strategies in a practical way using real foods. Discover new high-protein performance nutrition meals, proven at World Tour level. Tune your own meals with common ingredients to maximize protein intake, maintain energy balance, and seamlessly fit them into your eating routine.
Popular recovery meals
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Definitions
- - Electrolytes: Electrolytes are essential minerals, including sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, and bicarbonate. These minerals support the of regulating various bodily functions related to sports performance, including muscle contractions, nerve impulses, and fluid balance.
- - Sweat rate test: A test to measure and calculate how much fluids you have lost by sweating during your ride.
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