Recovering After a Bike Ride: Tips and Tricks

After any effort, recovery is crucial, and this is especially true when it comes to cycling. If you don’t give your body the time it needs to recover after a training session, you’ll eventually get injured. Furthermore, your muscles won’t be able to rid themselves of the toxins they release during physical activity, so you won’t gain any weight (or anything else). Without progress, you’re setting yourself up for a certain amount of mental (and physical) fatigue, which can lead to a loss of motivation—the exact opposite of what you want when you’re working out.

Active Recovery: When and How?

To boost your body’s ability to fight off the toxins it produced during your workout, ending your session with a few minutes of gentle physical activity is helpful. In particular, this allows the blood to circulate while your blood vessels return to their normal size (they dilate during exercise). So remember to keep moving or walk a little once you get off your bike. But be careful: if your legs are sore, it’s because the session was (or is) too intense. It’s not about straining your legs, it’s about keeping them moving.

This is one of the pillars of recovery. All sports doctors agree that to rehydrate the body, you should drink one litre for every kilogram lost during activity. Water is obviously at the top of the list, but other liquids with a dose of sugar can also be helpful, such as chocolate milk. Alcohol should of course be avoided, as it promotes dehydration. If you are used to finishing your sessions with a drink with your fellow cyclists, opt for a non-alcoholic beer, which will provide you with some carbohydrates.

Sleep and rest are the keys to recovery.

Good recovery after a bike ride (especially for amateurs who can do without the other aspects discussed below) is complemented by sleep. A good night’s sleep is essential to allow your body to breathe and recover properly. Make sure you get 8-9 hours of sleep in a room with a temperature of around 20 degrees, and avoid overly stimulating activities or screens with blue light. Relax, take a nap if you can… any rest is beneficial.

Stretching for Cyclists: Getting the Right Sitting Position

According to popular belief, stretching after a cycling workout reduces the pain you feel afterwards and the damage to your muscles. However, many studies have shown that this is not the case, or that the effect is very small. What is true is that stretching improves your flexibility and elasticity, thus significantly reducing the number of micro-injuries you sustain during intense exertion. Of course, stretching is not limited to your legs.

Massage and self-massage techniques and benefits

We’ve talked about detoxification and improved circulation before, and massage can simply enhance both. Additionally, massage also helps to loosen knots that form in the muscles during the session. There are a number of products available that are quite effective (foam rollers, Theragun, etc.).

By incorporating these different practices into your training sessions, you’ll do everything you can to become a better cyclist and enjoy the roads around you. And who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be able to follow the Tour de France route (at your own pace)?