The Importance of Recovery in Cycling Training

Visions of PB-breaking, lung-busting endeavours tend to dominate when mentally plotting out your journey to increased cycling prowess. But the truth is, the downtime in between — the recovery — is just as crucial for your growth as a cyclist. 

The importance of recovery in cycling training is often underestimated. With our comprehensive guide packed with practical, actionable tips, you can ensure you ride straight past that all-too-common trap.

Why Recovery Matters

When you’re cycling, or training for cycling, you don’t question whether or not those repetitive, fatiguing actions are valuable when it comes to increasing athletic performance. Most people get the gist: you put your body through stress, and the body, being the wonderfully responsive, attentive thing it is, makes a physiological note of it, and adapts for next time.

The thing is, in order for those adaptations to take place, you need adequate rest and recovery. Your body’s cool with you pushing yourself beyond your current fitness level — all it asks is that you give it time to heal and repair. What it gives you in return is the ability to come back stronger. 

Not doing so can have disastrous consequences, from persistent fatigue to debilitating injury. The importance of recovery in cycling training isn’t something you can really take or leave; if you want to take your riding seriously (and we know you do, because you’re here) it’s crucial to get it right. 

Breaking Down the Different Types of Recovery

When we say recovery after a long session on the machine or out on the road, what’s the first thing that pops to mind? If your answer was ‘feet up on the sofa with some terrible yet inexplicably compelling trash TV’ then, well, samesies.

But actually there’s two different types of recovery: passive recovery, which covers the above couch potato example, and active recovery, which involves light physical exertion to stimulate the muscles. 

• Passive recovery: you can still engage in normal, daily activities; the emphasis should really be on ensuring you aren’t putting your body under stress, especially with movements similar to those you performed during your training.
• Active recovery: engage in a light amount of physical exertion, such as walking, light jogging, swimming and yoga. 

Is Active Recovery Better than Passive Recovery?

The benefits of passive recovery are well-documented, and it’s a style of recuperation that’s been used by professional athletes for decades successfully. However, the comparative benefits of active recovery over passive recovery has been explored in numerous studies. 

• Improved circulation: some studies have shown that active recovery promotes an increased level of blood flow when compared to passive recovery. Increased blood flow can aid in muscle repair. 
• Reduced DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness): moving during active recovery can reduce DOMS, likely by keeping muscles flexible and combating stiffness.
• Increased recovery speed: active recovery can aid in faster regeneration by stimulating muscle repair and reducing inflammation.

Many professional athletes and cyclists have a training/recovery regimen that incorporates active recovery. Ultimately, both are solid options, and it’s really about figuring out which style works for you.

The Three Pillars of Recovery in Cycling Training: Rest, Food, and Fourty Winks

While we’ve explored the importance of physical rest when it comes to recovery, there’s two other factors that are just as crucial: food and sleep. 

Nutrition 

While your body is a hyper-responsive repairing machine, it needs resources to make that restorative magic happen. What resources exactly? Food, glorious food, of course. 

Sufficient nutrient intake (especially protein) is required for effective muscle repair, growth, and that all-important physiological adaptation. 

Sleep 

The transformative effect of sleep on overall health is well-documented, and its importance to physiological function is just as profound. Quality sleep should form a foundational pillar of any athlete’s routine. 

How to Incorporate Intelligent Recovery Into your Cycling Training 

We’d hazard a guess that you schedule your training sessions (and if you don’t, you should — here’s a blog to get you started), and you should apply that level of forethought to your recovery, too. 

Plan Rest Days, Whether Active or Passive

Whether you decide to go full rest mode or engage in careful active recovery, we suggest blocking out some time to ensure your body gets the time it needs to repair. Make sure you don’t plan anything intensive the day after your session, but also make sure you aren’t just resting — get some light movement in your day too.

Lock In your Nutrition to Fuel your Recovery

Your recovery will be severely hampered by poorly-optimised nutrition. While a tub of Ben & Jerrys after a particularly torturous day on the road can be a godsend, it’s crucial to make sure you’re getting the right blend of carbs, fats and proteins. Carbs replenish glycogen stores, while protein aids in muscle repair. Don’t forget about hydration, either; to effectively recover, your body needs to replace electrolytes.

Prioritise Sleep and the Best Will Follow

We hate to say that your best-laid recovery plans will be all for nought if you don’t get your beauty sleep… but we suggest not finding out. During sleep, your body releases growth hormones that are essential for muscle repair and regeneration — not to mention the restorative effect it has on your grey matter. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Make Recovery a Priority 

It’s important to think of your cycling journey holistically; the battle on your bike isn’t the only one you’ll face. You need to dial in your nutrition, hone your mindset, and optimise your recovery. The good thing is that doing one feeds into the other. Better sleep, better performance, better nutrition, better sleep. 

We hope that the importance of cycling in recovery is clear to you after reading this blog; it can be the difference between serious gains and serious setbacks. If you also need some pointers on how to make sure your bike is similarly well looked after, check out this article.