I know you’ve discussed eating for recovery several times but I’m only remembering in relation to that window that recovery needs to happen, based on when is the next workout. Is there a particular TSS or duration that you look at as a basis of whether recovery fuel is needed, in the first place? (If you’ve already addressed this question, feel free to point me to a podcast, post, or search term.) Thanks!
-Angie
Great question and no i have never done this. However it could be helpful re intensity but useful I am unsure?. I am old school and tend to look at duration and intensity; which i guess TSS does measure… but i dont know if we need to make it more complex than listening to appetite, what did you eat before, what are you doing next, how long was the session, what did you eat / drink during the session and how intense was the session (eg recovery vs tempo etc) and also the context of the week/ menstrual cycle/ goals etc. this is already enough to be thinking about!
Coaches @Coach_Flo @Coach_Theia @Coach_Ian do you yourselves get any more complex and use TSS? it would feel very isolated if not taken in context to other factors to me.
@adm0629, I stick to the same thing after every workout, my awesome recovery shake and water. Sometimes a beer gets thrown in there, but only if the workout is in the evening. Don’t worry, I don’t knock back a beer after my 6 AM run…too often. A lot of it is like Andrea said, intensity and duration dependent. For example, I rode today for just under 2 hours with a TSS of 86. I had a few seconds of intensity, but it was more of a recovery ride. I was hungry after the ride, but that was because I really didn’t eat much before. I had my shake, took a quick shower, and then ate two eggs and a piece of toast. That’s a pretty normal breakfast, not one I would associate with a hard workout. Other days, like an intense 3-hour ride and 15K run, I’ll eat 10 pancakes after I finish…with blueberries of course. Have to keep it healthy.
As for TSS, it’s just another number. My ride today was 86 TSS but over 2 hours. Had I done an 86 TSS ride in an hour, I may have felt the need to eat some more carbs right after finishing, as I would have been using my energy a little different. I am also not doing anything hard tomorrow, so I did not feel the need to load back up in preparation.
The big takeaway is that it is highly personal based on what you did and what you plan to do the next day. I can’t comment on menstrual cycle effects things, so I’ll just leave that to Andrea and @Coach_Theia. Also, the cumulative effect of the recent days and weeks may mean that you have to eat more, even after an easy workout than you might think. So, just keep monitoring it, and see how you feel. If you lack energy and are getting proper rest, you may need to up the calories a bit. If you feel fine and have no issues in future workouts, then you are probably doing it right.
Ian