recipes

Why a Homemade Protein Shake

A homemade protein shake is a great way to deliver necessary nutrients to your body quickly so you can recover from all the hard work you put in on the bike. Your body needs protein to rebuild muscles and carbohydrates to refuel muscles.

The main difference between a homemade sports drink and a homemade protein shake besides the protein is that the shake does not provide hydration. It is in liquid form so your body can absorb it as quickly as possible. After a hard ride you will also need to drink water to rehydrate.

The Ideal Ratio

You should aim for a ratio of four grams of carbohydrate to one gram of protein in your homemade protein shake. It is a much higher ratio of carbohydrates to protein than general protein shakes because of the aerobic and energy intensive nature of cycling. Most general protein shakes are focused on building lean muscle; a cycling recovery shake should be focused on refueling the muscles along with rebuilding them.

Recipes

You will not need to double or triple these recipes; one dose of your homemade protein shake will get you on the road to recovery.

The Basic

Blend one banana, one cup of milk and one cup of vanilla yogurt. This one is easy because the ingredients are often around the kitchen and you cannot miss with the flavor.

The Vegan

Blend a cup and a half of almond, cashew or soy milk with three tablespoons peanut or almond butter. Add in two tablespoons maple syrup for an additional carbohydrate kick.

The Berry Good

Blend a cup and a half of milk with half a cup of your choice of berries (fresh or frozen), a teaspoon of chia seeds and a teaspoon of spirulina. The spirulina is an acquired taste, but it is very nutritious and the berries should mask it.

The Exotic

Blend a cup and a half of almond milk with mango, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of turmeric, a teaspoon of maple syrup, a splash of lemon juice and a half cup of vanilla yogurt.

The Heavyweight

Blend a cup and a half of milk with four tablespoons hemp powder, half a teaspoon of spirulina, three tablespoons of chocolate syrup and a teaspoon of chia seeds.

Making your own homemade sports drink can have the same benefits of many homemade recipes. You can tailor flavors to your palate, save a little money, make sure you get the right nutritional balance, and have the reward of doing it yourself. Manufacturers make sports drinks seem very complicated and scientific, but they do not need to be.

Why Drink a Sports Drink

There are critical benefits to a sports drink over water. When you exercise, you sweat out minerals along with water. You will need to replace those minerals so your muscles can fire properly. The minerals, also known as electrolytes, provide the conductive material that allow your nervous system to send electrical impulses. Without those impulses, you do not get peak performance from your nervous system that is in charge of firing your muscles. This can result in muscle cramps.

Additionally, sports drinks can provide carbohydrates for your muscles to keep producing ATP, the fuel that makes muscle cells fire. Without the fuel, you will tire, eventual leading to the dreaded bonk. The carbohydrate needs to be in the right concentration to make it the most effective.

Finally, the water in the sports drink helps maintain your blood volume so your red blood cells can flow freely to the muscles that you are working so hard. Once your blood volume drops, your performance on the bike drops. You will have to keep these three variables in mind when making your homemade sports drink.

Current Sports Drink Trends

The biggest trend in sports drinks now is to keep the carbohydrates at the lowest possible concentration that is beneficial to the muscles to avoid osmotic pressure in the digestive system. If the sports drink has too high of a concentration of carbohydrates, the digestive system has to draw fluid from the blood stream to dilute it so you can properly absorb the carbohydrates for use. In effect, your sports drink that is supposed to hydrate you is actually dehydrating you.

Homemade Sports Drink Recipes

You should be able to double, triple, even quadruple each recipe for a homemade sports drink that fits your needs.

The Basic

Remember how you need minerals, carbohydrates, and water? In a pinch, dilute a quarter teaspoon of table salt and a tablespoon of sugar in a cup of water. It might not be tasty but the ingredients are readily available and will get you over the hump.

The Fermenter

Save that pickle juice! It is already loaded with lots of salt and other minerals. You would probably otherwise dump it down the drain anyway. Take a cup of pickle juice and add two tablespoons of honey for additional carbohydrates. Again, this may be an acquired taste but it will pack a powerful punch.

The Lemon Stand

Take a cup of water and an eighth of a cup of lemon juice and mix it with two tablespoons honey and a quarter teaspoon of salt. Add a drop of mint oil for an extra refreshing flavor. Another option instead of table salt that is a more complex mineral mix without a salty taste is Elete Electrolyte Add-in or another similar mineral concentrate.

The Tea Time

Ahead of time, make some ice tea. Then take a cup of the tea, along with two tablespoons honey or maple syrup along with a quarter teaspoon of salt. Use caffeinated tea for an extra pick me up.

The Heavyweight

Flatten twelve ounces of Coke. Then add twenty-four ounces of water to the coke along with a teaspoon of salt. The caffeine and sugar of the coke will pick you up and the salt will replenish your minerals. This is great for the end of a long ride or race when you need that extra little oomph.

Go Experiment

This is not an exhaustive list of making a homemade sports drink. Feel free to tweak them to your tastes and dietary needs. The possibilities are nearly endless and are probably more rewarding than grabbing a sports drink off of a shelf.

How To Make Your Own Homemade Protein Shake

Why a Homemade Protein Shake