I’ve started a VO2 block which I was dreading, but I find I’m dealing with the pain within the workouts fine. What I am really struggling with is how hard the recovery is after the workout.
It feels like my brain doesn’t really work again until hours after the workout.
I’m very hungry for the rest of the day after the workout but no food sounds very good.
I don’t sleep well that night even if I do the workout earlier in the day, and it seems to be due to overheating at night.
Anybody else experience this and have any tips on how to minimize it?
I also just started a vo2 block this week. My sleep has been, lets say, not great. I usually read every night but not always right before bed. Last night I put my phone away and read for an hour before heading to bed. It was the best sleep I’ve had all week. Was it the combo of no blue light and reading? No idea, but I’m gonna do it again tonight and cross my fingers.
Regarding appetite, I also dont have eyes for anything, at least not right away. But what seems to work for me is a smoothie right after the workout. I do milk, frozen berries, protein powder, pb fit powder, creatine, and honey. I can chug that down pretty quick and it seems to jumpstart my appetite and by lunch everything looks good.
I work out first thing in the morning, so the smoothie acts as breakfast as well. Before the workout I have something small with a bunch of carbs like a granola bar. And even though the workouts are relatively short (90 mins), I still take in 80g carbs on the bike.
Regarding the brain fog, I haven’t noticed anything personally, so no advice to give there.
I, like the post above, have a protein drink right after. Real food does not sound good right after. Peanut butter pretzels do sound good so I chow down the salty snack.
I’m a light sleeper. No difference unless I do a 8pm hard effort. Then I can’t get to sleep at my normal time. My best sleep is between 3 to 5am after waking at 2am.
Fuel before and during the workout. High intensity workouts are pulling almost exclusively glycogen.
Hop off the bike and force down protein a protein drink with some carbs. I go straight for Whey Protein Powder with ~30g of protein right after the workout. Liquid carbs like a protein drink are much better than solid - absorption will be much faster when you need it.
Drink lots of fluids throughout the rest of the day and get enough salt.
Take an easy walk late in the day after dinner.
Try and unplug an hour to 90 minutes before bed. No screens, lights down lower, no work or stressing yourself out.
I have experienced this over the years as well. Here are my random notes on what seems to help me:
I have 50-100 grams of carbs after the intervals as I spind down to get home
I ‘nose breath only’ the last 10 minutes of the ride
I get home and have 50 grams of protein and lots of honey in the form of a smoothie. MUST have a digestive enzyme with this. Don’t chug, need to mix your saliva in and all that proper digestion stuff
I do legs up the wall for 5-10 minutes shortly after getting home, no phone or anything and just focus on elongating my exhails
If it was hot I will jump in the cold pool for up to one minutes. No, dont worry, cold water only messes up hypertrophy
blue light blocking glasses (yellow lense) when looking at screens, orange ones for after dinner. Don’t have them on when eating
1 pound of steak plus potatoes and some veggies 4 hours before bed
Lots of magensium
mostly stop hydrating 10 hours after waking up - sleep better
pitchdark sleeping room that is no hotter than 60 degrees
long bath
no chores
My wife hates most of this - so be careful about that.
Seems to be very personal how we respond to certain workouts. I get a nice buzz from a VO2 workout for the rest of the day. But next day I feel like having a mild hangover, mental energy is low. But after few workouts the body is getting used to it and it gets easier.
Definitely focus on fueling, carb load a bit before the workout and recovery drink after. For me it’s usually 60-80g of carbs and 30g of whey protein.
And I drink about 110g of carbs per hour during the workout.
I’m not a VO2 block expert, but is it possible that your inability to eat and your brain fog are combined? If you take in a big carb drink while cooling down (on or off the bike) does that improve things?
I workout in the morning, so I tend to drink one cup of coffee before the ride and one after while I cooldown and eat. This seems to help with afternoon awareness/energy. I have to stop after breakfast though, because afternoon caffeine seems to impact my sleep. I can go to bed easily, but I wake up more.
Thanks all. I think I have enough carbs pre workout and typically take down 60g during one of these 1hr 5x4 minute all out sessions, but you’ve convinced me that I need to focus on some type of recovery drink after these workouts. I typically don’t do my recovery nutrition in liquid form because I love food and I typically have no trouble eating as much of it as I allow myself, but that is just not happening after these workouts.
This is amazing, but I don’t think this would work for me. It just would result in meat sweats all night.
