Ultragen, Accelerade, Endurox or PowerBar Recovery drinks

All,
I'm just looking for a recovery drink to help relieve of sore muscles (legs, quads) after riding. I've been trying to get as much info as possible on these products.
Which would you recommend ? the accelerade & the Endurox is based on a 4 to 1 ratio of carbs and protein... how well do these work? do they taste good?
This is the only non-biased article that I can find on Accelerade.
http://walking.about.com/od/fluids/a/accelerade.htm

I don't know anything about the other two, PowerBar and Ultragen...

If they don't taste good, I won't be drinking...thus it would be useless...

Any comments?

Those are all good choices for recovery drinks. They all taste a little different and you'll have to try various ones to see which one is easiest to stomach. That's really the only way to go.

Also, check out Hammer Nutrition (http://www.e-caps.com). They have a great line of products and some good recovery drinks. I like HN because they have some decent research to back up their products (I don't buy into all of their products, like the herbs, etc., but the exercise and recovery drinks I like) and provide a lot of options for usage of their products. Specifically, check out Hammer HEED, Perpetuem, and Sustained Energy. Also, Recoverite is a nice post-ride/recovery option. And if you're looking for protein (although most people get more than enough through their diets), Hammer Whey and Hammer Soy are nice choices.
I've been using their stuff for a while now and found that it tastes the best and mixes the best out of many other sports/recovery drinks on the market (although I haven't tried every drink out there, this one just tastes great and mixes very nicely).

Thanks Fish for the reply. Are you saying they're all equally effective? which one taste less powdery? (like whey protein drink...it can get kinda heavy)

Overall, I'd say they're all pretty similar, although if you look at the nutrition information you'll see variations in macro and micronutrient information - they all put their own spin on the drink mixes to make them sell.
The Whey protein can be mixed to any consistency you desire. You'll get the scoop that provides maybe 10g of Whey protein, but if you find that it's too powdery, then you can just take some out of the scoop.

Recovery drinks won't help sore muscles after riding. You will reduce sore muscles by incorporating a 10-15 minute warm down of cycling at low (50% MHR) intensity to help clear lactate and/or massage.

Recovery drinks help replenish glycogen stores and to some extent salts. You will find it much less costly and just as effective to eat a high carbohydrate meal or even a few bananas initially.

Thanks!! a few bananas before or afterwards? I would imagine the potassium helps.... but why are so many recovery drinks advertise that it can reduce/repair muscle damage?

Bananas are great fuel.

A few bananas immediately after your ride to begin glygogen immediately while you are getting the rest of a high carb meal happening.

If you are riding long enough to need to eat while going, dried bananas are light, 88% available carbohydrates and, as you said, high in pottasium and other salts.

so what are we saying? The recovery drinks aren't necessary? that we can get what we need from bananas and other food high in carbs?

This is all my opinion. But I have had 20 year experience both competing in and coaching triathlon and cycling - and I do have university training in physiology and nutrition. But most of all I like to think I have common sense.

Sports drink manufacturers are, in the main, trying to sell you something that is easily and cheaply obtained in a normal diet.

They have a role in events where you require energy to continue your exertion and you don't handle solid food well - like running.

Even so, if you look at the ingredients on the container of sports drink, it is not difficult and much cheaper to make your own.

i'm a little confused about something. If you're sored (leg/quads) after a long ride, isn't protein is what you need to rebuild/repair muscles?
But yet the recovery drinks and everyone here stresses carbs intake....sure you need carbs because you're depleted but...doesn't protein makes more sense for soreness/recovery?

A little correction - recovery drinks - in fact, even water helps with sore muscle recovery. Water (or these other drinks) helps to rinse the lactate out of your body. It's one of the important reasons for keeping well hydrated.

As you stated, water for rehydrating is just as good as a recovery drink.

You need a little correcting of your own. You don't rinse lactate out of your muscles, it is metabolised aerobically when you repay your oxygen debt. The warm down uses aerobic energy systems for fuel and this is how the lactate is consumed.

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