We put demands on every aspect of our bodies as we pedal and push, break down and build back up, day after day and week after week. To consistently repair itself from this stress, the body requires nourishment from the diet. The more nourished you are the stronger, healthier and more resilient you will be.

Whether you are a weekend warrior or an active racer, if you want to successfully hammer out long back to back big training rides or races, recovery will be an important part of the process! We’ve said it many times on Toolbox, but hard and smart training is just one part of the overall fitness equation – the best riders are those that can recover quickly and fully to hard efforts. What you feed yourself can certainly help to make or break that recovery process.

Elite cyclists are extremely dedicated to their training plans. Surprisingly enough many of these same athletes don’t treat nutrition with similar importance. However in the big picture the combination of proper training and a sound sports nutrition plan is the key to success. Together they are powerful. Even Radio Shack’s own Chris Horner will admit that switching his Big Mac Combo in for healthier nutrition choices has helped him to rocket up the mountains in 2011!