Taking care of your muscles like a pro
It remains impressive: our cyclists manage to keep their muscles in shape all year round, day after day! How do they do that? As a cycling team in the UCI WorldTour, Team Jumbo-Visma is obliged to have a team of top cyclists ride in each of the dozens of races of this world competition. Top riders such as Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert and Tom Dumoulin ride a large part of these races, which not only demands the maximum of their muscles, but also of their buttocks. Which products help to optimally care for and restore their muscles and skin? Read more!
Peak load
Take, for example, a tour like the Tour de France: it lasts three epic weeks, in which there are only two rest days. It seems like a superhuman achievement, but our riders manage to climb on the bike every day and get the most out of it. Some of those stages demand extra from the riders, such as mountain stages and individual time trials. The average speed of the rounds increases over time, and so does the strain on the muscles of the riders. A number of things happen with such an intensive muscle load. First, very small tears appear in your muscles. Waste products also accumulate in your muscles and they need extra oxygen due to the activity. All this causes sore, tired muscles.
Balanced routine
But how do our guys make sure that, after a hard day on the pedals, they are back in top condition the next day? They do this through a carefully balanced care routine. Some parts of this are obvious, such as plenty of hydration, sufficient and good quality food, getting a massage and getting enough rest (there are even stories of Tour winners who had teammates carried them to their hotel room). But eating, drinking and resting alone is not enough for our champions to be strong at the start the next day.
Optimal muscle recovery
Our cyclists apply Sportsbalm Recovery Cream after cycling to make heavily stressed, stiff and sensitive muscles supple again and restore their strength. This lotion refreshes, cools and soothes the skin while penetrating deeply into stressed muscles and stimulating blood circulation there. As a result, the tears in the muscle fibers recover better and waste products are removed from the muscles faster. At the same time, the active ingredient horse chestnut keeps the blood vessels strong and supple and thus prevents moisture build-up. Do you also exercise regularly? By applying this lotion after every training session or competition, you ensure optimal muscle recovery, for the best performance!
The importance of comfort
Speaking of care, it is not only the muscles that are stressed during intensive cycling tours, but also the skin. If a cyclist’s skin rubs against his cycling shorts, he runs the risk of getting irritated, burning skin, especially during long and strenuous efforts. This is not only painful and uncomfortable, but also hinders optimal performance. In the final classification it can be seconds, so every percentage that you can cycle more easily helps. The right products can make the difference here.
No friction and irritation
To protect their skin, cyclists therefore use Anti Friction Balm or Anti Friction Cream. The Anti Friction Balm protects against chafing and is water resistant. This makes this product very suitable for long rides where you sweat a lot or when it rains. The Anti Friction Cream is particularly suitable for dry and sensitive skin. Like the balm, the cream protects the skin against chafing. The difference is that this cream absorbs into the skin and is also aimed at skin recovery. With both products, the result is better a protected and less irritated skin. Essential products for cycling. That’s how you get to the finish line!
