BUY NOW, RECOVER LATER

Recovery technology comes with big promises – and sometimes even bigger price tags. India Paine investigates what's really worth it

- India Paine

Recovery used to mean a post-ride nap and a big bowl of pasta. Today, it can cost thousands. From inflatable compression boots and massage guns to cryotherapy chambers and infrared sauna pods, the business of getting your legs back has gone big – and seriously expensive.

At the elite level, recovery has always been vital. Riders have to perform day after day for up to three weeks during a Grand Tour, so teams travel with an army of support staff – physiotherapists, nutritionists, masseurs, biomechanists, psychologists and soigneurs – all dedicated to one goal: getting their riders back to full power. Some recovery methods have been more unusual than others. FDJ-Suez brought a hypnosis chamber to the 2023 Tour de France Femmes, while other practices are tried and tested, like Alpecin-Deceuninck transporting their riders' Revor-sponsored mattresses and pillows to every hotel.

And it's not just the pros. Amateur riders are taking recovery seriously, too. Foam rollers and massage guns are go-to post-ride tools, and ice bath dunks are all over social media. Each of these tools and techniques promises faster recovery and improved performance – but as the line between elite and everyday blurs, so too do the costs and confusion about what actually works.

So, what's worth the spend, and what's just an expensive gimmick? To find out, we asked the experts – double Olympic champion and Truefuels founder Alistair Brownlee, and physiotherapist and Flow Physio London founder Florence Hope Penny. Together, we explore what each technique claims to do, what it actually delivers, and whether we think it's really worth the cost.

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