Calculated lifetimes of ring current protons against charge exchange with geocoronal hydrogen amount to only a few hours for energies below about 50 keV. The much longer lifetime for He+ ions leads to the conclusion that the protons are succeeded by He+ ions as the dominant species in the ring current during the recovery phase. Observations of hydrogen and helium emissions at low altitudes near the magnetic equator and observations of the evolution with time of pitch angle distributions in the ring current itself support this conclusion.