Nutrition

How to Treat & Avoid Shoulder Pain While Cycling

April 12, 2023 by Eric Lister

In cycling, the shoulder doesn’t get challenged in many ways, apart from the load we bear as a result of leaning on the handlebars. Many of us have experienced shoulder pain while cycling, and it can be largely due to a number of factors, including the inadequate stimulation of all the tissues that surround, support, and move this complex joint.

(Image credit: anut21ng/Adobe Stock)

Shoulder injuries are one of the most common gradual onset injuries in recreational cyclists. This means that they develop slowly over time, usually as a result of the overuse of some muscles to the neglect of others. It often starts as a dull, aching sensation that gets worse with further use, as opposed to a sharp, acute pain that we really only see as a result of falls and accidents.

It’s important to know that the most mobile joint in the human body is the shoulder joint. Several bones, muscles and other tissues have influence on its structural integrity and movement capacity, which can make the causes of non-specific shoulder pain from cycling hard to identify. However, there are some common issues cyclists face simply due to the nature of the sport.

Poor Bike Fit & Prolonged Riding

Making sure your bike is fitted properly to your body is always one of the first things you should check when addressing pain. This is because as cyclists we stay more or less in the same positions for long periods of time, making us incredibly susceptible to overuse injuries and muscle imbalances.

If your handlebars are too low or too far away from you, it will force you to lean more forward, and you’ll resultantly have to support more of your bodyweight over the handlebars than you would otherwise. Think of an incline pushup (where your hands are elevated on something), and how the pushup gets harder as you move your hands lower towards the floor.

The constant weight bearing on the arms has a significant effect on the shoulder, and can often result in something called shoulder impingement syndrome. Pain when lifting the arms, pain while trying to reach overhead or behind you, pain in the front/side of the shoulder, arm weakness and stiffness are all symptoms of shoulder impingement syndrome.

Two of your four rotator cuff muscles (infraspinatus, supraspinatus) have tissues that pass between the humerus (upper arm bone) and acromion (top outer part of the shoulder blade). Constant load bearing on the arms, like you see in cycling, can compress, rub against, pinch or otherwise impinge upon these tissues, resulting in the symptoms previously listed.

(Image credit: VectorMine/Adobe Stock)

How to Fix It

Get a professional bike fitting: Find a local shop that can do it in person or use an AI app like MyVeloFit to do it yourself at home. Either way, ensuring your bike is fitted to your body will immediately reduce your likelihood of injury and increase comfort while riding.
Reduce cycling intensity: If you are dealing with some sort of shoulder impingement syndrome, you can see, just by its nature, how it’s not a problem you can simply work through. The body needs time to let this irritating condition settle while you work on creating more balance throughout the joint (next step).
Strengthen the rotator cuff muscles: Cycling doesn’t challenge the shoulder in many ways, which is a disaster for shoulder health. It needs complex stimulation from a variety of exercises. Having a well-balanced program that trains the shoulder from all angles and in all positions is key to avoiding shoulder pain from cycling.

Faulty Breathing, Tense Neck & Shoulders

These three things are all related, and commonly found in the average cyclist. Because of the intimate and complex relationship between the humerus (upper arm), clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade) and all their attaching tissues (which collectively form the shoulder joint), compromising any one of them can negatively influence the others.

This x-ray shows the complex arrangement of bones that meet to form the shoulder joint. (Image credit: Nut/Adobe Stock)

Cyclists are prone to inefficient breathing and excessive stress on the neck through their positioning on the bike. The head juts forward and back the more you bend over on the bike, this can place a load of 60+ pounds on your cervical (neck) spine, because the head’s weight gets multiplied every inch it moves forward in front of the body.

A forward folded position can also inhibit movement of the diaphragm, your primary respiratory muscle. This encourages you to breathe through the chest, which strains small secondary respiratory muscles in your neck responsible for lifting the ribs. Because cycling is such a cardio-intensive activity, this type of breathing can cause significant irritation.

Both of these things can carry over into daily life, and both can contribute to shoulder pain while cycling. By compromising the head, neck and upper back through poor breathing and positioning, the shoulder will have no choice but to try and compensate. This is one example of how shoulder pain is not always directly linked to the shoulder itself, but its surrounding parts.

How to Fix It

Strengthen the neck extensors & upper back: The muscles that pull your head back, as well as extend (flatten) your upper back, tend to get very weak if all you do is cycle. This is because they are constantly being stretched out on the bike. This article will show you what exercises to do and why they work for less neck and shoulder pain while riding.
Practice diaphragmatic breathing: This means breathing into your belly. Most neck and head pain in cyclists can be attributed to faulty chest/neck breathing patterns. A good exercise is lying back over an exercise ball and taking long deep breaths. This stretches the abdominals while stimulating the diaphragm and forcing it to be more active.
Relax the neck: Stretching the neck muscles prior to and even during your ride can force them to relax while you focus on breathing more into your belly. Being conscious of how much tension you’re holding in your shoulders will also be beneficial. Try to catch yourself while riding if your shoulders get shrugged up close to the ears.

Note on Nutrition & Cycling Shoulder Pain

Many people fail to consider the role of the organs when it comes to shoulder pain in cyclists. The phrenic nerve is a major nerve that originates from the third to fifth cervical spine nerves (C3-C5) in the neck. It descends through the thorax (chest cavity) and travels between the lungs, in front of the heart and along the surface of the diaphragm.

You have two phrenic nerves, one going down the left and right side of the body. If the stomach, which is on the left side of the body, gets too distended or inflamed, it can press on the diaphragm and irritate the left phrenic nerve. Similarly on the right side, if the liver becomes enlarged, it can press on the right phrenic nerve via the diaphragm.

When these tissues become irritated or inflamed, they can send pain signals to the spinal cord through the sensory fibers of the phrenic nerve. In the spinal cord, the incoming pain signals from the phrenic nerve can activate nerve cells (neurons) that also receive sensory input from other areas of the body, including the shoulder. This is called referred pain.

Attention should be paid to the diet of a cyclist who is experiencing shoulder pain, especially if physio/massage interventions are proving ineffective. Stomach problems can contribute to left shoulder pain/weakness, and liver problems can do the same for the right shoulder. Common irritants like dairy, gluten and alcohol should be looked at as initial culprits.

Phrenic nerve, highlighted in yellow. This is a frontal view. The diaphragm is the large dome-shaped muscle at the bottom. Under the elevated right side would sit the liver, and under the left side would sit the stomach. (Image credit: vesalii/Adobe Stock)

Eliminate Cycling Shoulder Pain!

By incorporating a well-rounded strength, mobility, flexibility and injury-prevention plan into your training, you can greatly reduce the risk of injury to your shoulders and every other part of your body. That is exactly what the programming at Dynamic Cyclist is designed to do. Try us out for 7-days FREE by clicking here!

The Ultimate Guide to Cycling Training for Ironman Distances

February 22, 2023 by Eric Lister

Pursuing the Ironman is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for the beginner cyclist. A full Ironman distance prescribes the grueling effort of a 112 mile ride which, if not already strenuous enough, is sandwiched in between a 2.4 mile swim to start, and a 26.2 mile marathon run to finish. 140.6 miles of gritty, heart-pounding, non-negotiable endurance.

This race is here to test people’s limits and set a standard. Saying that you crossed the finish line of an Ironman garners respect worldwide for all those that understand its incredible demands. If you’re reading this article, we assume you might be someone crazy enough to start prepping for one (and we like that!).

Since we’re cyclists at heart, this article will serve as a broad overview for how to prepare to ride that (almost incomprehensible) 112 mile journey. A feat on its own, made that much more difficult by the pre and post exhaustive swim/run workouts both preceding and awaiting you! We’re here to help you succeed, so let’s dive in.

mh90photo/Adobe Stock

What Are the Ironman Distances?

There are two types of Ironman races you can enter in, the full Ironman and the half Ironman. Here’s what they look like:

Ironman 140.6 (Full) – Distances

2.4 mile (3.8 km) swim

112 mile (180 km) bike

26.2 mile (42.2 km) run

Ironman 70.3 (Half) – Distances

1.2 mile (1.9 km) swim

56 mile (90 km) bike

13.1 mile (21.1 km) run

The cycling portion for each is going to be both a significant physical and mental challenge, often taking up the majority of a racer’s time on the course. Check out this breakdown of average times for reference:

Ironman 140.6 (Full) – Average Times

Swim: 50-90 minutes

Bike: 5-8 hours

Run: 3-6 hours

TOTAL: 11-13 hours

Ironman 70.3 (Half) – Average Times

Swim: 30-50 minutes

Bike: 2.5-4.5 hours

Run: 1.5-3.5 hours

TOTAL: 5-7 hours

Keep in mind, these times can change drastically depending on the level of each competitor, environmental conditions, accidents, rest time, aid stations, medical intervention, etc.

It is important to understand the amount of cycling capacity you need to possess during prep and also going into the race. Especially knowing that you have either a half or full marathon to complete after getting off the bike, making sure your cycling is solid will provide a considerable, likely much-needed, boost in morale as you enter into the latter stages of the competition.

Ironman Cycling: What to Expect

While the duration itself is certainly a challenge, don’t expect a smooth, leisurely, “active-rest” kind of cruise. Start thinking (and training) more along the lines of steep climbs, winding roads, unpredictable weather, live traffic, and hundreds of other riders trying to hit PB’s, finish, and receive their hard-earned medals.

pavel1964/Adobe Stock

If you’re used to working out on a trainer, it would be wise to hit the pavement and start getting comfortable being uncomfortable. It’s hard to overemphasize the mental impact and strain of being outside in natural environments while exerting yourself over long periods of time. It’s truly something you have to experience for yourself, and we certainly recommend you do so.

Another important point is that you’re going to be pre-fatigued from the swim. Depending on your competency in the water, this has the potential to seriously deplete the energy reserves in your legs, and, consequently, your riding abilities. Familiarizing yourself with these sensations can only help you come race day. Doing a ride following a swim, or doing a morning swim followed by an afternoon bike, are great ways to introduce this to your body.

Ironman Cycling Training

Training for the cycling portion of an Ironman can be a daunting task, but with the right plan and mindset, it can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Here are some tips to help you train effectively:

Get a Bike Fit

Before delving into a goal as serious as the Ironman, it is recommended that you get a professional bike fit or perform one yourself. Stacking miles on top of bad form is a sure fire way to cause aches, pain, and long-term injury. Get yourself in a good position, and start building strength on top of it.

Start Small, Build Big

Depending on where you are in your cycling journey, you’ll want to make sure you don’t overexert yourself when getting ready to ride the Ironman. It can be tempting to try and cram that whole 56/112 miles of volume into your first training week, but that’s only going to get you hurt. Start small, and build gradually, giving your body time to adapt and strengthen to handle the distance.

Ride Outside

As mentioned earlier, riding 20 miles on a stationary rig versus 20 miles with the wind blowing in your face and the sun beating down on your skin, are two very different experiences. Endurance is not just physical, it’s mental as well, especially in this race, and you never know what you’re going to encounter. Get outside as much as possible.

Join a Training Group

There’s nothing better than some friendly competition. Not only will this get you used to riding around other bikers, but you’ll be able to feed off one another’s progress and push each other to be the absolute best versions of yourself on race day. There will be days where you don’t feel like putting in the work, but your training partners will be there to keep you accountable.

Diversify Your Training

You’re sure to encounter a large variety of terrain during your Ironman. You’ll be on the pavement, but this isn’t going to be a casual ride. Expect lots of steep hills, descents, sharp turns, gradual inclines, and everything in between. Switch up your training routes often to stay on your toes, and even try replicating parts of the route in your local area.

Get Your Rest

You are going to have to train hard, very hard, but that doesn’t mean running yourself into the ground. We can justify that on race day, but that’s one day, and for one very big goal. You shouldn’t be red lining in your training sessions. That’s not being a badass – that’s just bad training. Be sure to incorporate some strength work, stretching, and mobility as well.

Hire a Coach

Having someone in your corner who has been there before is always a smart move. If you can, find someone in your local area that you can meet face-to-face with. Someone who has experience riding the Ironman and can help you structure your training appropriately. Especially if you’re a beginner (but really, for anyone), this can be a game-changing investment.

Andriy Bezuglov/Adobe Stock

Remember, the cycling portion of an Ironman is just one part of the race. Make sure to also prioritize your training for the swim and run portions. With dedication and a solid training plan, you can successfully complete the Ironman and achieve your goals!

Ironman Cycling Nutrition

Proper nutrition is another key part of your Ironman training and competition. During the race, your body will burn a significant amount of calories, making it essential to fuel yourself with the right foods and fluids. A nutrition plan should be developed well in advance of the race to ensure that you are consuming enough calories to maintain energy levels, but not so much that it causes digestive issues.

During those longer rides, it can be helpful to carry energy bars or gels that will offer a quick source of fuel. Aim to consume around 200-300 calories per hour to maintain energy levels. This is also going to be important to prepare you for the run, because just “surviving” the bike could easily mean a DNF on your race record. You can also try rice cakes, fruit, raisins, and (a classic) stroopwafels if bars or gels tend to upset your stomach.

Your hydration levels should also be constantly considered and addressed throughout your training. Studies have shown that by losing just a small percentage of your body weight through water loss can cause a drastic reduction in endurance performance. Aim to drink plenty of water and electrolyte drinks, especially on longer rides. This will help to reduce cramping, fatigue, and loss of motivation.

In the days leading up to the race, focus on consuming complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats to prepare your body for the challenge ahead. And don’t forget to celebrate your achievement after the race with a well-deserved post-race meal!

Get on the Path to Peak Performance

Dynamic Cyclist is your virtual companion on the road to Ironman success! We’ve created an online training platform to help cyclists get stronger, increase their mobility, and ride pain free. Join our incredible community and take your training to the next level. Click here for a 7-day free trial!

6 Ways To Immediately Get Better At Cycling

July 27, 2022 by Eric Lister

Becoming stronger on the bike is about more than wearing a speed suit and choosing the right kind of energy bar (despite what the manufacturers of such goods would have you believe). We want to delve into the more substantive aspects of how to become a better cyclist, and that involves looking at the sport from a personalized and wide-angle perspective.

The last thing we want as cyclists is to start feeling bogged down by the thought of getting on a bike. If you stop seeing improvement or the body begins to give you grief, all of a sudden the activity you used to love will become nothing more than another chore. You might already be there, but it’s never too late to change things up and reinvigorate a whole new routine.

It’s our goal today to give you six solid tips to improve your cycling, make you a better cyclist and help you feel good long-term on and off the saddle. These tidbits of advice will positively contribute to several other areas in your day to day life, so let’s start making a difference today!

Source: kunchainub – Adobe Stock

1. Slow Down

Source: insta_photos – Adobe Stock

Overtraining is a real and extremely detrimental condition that we in the cycling community are susceptible to. Your body doesn’t differentiate stress; stress from work, from relationships and from exercise. It’s all the same to the body. Having a cup that’s too full is a sure way to hurt cycling performance and eventually end up injured.

You wouldn’t think that to become a better cyclist you might have to stop cycling. Sometimes stopping completely, sometimes just learning to slow down. Try reducing the overall intensity of your rides by sticking to even terrain as opposed to hilly slopes. Or, have your goal be to enjoy the ride instead of focusing on performance, which is another way to calm a flared up system.

Look at it this way, cycling has been shown to improve executive functioning and mental health in older adults. This is evidence that our sport can be regenerative and medicinal with the proper dosage. Using it as a tool for recuperation and fulfillment (instead of punishment) is a way we can stay on the bike longer while feeling good about the choices we’re making.

2. Cross Train

Source: LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – Adobe Stock

Cross training is one of the best ways to improve your cycling performance and make you an overall better bike rider. Not only do you get to explore other recreational and social opportunities, but it’s a physical necessity for any athlete participating in any sport.

Proper cycling posture is a key factor in determining whether your rides will be efficient, comfortable and pain free. Even the most meticulous cyclist, however, will start to feel aggravated after too much time on the bike. Moving your body with different amounts of force through varying ranges of motion is a complexity that it constantly craves.

Integrating activities that use movements not found in cycling will provide the most benefit. Swimming is a great example; rotation, pulling, back extension, core extension, freeing of the legs and shoulders are all things cycling isn’t great at. An intelligently selected cross training activity will give your body that fresh new stimulation it has been waiting for.

3. Eat Better Food

Source: america_stock – Adobe Stock

The benefits of whole, organically grown, fresh fruits, vegetables and meats are far reaching within your own body, your community and the rest of the planet. Shopping at a farmers market is more than a nice day trip (but it is that too!). It supports local operations and people you get to meet face to face, making a connection between you and what you put in your body.

You literally are what you eat. Everything you digest breaks down to eventually form the cells of your entire anatomy. Organic food is more nutritious and contains less pesticide residues than commercially raised goods. By choosing whole, organic foods (not organic cookies) you’re supporting a sustainable ecosystem both inside your body and outside in the world.

When you eat poorly (and we all know what that means), your body has to try to build muscles, tendons, organs, blood and bone out of garbage materials. How do you think those structures will perform? A hint: They will be at high risk of injury and lacklustre on the bike. Not to mention your mental health, which your food choices have a profound effect on.

4. Implement A Strength Training & Mobility Routine

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Unless you are a powerlifter, weightlifter or bodybuilder, your number one goal as an athlete in the gym (including cyclists) is injury prevention. When you get injured, it doesn’t matter how good you look or how strong you are or what your Vo2 max is…you won’t be able to do the activity you love. This often occurs as a result of a repetitive, improperly balanced program.

The implementation of a strength & mobility routine is how you make up for the shortfalls and detriments of your sport. There is no lack of those in cycling, so we have to be clever with the moments before we get on the bike, time actually spent riding, and off days dedicated to the health, pliability and strength of our bodies.

Dynamic Cyclist is a fully integrated training system dedicated to cyclists. It’s a fraction of the cost of a gym membership and can be performed at home with little or no equipment. They have follow along strength workouts, stretching routines, mobility exercises and injury prevention programs that are all designed to help you become a better cyclist.

5. Get A Training Partner

Source: Odua Images – Adobe Stock

Riding alongside a partner is one of the best ways to get better at cycling. Whether it’s your romantic partner, a long-time friend or someone you met at an event, cycling is a wonderful activity that should be shared and bonded over.

Cycling solo certainly has its benefits, but we all need human connection. Shared experiences are the most memorable, and cycling offers us that opportunity to get outside together and explore. If you’ve noticed a lack of motivation lately, a training partner can help breathe new life into the sport you once fell in love with.

Nowadays there is ample opportunity to connect with local biking enthusiasts. Race events, Facebook groups and other online communities mean that if you want to find someone to ride with, you can! For the more competitive athlete, you’ll find grueling hills and long distance pushes far more enjoyable knowing someone else is going through it too!

6. Hire A Coach

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Commissioning the services of a qualified, experienced coach is one of the best returns on investment in any sport or activity. You’ll be under the guidance of someone who has been there and seen the problems you might be facing in themselves and other athletes. Not only that, they’ve learned ways to address those problems and figured out solutions to improve them.

There is a plethora of information, training programs and advice that pervades the web on anything and everything cycling. Deciphering such information can be difficult and result in a lot of wasted time and effort. This is one of the main advantages to working with someone who can separate the wheat from the chaff and ensure you’re doing the right things at the right time.

Dynamic Cyclist’s dedicated 1-on-1 coach, Cory Krist, has over 20 years of experience helping people become better cyclists. He graduated with an honours degree in Kinesiology and uses his extensive knowledge to help people understand the why behind different training principles and techniques. You can learn about Coach Cory and set up a call with him HERE!

Become A Better Cyclist

As cyclists, we all know the importance of staying in top shape and maintaining muscle balance to avoid injury and ride pain-free. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Dynamic Cyclist, the program that offers daily stretching and strength training video routines designed specifically for cyclists. Created by industry professionals, these programs will take your cycling to the next level and help you reach your full potential. So, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider, Dynamic Cyclist has everything you need to improve your performance and keep riding for years to come. Experience the results for yourself, click here to try 7 days free.

The Number of Calories Burned Cycling

October 1, 2020 by Sarah Lauzé

Everyone has their own reasons for cycling, whether it be that feeling of freedom out on the open road, a way of commuting, or a means to be able to eat whatever you want. (Not going to lie, being able to enjoy a beer guilt-free is worth putting in a few extra miles).

No matter what kind of exercise you’re doing, most of us want to know the number of calories burned. Something like running is a little easier to calculate because it’s solely your body powering movement. Cycling, however, includes wheels, which complicates things when it comes to calories burned climbing versus cruising downhill.

Understanding energy output compared to input is important, especially when it comes to working towards weight loss. There are lots of charts and equations out there that will take your weight and the length of your ride and spit out a number representing the calories you burned on a ride, but just how accurate are they? There are a lot more factors at play here than may be realized at a glance.

What is a calorie?

A calorie is simply a unit of energy, but it can cause a whole lot of confusion and debate. Yes, 500 calories of twinkies may be the same amount as 500 calories of carrots, but are the two really the same thing? The “how much” is equal, but that “what” is radically different.

It’s not the number of calories that is important here so much as how they make you feel. Foods that are calorie dense and nutrient light won’t make you feel satiated causing you to eat more than your realize.

How important is calorie counting?

Your calorie intake is as important as you make it. The reality is, most of us have no idea how many calories we consume in a day, let alone how many we burn. We notice when we get a little thicker around the middle, but may have misconceptions as to just how many calories are needed before and after a long ride.

It’s true that weight loss comes down to the simple matter of calories in versus calories out, but that doesn’t mean those calories can be from whatever you want. The type and quality of those calories determines how efficiently they are turned into fuel for your body. What you should eat to prepare for a time trial day versus a long slow distance are actually different. High intensity workouts draw from carbohydrates, which quickly turn to fuel for you muscles, whereas easier, longer rides will burn a higher proportion of fat.

Calorie counting is one way to make you more aware of what you’re fuelling your body with, but it’s about so much more than a number. Not all calories are created equal, and you want to focus more on what is sustainable rather than depriving yourself. The number of calories you burn may be the same no matter what, but ensuring those calories come from the proper places will make all the difference in your performance.

What is calorie burn?

Your calorie burn is determined by three things:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – Your BMR is how many calories you burn at rest, consisting of the energy it takes to keep all your body’s systems operating.
Activity Level – Your activity level is the calories you burn when your body is in motion. This can be broken down by taking the speed and duration of your ride in comparison to your weight.
Thermic Effect of Food – The thermic effect of food is the energy it takes to digest the food you eat.

How to measure calories burned

The most accurate way to measure the amount of calories burned while out on a ride it to use a detailed app (Strava or MapMyRun), or a cycling computer that takes the following into account:

Intensity – Measured by your heart rate or with a power meter, intensity has a huge effect on the number of calories burned. If you ride one mile at your maximum effort in three minutes, you will burn the same amount of calories than if you were to ride the same mile over ten minutes at a more leisurely pace. It’s essentially shortening the amount of time to spend the same amount of calories.
Gender – The larger you are, the more calories you burn in your burn day-to-day as well as when exercising. As men are generally larger than women, they burn more calories.
Aerodynamics – This is not just wind direction and speed, but also your position on your bike and your build. If you have more surface area open to the wind, it will take more energy to push through a headwind. Aerodynamics is a hard thing to measure, so it is most often not taken into account.
Weight – Be as accurate as possible with your weight (don’t lie to yourself), because the energy it takes for a heavier person to ride the same distance as a lighter person is different.
Duration– Generally speaking, the longer you ride, the more calories you will burn.

The table represents rough estimates of how many calories you burn when cycling, running and swimming for an hour at different intensities.

Nutrition and Athletic Performance – How Deficiencies Affect Your Riding

August 2, 2020 by Josh Friedman

Athletic performance depends on how well you take care of yourself, from your training, recovery, sleep, stress management, and nutrition. Nutrition is the area where there is the most information and common knowledge but the least adherence – do as I say and not as I do. It is difficult to live as an athlete in a world surrounded by non-athletes leading regular lives. Having some background in nutrition and athletic performance could help put you on the right track to righting your dietary wrongs.

Nutrients and Training

Daily recommended amounts of nutrients are based on the average person living an average life. You are not living an average life. You are riding a lot and because of all that riding, you are using more of everything – vitamins, minerals and macro-nutrients. Keeping up with your consumption is necessary to perform your best on the bike; energy consumption in skeletal muscles can go up to one hundred times the resting rate. Along with the macro-nutrients consumed in the exercise, you are consuming micro-nutrients at similar speeds.

Joe Friel and Nutrition

In Joe Friel’s chapter on nutrition in his seminal work The Cyclist’s Training Bible, he enumerates how much food you would need to consume to achieve necessary levels of nutrients without supplementation. To eat the daily recommended amounts of vitamins C and E it is mind-blowing; fifteen asparagus spears, thirty one avocados, four cups of broccoli, thirty three peaches, thirty prunes, twelve ounces of tomato juice, seventeen cups of spinach and a quarter cup of wheat germ.

Or you could take supplements that would save your digestive system the distress of such a huge quantity of food. Below is an exploration of why you would want to supplement your diet instead of relying on the food you eat and how each common deficiency affects your daily life and performance.

Vitamins

B Vitamin Deficiency

B vitamin (B1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12 and folic acid) deficiency is common in vegan and vegetarians. The easiest way to eat B vitamins is through animal products – meat, dairy, and eggs. Without them, it is difficult to come close to the necessary levels of B vitamins.

This vitamin group plays a role in energy production, muscle repair and red blood cell production. Skimp on those processes and you are in for some bad days on the bike.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption. Without enough your bones will weaken. That is not good news when you fall off your bicycle. It also regulates skeletal muscles and the nervous system. Again, not good things to weaken when you are trying to perform at your best.

Your body can produce vitamin D, but only if you get enough exposure to sunshine. It is a tough balance to strike when you need the vitamin D but too much ultraviolet light can lead to skin cancer. Fortunately you do not need to make the decision between enough vitamin D and cancer. Supplement your vitamin D AND use sunscreen.

Some places do not get enough sun, or if you ride early or late in the day you will not get enough sun to meet your vitamin D needs. In these situations it is critical to supplement with vitamin D; you have no choice if you want your body to perform at its peak.

Vitamin E Deficiency

Exercise introduces oxygen into your cells, and while it produces energy, it also causes oxidation (think rust on iron) in the cells. It is a destructive process. Vitamins E (and A and C, vitamins less likely to be at a deficiency) combats oxidation (as an antioxidant). Enough oxidatitve stress can cause serious problems with recovery and rebuilding of damaged cells. While you can train your body to recover to an extent, you also need to have ample antioxidants on board to stop the process before it goes over the edge.

Minerals

Anemia/Iron Deficiency

Red blood cells require iron to carry oxygen to cells for energy synthesis. If there is not enough iron, there is not enough oxygen and you will feel sluggish. This is anemia. It is not necessary to supplement iron unless you have confirmed anemia. Iron is available in meat and fish in the form of heme iron, which is more readily available than the non-heme iron in leafy greens, legumes, nuts and seeds. Be aware of a balanced diet and be aware of the signs of anemia.

Zinc Deficiency

You hear all the time about taking zinc when you are about to get sick or are around sick people. It is a powerful mineral that is critical to your immune system. It is present in over three hundred enzymes in the body. You do not need a lot of it, but that little bit goes a long way to protecting you from infections. If you start to get a sniffle, boost your zinc intake.

Calcium Deficiency

Calcium deficiency can lead to life-altering conditions relatively quickly. It builds bones along with regulating cardiovascular function, two broad and critical systems for a full life. A sweaty athlete depletes calcium levels more rapidly than a sedentary individual. Lots of foods are fortified with calcium; make sure you are eating enough. If not, supplement.

Dairy is not necessarily the best source of calcium. Protein synthesis requires calcium. Dairy has a lot of protein, so a lot of the calcium you are ingesting is going towards absorbing the protein.

Electrolyte Deficiency

Magnesium and Potassium are important electrolytes that conduct neurological signals throughout the body. If there are not enough electrolytes to conduct the signals, cramps result. More serious deficiency can cause failure of other body systems because neurological signals never make it to their destination.

If you are going to exercise and sweat, it is necessary to stay topped up on electrolytes. There are a lot in fruits and vegetables, but you should consider using a mix for your water. There are electrolyte add-ins that do not have flavor or calories. If you are riding in the cold, electrolyte mix is a good idea too, not only because you may sweat in your warm clothes, but because the electrolytes will lower the freezing temperature of your water.

Other Deficiencies

Calorie Deficiency

The image of a cyclist burned in everyone’s mind is incredibly skinny. Think Michael Rasmussen or Chris Froome. The truth is that they are at the razor’s edge of fitness, a moment away from going over into a very unhealthy place. They have doctors and nutritionists to look after them; you probably do not.

According to the study cited here, fifty percent of athletes did not eat enough to meet their daily energy requirements. That means they did not have enough energy to effectively complete their workouts along with performing tasks required outside of training. Not having enough energy is a tough way to get through the day. Make sure you are eating enough. Remember that being ultra-skinny does not equal being ultra-fast and definitely not ultra-healthy.

Supplement Your Diet

A good multivitamin should be able to provide you with the necessary vitamins for proper nutrition and athletic performance. Getting enough micro-nutrients for peak performance through diet alone is not only difficult but nearly impossible. Remember to get the right amounts of all nutrients; too much of anything is a bad thing.

Cycling Nutrition: A Guide to Meal Prepping

July 5, 2020 by Sarah Lauzé

While cyclists talk about dropping kilos, diet and weight loss might not be the answer. Weekly meal prepping and planning trumps the latest trend. Diets all work in the beginning, but they are not really creating healthy habits. You are constantly reminded of what you shouldn’t put in your body, instead of reminding you of what you should be adding to your diet.

Weight loss plans remove fat, and carbs and reduce portion size. However, the simple concept of adding good quality foods to your diet will help fuel you properly, losing weight in the process. Meal prepping ensures you have what you need ready and available when you’re hungry, keeping you from backsliding into bad habits.

What is Meal Prepping?

Meal prep can mean something a little different to each person, so you have to find a system that works for you. At its simplest, it’s preparing some or all of your meals for a week at one time. The goal is to save you time as well as remove the common tendancy to eat what is easiest rather then what is best for your body. If you have a system down for breakfast and lunch, then just prep dinners for the week. Or, if you find yourself always rushing out the door in the morning and grabbing a croissant on the way to work, then prepping breakfast will be important for you.

How to Meal Prep

Although meal prepping will save you time and money in the long run, it does take an initial investment. Start off with some quality tupperware containers, BPA free is best as you will be using them to reheat meals. Also, having them all the same size will help you stack them easily in the fridge.

Step 1: Plan

Sit down on Saturday or Sunday night before your weekly grocery run. Start with broad strokes and general meal ideas. Having a plan will help keep track of the quality of calories you are adding, as well as a general idea of the quantity of calories. From there, you can start getting specific. Unless you’re already a super clean eater, prepping some plain chicken and broccoli for 5 meals a week just won’t cut it. Try planning two to three different meals, so you only have a couple days of the same thing. It’s not a fail-safe solution, but seeing fish taco Tuesday is exciting, for one, and two, if you’ve shopped for the ingredients and they are in the fridge already, it’s much harder to order Pad Thai from across the street. The meal plan will take all of 10 minutes, and will help you fuel your work week, and your weekend rides.

Step 2: Shop

Knowing what you are cooking for the week makes doing a weekly grocery shop easy. No more wandering around the grocery store impulse buying. Having the bulk of your produce at the beginning of the week allows you to get home and unwind instead of adding the task of picking up groceries on the way home from work. It doesn’t sound like much, but with the food already in the fridge, you can start food prep earlier, and get to the good part! Picking up a couple of missing or forgotten items during the week is more manageable once the bulk has been taken care of.

Step 3: Prep

This is the part that will take the longest, but once you get into it, it can actually be a lot of fun. Use the time to catch up on some podcasts, or hang out with you significant other and prep together. Again, there are a lot of different ways to go about this, so you have to find what works for you. You can completely pre-cook a couple meals and then split them into containers to last you the week. Or, you can get everything ready to cook so it’s easy to throw together after work. Vegetables can be especially tedious to wash and chop, but once done you’ll find you use them a lot more readily.

Fueling For Your Ride

Cyclists should be focusing on what they can add to their diet to improve energy levels before, during and after rides. The calories and nutrients that you deprive your body of during the week will leave you feeling flat by the time you get to your next ride. Challenge yourself to be more mindful of how your body feels during a ride. Were you dropped that last time you rode on an empty stomach? If so, then try different approaches to see what works for you and has you feeling your best both on and off the bike.

Replacing Junk Food

Meal prepping and planning isn’t about sticking to a strict diet, but being mindful and planful when it come to what you’re putting in your body. We all have moments of weakness, but when you’ve taken steps to avoid the temptation altogether by having healthy, nutrient filled meals on demand, it’s a whole lot easer to forget about the junk food. Snacking is the most dangerous part of your diet. Chips and salsa is great if they accompany Fish Taco Tuesday, but not great if they creep into a nightly routine.

Planning your snacks will help. Nuts and dried fruit are a cyclist’s best friend (try dates, figs and apricots they are underrated). Keep these in the pantry so they are easy to grab when a salt or sugar craving springs up. These nutrient-dense snacks can be sweet, salty and fatty but they are also providing your body with valuable resources that corn chips can’t.

If you’re trying to lose weight, riding your bike will be the biggest tool at your disposal. Adding volume to your weekly regime will shift your current caloric balance in your favor, but be warned – adding kilometers will also have you craving more food (pro tip: add good calories)!

If you are training with any kind of intensity, losing weight might be harder than you think. When you train with intensity your body will add muscle while shedding fat. This change in body composition replaces dead weight with functional muscle mass. This is why focusing on a number goal it’s always the best option. Instead, paying attention to the quality of the foods you put in your body will allow you to ride more, faster, and more frequently.

6 Tips To Speed Up Post Ride Recovery

May 2, 2020 by Sarah Lauzé

We get it, when you get home after a long ride all you want to do is collapse on the couch with a beer. There may not be anything wrong with that, but what you do after your ride can be just as important as the ride itself. If you miss the opportunity to give your body what it needs to recover, it can have negative effects in the long run. So here’s what you need to know about post ride recovery to bounce back from a hard ride feeling even stronger and faster.

6 Tips To Speed Up Post Ride Recovery

Cool Down

You may want to do a final sprint on your final segment home, but it’s important to take some time for a cool down. Stopping abruptly can cause blood to actually pool in your legs, so you’ll want to gently spin your legs and lower your heart rate for at least 5 minutes at the end of each ride.

Stretch & Roll

You may not have access to a massage therapist after every ride, but massaging your legs after a ride encourages blood flow to the muscle, pushing out waste products of muscle breakdown and aiding muscle recovery. Using a roam roller is like having your own personal massage therapist, as painful as it can be. Stretching your muscles in a way that returns them to their natural state of balance is also important to recovery. If you want to learn more about the best stretches for cyclists, check out Dynamic Cyclist for more information.

Hydrate

Dehydration can slow the recovery process, so be sure to drink up after a ride. Whether it be water or an electrolyte drink, be sure to replenish your body before reaching for that beer.

Have a Nap

A long ride is the perfect excuse to go for that afternoon nap. Sleep is one of the most important parts of recovery, as your body enters full relaxation mode. Whether it be having a 30 minute nap, or going to bed a little earlier that night, getting plenty of sleep will help boost your recovery.

Have a Meal

Hard rides can eat through your carbohydrate stores pretty quick, so it’s important to replenish within an hour after your ride. A meal that is both carb-rich and high in protein is ideal to restock glycogen and speed up muscle recovery.

Hot/Cold Shower

Contrast water therapy (a fancy name for alternating between hot and cold) can help reduce inflammation and increase blood circulation to the areas that need it. Although the science hasn’t fully backed the method, there’s a reason why many professional athletes and coaches still swear by it.

6 On-the-Bike Snacks For Your Jersey Pocket

April 22, 2020 by Sarah Lauzé

If you’re out on a ride when hunger strikes, there’s nothing worse than empty jersey pockets. On the bike snacks allow you the right food at the right time, not only keeping the hunger pains away, but also feeding your muscles and fighting off fatigue. A great guideline is that if you’re going to be out for anything over an hour, then take some snacks along.

That being said, as much as the right foods can have a positive effect on your ride, the wrong foods can have the same amount of impact. Sweet snacks may be tempting when the blood sugar is beginning to drop, but it will just cause a bigger crash later. Having the right snacks with you, stashed in your jersey pocket, will set you up for a great ride.

The Best On-The-Bike Snacks

What makes a good bike snack? It’s not just about giving you energy, but also its portability and durability. Things that will get squished or even melt will not be the most appetizing when you’re out on a ride. Here are some the best on the bike snacks:

Bananas

Bananas are nature’s energy bars, already wrapped and ready to go. Packed full of potassium and carbohydrates, you really can’t beat it for a mid-ride snack.

Energy Bars

You’ll want to be picky with which energy bars you take with you on your ride as so many are packed full of sugar they can have as much nutritional value as a chocolate bar. Check out the ingredients and go for ones with more whole grains, dried fruits and nuts as opposed to processed sugars. Even better you could make your own!

PB & J

The classic peanut butter and jelly (or honey) sandwich is a standby for a reason. Not only is it delicious, but it provides a great boost of lasting energy. Substitute the bread for a wrap so it doesn’t get squished and you’re on your way!

Trail Mix

Dried fruit and nuts are a great source of concentrated carbohydrates and potassium. Trail mix is also a great thing that you can make just the way you like. Head to the bulk food section of your grocery store and buy the mixins! (Maybe take it easy on the chocolate though).

Dried Fruit

If the idea of nuts and seeds is a little dry, go for some dried fruit. It’s sweeter alternative, and is convenient to carry around. Most dried fruits retain their nutritious content, so feel free to snack away!

How to Lose Weight Cycling: The Essentials

February 23, 2020 by Sarah Lauzé

Your bike, when put to good use, may just be the best tool you have to lose weight. Whether you’re just starting out and looking to cycling as a means to a healthier lifestyle, or are a veteran cyclist, there are a lot of reasons you may be looking to lose weight cycling.

Shaving off the pounds can make you faster, boost your confidence, and impact almost every part of life. Just make sure you are putting your well-being first. If you are working towards a weight goal, ensure that is it one that will actually improve your overall health and fitness.

Why Cycling?

So, why chose to lose weight cycling over other means? Running is known for being on of the more effective way to burn calories, but is also a high impact sport. Especially if you live in a city and are running on roads, each step sends impact through your feet, ankles, calves, knees, and onward. This can make it a difficult activity to start if you have previous injuries, and you can be at risk of overuse injuries (which increases the heavier you are).

Cycling, on the other hand, is a low impact activity that like running, you can do almost anywhere. It’s also a ton of fun! Biking is all about the legs, but it’s also a cardiovascular exercise that burns a ton of calories. Weight loss comes down to burning more calories than you are taking in, causing your body to use energy stores. Plus, as you strengthen your muscles cycling, you’ll also be building up oxygen delivering capillaries. With oxygen running through your body at a faster rate, your metabolism will speed up and start to eat away at fat cells, resulting in weight loss.

Steps to get started

Make a plan not a goal

Goals can be a great motivating tool, but without the plan to get there, they will remain out of reach. You need to get specific and lay it out in a way that makes sense to you. This could be a simple as riding your bike to work three days out of the week or putting in a couple hundred miles.

Be realistic with yourself and your schedule. If your plan is too demanding in the start, you probably won’t stick with it, but if it’s too easy you won’t see results. Can’t find time to commute or ride in the evenings? Try a lunch hour spin class. For more information check out this article: The Benefits Of Having A Cycling Training Plan.

Find your moderate base pace

Starting out you will want spend most of your time on the bike at 68-79 percent of your max heart rate. If you don’t want to fuss about measuring it with a heart rate monitor, then aim for a pace that leaves you out of breath, but still able to carry on a conversation (no gasping). Great, now hang out there.

You shouldn’t be so drained at the end of the ride that you won’t want to head out again, enjoy it! Once you’ve established your base, then you’ll want to introduce some variety to your rides in the form of intervals or high intensity sessions.

Diet

Your diet is the sum of the food you consume, and as you probably already know it is a huge factor in weight loss. Ignore what the latest fad is, it all comes down to nutrition and fueling your body with the right amounts of the right things. Just because you are going for ride after work does not mean you should carb load.

Carbohydrates need to support your cycling routines, not hinder them. The reality is that too large a portion can lead to peaks and dips in energy that can actually leave you feeling lethargic. A good rule of thumb is to aim to eat a fist-sized portion of low-glycaemic carbohydrates to ensure that you get a steadier release of energy as you ride.

Weight loss is a simple concept: More calories out than in. So, keep your diet simple. Eat a balanced, healthy diet, control your portion size, and cut out unnecessary snacking and you will be well on your way.

Don’t fear the hills

Going up a hill takes a lot more energy than riding on a flat surface. This will cause you to use up extra calories in a shorter period of time. So, hills are actually your friend!

Embrace the cycling community

Accountability is important for everyone, but it’s not something you should dread. Finding a cycling partner or joining a weekly group ride not only ensures you show up, but it’s also a great way to meet people. So, head down to your local bike shop and find out how you can get involved.

Enjoy it!

Cycling is fun above all else, so make sure you keep it that way! Think of it as a part of your day you’re looking forward to, rather than something you have to do to lose weight. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you’ll be to stick with it for the long haul.

Energizing Food for Cyclists: Top 10

February 1, 2020 by Sarah Lauzé

Whether it’s the time of year or your diet, sometimes you’ll find that your energy is just zapped. If all you want to do is crawl into bed and binge watch the latest Netflix show, then you may want to take a look at this list of energizing food for cyclists. Not only can they help you shake that ‘blah’ feeling, but they will have you feeling strong both on and off the bike.

1. Celery

We all know an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and you may be on board the kale train as a nutrient dense food, but what about celery? It may just be the unsung hero you’ve been waiting for, without the bitter taste! Celery contains apigenin, which is powerful in its anti-inflammatory action and can help with recovery. It is also packed full of nitrate (which also made beetroot juice so popular), which can help reduce the energy cost of exercise, positively affect muscle contraction, and up your overall energy.

2. Fish

Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids has been linked to low moods and energy levels, so getting your fill of fatty fish can help give you a boost. Many of us get plenty of the unhealthy fats, but are lacking the healthy ones in our diets. Try wild salmon, herring, sardines, or anchovies as a means to get your brain functioning to its fullest potential, and aid in the absorption of vitamin D.

3. Oatmeal

If you are craving some comfort carbs, try some oatmeal before you reach for the pastas and potatoes. Carbohydrates trigger the feel-good emotion of serotonin (which is why they can be dangerous), but you can use this to your advantage. Real oatmeal, not the instant kind, can act as a slow release carb, sustaining you over time rather than spiking your energy. Plus, you can load it up with things like nuts, fruit, and even maple syrup if you’re in need of some sweetness.

4. Hemp Seeds

Rich in iron and magnesium, hemp seeds can aid in the transportation of oxygen and muscle contractions. They are also packed with protein and those fatty acids your body needs, so can make a great addition to your smoothies, salads, or stir frys.

5. Lentils

Lentils are your ultimate pre-ride fuel, but can also be a great addition to your everyday diet. Used by vegetarians as a healthy and hearty source of protein, lentils also provide slow burning calories. Relatively speaking they are low in calories and high in mineral content (especially iron), which can help your muscular endurance. Lentils can be used in place of pasta, replace meat in soup, or even be cooked into your morning omelette.

6. Milk

Milk can be a good source of “the sunshine vitamin D,” which effects hormone balance and immune regulation in the body. With the lack of sunlight over the winter in a lot of areas, energy levels drop and many people have depleted immune systems. Raw milk can be a great source of vitamin D, but you can also get it in supplement form.

7. Coconut Oil

Coconut is calorie dense, and can work as a fast-acting source of energy. Coconut oil specifically is rich in fatty acids that can help your endurance reduce blood lactate levels, as well as including a hit of vitamin C and electrolytes. You can put it in smoothies, or use it to cook with in just about anything!

8. Green Tea

If you’re on your third cup of coffee and it’s just not cutting it, green tea can help stimulate those brain waves. High in an amino acid called L-theanine, it can increase your alertness while also giving you a hit of caffeine.

9. Bananas

We all know bananas are packed full of potassium and magnesium, making them a go-to choice for athletes. They can help prevent muscle cramps, and they’re great for digestion. You really can’t lose, so grab a banana for the perfect snack.

10. Dark Chocolate

If you’re craving a hit of sugar, then curb that feeling with some dark chocolate. Not only does it release that feel good serotonin, but is also causes a release of endorphins that can pick up your spirits on a dreary day. Everything in moderation though, and keep it to just a few squares rather than the whole bar.