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Nutrition

Nutrition and Athletic Performance – How Deficiencies Affect Your Riding

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Nutrition and Athletic Performance

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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Lose Weight Cycling

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.

Lose Weight CyclingDiet

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 communityLose Weight Cycling

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

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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. FishFood for Cyclists

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.

Food for Cyclists4. 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. MilkFood for Cyclists

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. BananasFood for Cyclists

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.

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain With Cycling

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The holiday season brings family and friends together over meals and as cyclists we love to indulge in copious amounts of food, and treat ourselves to some (or lots) of festive drinks.  However with all the rum and eggnog, and mashed potatoes and gravy it is all to easy to pack on some unwanted weight in a short amount of time.  It is important to maintain some holiday cycling so you can treat yourself to your family’s traditions, but there are some ways to help make sure you aren’t overzealous and end up with weight gain you regret in the new year!

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

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It can be easy to let your fitness and exercise regime go by the wayside when company arrives and you have to organize dinners and events.  However there are some tips to help you maintain some of you cycling fitness over the holidays.

Do Something Active Daily

Try to get in 30-60 minutes of activity each day.  This will keep your body used to the exercise stimulus.

Set your bike up on the trainer  downstairs or in a garage where it won’t bother your family and watch an episode of a show, or the news each morning.  That way your holiday cycling is done for the day while everyone else is slowly rising and you can spend the remainder of the day visiting with the family.

Be Flexible

In all reality, you’re probably not going to get in a solid three hours of riding in every day, and that’s okay. Be realistic and flexible with your goals and expectations. Shoveling snow is a great strength workout and good for the upper body and core.  Offer to shovel your street for your neighbors as well!  They will appreciate it and you will get in a strength workout.

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Go to the Gym or a Class

Hitting the gym is a convenient way to maintain fitness as well as bond with family members. Go as a group and get your sweat on together so you can enjoy the turkey later. Try out a spin class to get your legs  spinning.

Head out for an outdoor ride or commute to satisfy your holiday cycling.  If your town isn’t too covered in snow, it is a good option to commute for errands to maintain some cycling fitness.

Don’t Stress About Holiday Meals

Everything in moderation is usually the way to go at all times of the year, so keep it going through the holidays.  Treat yourself to that piece of pie, a beer and butter and gravy on your potatoes.  You deserve to participate in your family’s feast and not to feel guilty while doing it.

Avoid going for seconds.  Most often loading up the plate multiple times is the pitfall for weight gain.

Enjoy the desserts and rich drinks, but these are calorie dense so bare that in mind when going for drink number 4.

Eat and drink slowly.  This will fill you up, and allow you to properly taste and digest the food.

Enjoy it!  Don’t feel guilty, food is good for you and ultimately will be used for your holiday cycling fuel.

Try to relax and enjoy the holidays. Do not stress if you miss and training ride, or have one too many drinks.  Try to maintain some holiday cycling, and that way you can enjoy all of the delicious treats that come with this festive time of year!

5 Things Definitely Not To Eat On Ride

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There are lots and lots of articles on what you should eat while riding. Some of those articles may even give you an idea of what not to eat on a ride, but with few specifics. Here is your chance to read about five things definitely not to eat on a ride and why they could ruin your day.

The 5 Things Not To Eat On A Ride

Meat

Most of the digestive issues from the foods on this list is about their basic digestibility. If it takes a long time to digest, a food will not provide much benefit during a ride; you will not have access to the macro nutrients by the time your ride is over (unless you are on an epic ride). Meat tops the list as slow to digest. It requires lots of mechanical digestion, hence energy that could be going to your legs, along with the blood powering your stomach. Low carbohydrate content means very little quickly available energy during your ride. Save your meat for post-ride recovery.

Ice Cream

Ice cream has a bit more accessible carbohydrates than meat, but suffers from the same lack of digestibility as meat. What ice cream (and dairy in general) has over meat is its ability to produce greater quantities of flatulence. You do not want that in your chamois. Most people have difficulty with lactose, whether they know it or not, and you may get a surprise grumble after a milky treat.

Gels and High Sugar Drinks

Surprise! Gels and other high sugar sports drinks only serve to dehydrate you, despite the claims on the packaging. Read the fine print on a gel and it says you should consume with a full bottle of water. How are you going to carry that many bottles on a long ride.

What happens is that the sugar in the gel or drink needs to have a lower concentration for your body to absorb it. That additional fluid to dilute the sugar solution comes from the fluid you already have in your body. Blood viscosity goes up and performance goes down.

Stick with solid food that is has a relatively high carbohydrate content. Solid food will rely on mechanical digestion versus dilution of a sugar solution. You will perform much better.

Spicy Food

Avoiding spicy food is pretty simple. You do not want it to repeat while you do your repeats. More powerful than a power meter or heart rate monitor to know if you are going hard enough is the old throw-up-in-your-mouth. It is bad enough to regurgitate; you do not want it to be spicy too.

And spicy food can cause a bit of stomach discomfort, but that is not the main point here.

Raw Veggies

A few carrots sticks or a small salad will be fine during the course of a ride, say on a lunch stop, but it is not going to give you a boost in energy levels. If you do find the most delicious broccoli on your ride, maybe when stopping at a farmers market?, try to avoid gorging on it. It is going to be tough to digest, along with probably giving you an extra blast out of the old jet exhaust. You may also find the blood draining from necessary parts of your body like your legs and head to power the digestion of all that fiber.

So What is Left to Eat?

There are still lots of great options to snack on while riding. Based on the above, you should be able to distill that your food should be solid, digestible and have a high carbohydrate to protein and fat ratio. Eat what you think is delicious and maybe error on the side of bland to avoid the reflux. You will be more likely to enjoy your snacks and stay fueled properly for your ride.

5 Great Muscle Recovery Foods

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Post-workout recovery has different meanings for every individual. This could include activities such as ice baths, stretching, or just elevating your legs. One of the most important recovery aspects that tends to get neglected is proper nutrition after exercise. What you eat and when you eat can help your body recover quicker and replenish lost energy stores. Eating the closest thing available or what you’re craving is not always the best option but these muscle recovery foods will be sure to have you on the road to feeling great and having a stellar next ride. muscle recovery foods

5 Great Muscle Recovery Foods

Not sure what you should be eating post-workout? Here are 5 great muscle recovery foods to have you feeling great on your next ride.

#1 – Quinoa:

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One of the most important energy stores to replace after a ride are carbohydrates. As a general rule of thumb, you should try to begin to replace lost carbohydrates within twenty minutes of your ride. Quinoa is a great substitute to rice because it is highly nutrient dense. It has 6 grams of protein per cup and contains all 9 essential amino acids; something no other carb source can claim. The one amino acid that particularly helps sore muscles is lysine, which quinoa is high in. Quinoa provides carbohydrates, high amounts of protein, and even anti-inflammatory properties so it should be a regular “go-to” for your after workout meals.

#2 – Salmon:

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In addition to replacing carbohydrate stores, you will want to consume protein. Salmon is a great choice as it contains bio-active peptides; a small protein that has anti-inflammatory properties and helps joint function. Another great benefit of salmon is the amount of omega-3’s found within it, which help with muscle soreness and reduce swelling. In addition, omega-3’s influence the metabolic response of muscles to nutrition as well as the functional response.

#3 – Avocados:

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These small green fruits sure pack a punch! With twenty-two grams of fat in just one cup, it can be used as a healthy alternative to not-so-healthy traditional toppings like mayonnaise. The fat is also monounsaturated which means it’s the healthy kind that you want more of in your diet. These healthy fats support good heart health, immune system recovery, and vitamin absorption, particularly vitamin C,E,K, and B. With all of these qualities, avocados are also great for brain health and can help improve memory and learning capabilities.

#4 – Berries: Specifically Blueberries and Cherries (if you call them a berry):

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Berries in general are high in antioxidants but blueberries and cherries in particular have a high ORAC oxygen radical absorption capacity . This means that they neutralize free radicals which form as a result of exercising. The overall thing, in blueberries in particular, that can help muscle recovery is the phytochemical content which has been studied, albeit with loose benefits found, to see if it helped muscles after a strenuous exercise

#5 – Water:

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Drink water after riding is a no-brainer but drinking enough is often an overlooked challenge. Ideally you don’t finish a ride super dehydrated but it does happen. It’s important that the first thing that you start to get back into you is water, be it on its own or through a recovery drink to help get other quick nutrients right after. One of the reasons that being dehydrated can hinder muscle recovery is that it reduces blood plasma volume. This in-turn makes it difficult for energy and nutrients to reach the muscle.

There of course are more than 5 muscle recovery foods but if you include these foods in your diet on a regular basis after your rides, you should feel a difference later in the day as you won’t be exhausted. Additionally, you will have improved energy levels as well as less soreness the following day along with just how good you feel on your next ride. Eat right, feel great!

Cycling Nutrition: Common Mistakes to Avoid

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Cycling nutrition is about more than just what you’re eating. You have to take into account how much energy you’re spending, and ensuring you are getting the right nutrients at the right times to feed those muscles. Whether your goal is weight loss, or to simply feel better and stronger on and off your bike, there are some mistake you’ll want to avoid.

As we reach the end of January, those New Year’s diets and resolutions may be already slipping into the background. That may not necessarily be a bad thing. When we focus too much on diets or what we can or cannot do and eat, it is easy to fall off the bandwagon. You want to establish a healthy lifestyle, rather than a simple health kick that will come and go before you can experience any real changes.

Here are some of the most common nutrition mistakes that cyclists make.

cycling nutrition

Skipping Breakfast

It doesn’t have to be a full-meal deal, but you want eat at least some breakfast, especially if you are planning on riding later. You have been effectively fasting overnight, so giving your body some fuel first thing will set the tone for your day and get your energy up. Not convinced? Here’s what eating breakfast will do for you:

  • It boosts your metabolism.
  • Keeps your blood sugar levels stable during the day
  • Reduces risk of craving or overeating later.

That being said, don’t go stock up on breakfast cereals. Think smoothies, oatmeal (not the instant kind), fresh fruit, eggs, and whole grain toast.

Waiting too long to eat in between meals

If you don’t eat, then you’ll lose weight, right? No. Not only can that mentality can create the starve-binge eating pattern, but it’s also hard on your body. If you go too long without eating, when you do eat you are more likely to eat too much or eat the wrong things. This surge of insulin sends fat storage into overdrive, which is counterproductive to weight loss.

You should never go more than four hours without eating. Snacking can be your friend! Avoid high sugar snacks that will spike your blood sugar and then lead to a crash, but instead nibble on foods that will sustain your energy levels throughout the day.

Not fueling properly

When you’re just starting out, or are focusing on weight loss, you may think that it’ll speed things up if you don’t eat before, during, or after a ride. However, if you’ve ever experienced undernourished muscles on a hard climb, you know this is not the case. You can get away with gels and bars on shorter rides, but if you are going out for hours at a time, you need to be fueling your body properly. You should also eat a small meal before your ride so you go in with energy to spare. (This does not mean carbo loading! See below…)

Carbo loading

There’s a bit of a misconception when it comes to carbo loading. Despite popular belief, it is not eating as many carbohydrates at a meal the night before a ride or event. That gigantic plate of pasta the night before your big ride is not carbo loading– it’s just a really big dinner. Most athletes do not even need to carbo load. The need arises if you are going to be pushing yourself at moderate to hard efforts for 2+ hours without access to food.

The goal of carbo loading is to ensure that you have maximum glycogen in your body for an an endurance ride or race. Glycogen is the fuel that powers your muscles, but there is an upper limit to how much glycogen a body can store. Recent research has revealed that it is most effective to do a short but intense workout before carb loading. This will make your muscles hungry for carbs so they will grab and store them for the upcoming event.

Post-ride binge

You’ve just finished a hard ride, so you’ve earned that large pizza, right? Not so much. It’s easy to eat just about anything that comes across your path after a ride, so make sure the right things cross your path. Plan a post-ride snack or meal ahead of time to save yourself from temptation.

Eating too late at night

Life gets busy, and it’s not always realistic to be sitting down to eat dinner at 5pm. Especially if you are training after work, you may not get home from the gym or a ride until 8pm. However, eating a big meal right before heading to bed can not only affect your sleep, but it also increases fat storage. The easiest fix is to try have your main meal at lunchtime, then have a small meal in the evening before you go to bed.

Eating too fast

With packed schedules it can be hard to have the time to sit down and eat slowly, but it’s important. Eating too fast results in eating too much. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to catch up and tell you’re body it’s full, so if you just plow right through you’re going to miss those signals altogether.

Undereating and focusing too much on weight

It may tempting to starve yourself to reach that ideal weight and achieve that lean look in your lycra, but there are much healthier ways to get there. Eating disorders are surprisingly prevalent within the cycling world, and we need to be careful with our habits and our words (and how they may impact those around you). We should replace talk of losing weight with eating healthy and training hard.

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