I Love Bicycling

I Love Bicycling is a website that is geared towards cycling for beginners with road cycling tips, training articles, nutrition tips, weight loss, how to’s and bike repair articles.

Nutrition Tips

What Is Carbo Loading? Good or Bad And How To Do It

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carbo loading

Carbo loading is a dietary strategy to ensure that you have maximum glycogen in your body for an an endurance event, which in this case is cycling. Glycogen is the fuel that powers your muscles. There is an upper limit to how much glycogen a body can store. Carbo loading is an attempt to reach that limit prior to a top priority day on the bike.

What Carbo Loading is Not

Carbo loading is not eating as many carbohydrates at a meal the night before a key event despite what many people believe. That gigantic plate of pasta the night before your big ride is not carbo loading; it is only a really big dinner.

When the system was devised in the 1960’s it was a systematic reduction of carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to an event along with a boost in training load followed by three to four days of a lighter training load with high carbohydrate intake (ten to twelve grams of carbohydrate per kilogram). The idea is that the body will make additional storage for glycogen when it becomes available. The more modern take on carbo loading is that the depletion phase is not necessary. Easier training and higher carbohydrate intake are all that is required. Additionally, it is advisable to eat as many simple carbohydrates as possible for your body to break down and store. This is contrary to the advice of an every day diet.

More Energy

The promise of more energy, fatigue resistance, and more power from carbo loading requires work. You must be fully committed to eating the right balance of carbohydrates, fat, and protein. If you do not achieve close to seventy percent of your calories from carbohydrates, your body will react as if you are eating normally. It is a very difficult task.

Males vs. Females

Males and females do not respond to carbohydrates the same, especially for women during the high hormone phase. All of the early studies of carbo loading were on men, ignoring the fact that women have slightly different body chemistry. This study shows that there was no benefit to carbo loading in the high hormone phase. It is something for women to be aware of leading up to big events.

A Long Day on the Bike

Carbo loading does not replace proper on the bike nutrition, especially for longer days of riding. When a cyclist is riding for six hours at a hard pace they will burn approximately six hundred calories per hour. Average glycogen stores are up to 1800 calories for a seventy kilogram person. That leaves approximately two thousand calories to make up. Some of that will come from burning fat but a lot needs to come from eating during a ride. Do not make the mistake that carbo loading will keep you from needing to eat on a ride.

Problems with Carbo Loading

  • Weight Gain – It is possible to gain weight from carbo loading, even if done properly because of the higher caloric intake and water retention.
  • Stomach Ache – If the carbo loading diet is wildly different from your regular diet, it may cause gastric distress.
  • Carb Shortfall – It is difficult to get enough carbohydrates which makes the changed diet not worthwhile.

Sample Foods

Carbo loading requires a lot of simple carbohydrates. That means cereals, white flour, and rice while being light on the fat and protein which are there to keep everything palatable. A good guide is to think about what a picky kid would want to eat – peanut butter and jelly on white bread (easy on the peanut butter), pasta with a little butter melted on it or white rice with some vegetables with herbs. Nothing complex is necessary, although large quantities are. A sample menu is below to give you an idea of what a day can look like.

Sample carbohydrate-loading meal plan
Item (amount) Carbohydrates (grams) Total calories
Breakfast
Milk, fat-free (12 ounces) 18 125
1 plain bagel 52 260
Peanut butter, smooth (2 tablespoons) 7 191
Honey (2 tablespoons) 35 128
Banana (1) 27 105
Morning snack
Crunchy raisin and almond cereal (1 cup) 74 360
Grape juice (12 ounces) 55 225
Lunch
Milk, chocolate, reduced fat (12 ounces) 45 285
4 slices white bread (1 ounce per slice) 49 266
Chicken breast, roasted without skin (4 ounces or 1/2 breast) 0 187
Romaine lettuce, shredded (1/4 cup) 1 2
Red tomato slices (1/2) 2 11
Mayonnaise, light (2 tablespoons) 3 71
Tortilla chips, low-fat, baked (1 ounce) 23 118
Baby carrots (12) 10 42
Afternoon snack
Low-fat fruit yogurt (8 ounces) 47 249
Low-fat fruit granola (1/2 cup) 33 157
Blueberries (1 cup) 21 83
Cranberry juice, unsweetened (12 ounces) 42 157
Dinner
Wild Atlantic salmon, baked (3 ounces) 0 155
Dinner roll, whole wheat (2) 29 151
Milk, fat-free (12 ounces) 18 125
Salad, combine:
-Romaine lettuce, shredded (2 cups)		 3 16
-Bell or sweet green pepper (1/4 cup) 2 7
-Green apple, chopped (1 medium) 25 95
-Dried cranberries (1/3 cup) 33 130
-English walnuts, chopped (1/4 cup) 4 191
-Asiago cheese, shredded (1 ounce) 1 134
-Reduced-fat Ranch salad dressing (2 tablespoons) 6 55
Evening snack
Strawberry slices (1 cup) 11 46
Sherbet, any flavor (1 1/2 cups) 88 417
Total 764 4,544

Source: Nutritionist Pro, 2015

It Helps…If You Get it Right

Carbo loading can help get you through a big day on the bike with higher energy. It is imperative that you get your carbo loading system right to get any benefit. The science shows it works. Try experimenting with it well before your target day to see if you are able to get a high enough concentration of carbohydrates. Only then will you be carbo loading correctly.

Oxygen Pills – Legal Doping? How To Sniff Out A Fake

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oxygen pills

To be clear immediately, oxygen pills are pseudo-science. It is evident from first glance that ingesting oxygen does not deliver oxygen to your blood stream. That is what lungs do. This will be an exercise in understanding a useless supplement and will give you tools to sniff out other equally useless supplements.

Oxygen Delivery

The body delivers oxygen through the blood stream. The oxygen gets into the blood stream through the lungs where it transfers from the alveoli to the red blood cells. The red blood cells deliver oxygen everywhere in the body where it is required; which is every living cell.

There is no mechanism in the digestive system to deliver oxygen to the blood stream. There are a lot of operations that the digestive tract performs (digestion, nutrient absorption, excretion) but none of them have to do with delivering oxygen to cells.

To Change Oxygen Capacity-Drugs Required

In a healthy body, oxygen saturation is close to one hundred percent. That means there is very little additional carrying capacity for oxygen by the red blood cells. Even if you were able to add additional oxygen to the respiratory system (which you cannot) without changing any other variables (blood volume, hematocrit, stroke volume, heart rate) it would have a tiny impact on overall performance.

Drugs like EPO, and this drug has the nickname oxygen in a pill, changes blood chemistry to increase hematocrit or the count of red blood cells. It is highly effective and highly illegal. These drugs are for people who are very sick, either with severe anemia on its own or anemia caused by a very serious disease like cancer. Oxygen pills do nothing like this. They claim to deliver oxygen to the body via mysterious means.

It is incredibly risky for a healthy person to take these drugs such as EPO because it can lead to stroke and heart attack. This is because the blood becomes clogged with too many red blood cells, blocking flow to crucial organs. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when blood boosting drugs became incredibly popular and their use was still not perfected, many, many young and promising cyclists died from these exact complications.

The Ingredients of Oxygen Pills

The ingredients of oxygen pills are varied and disconnected. Here are four examples of the main ingredients of four different oxygen pills:

  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Calcium, sodium, and potassium
  • Magnesium peroxide, vitamin C, Cancer Bush and African Potato
  • Saltwater

What do these oxygen pills have in common? Not much besides their claim to deliver oxygen to your cells. None of these are completely bad for you, although ingesting hydrogen peroxide is not recommended. The claims that these blends in oxygen pills will deliver oxygen to cells has a very loose basis in science. There is oxygen in some of the chemicals and some can release oxygen in chemical reactions, but not inside the body while releasing the oxygen for cellular use.

The Easy Way to Get Stronger

Oxygen pills are not the easy way to get stronger. They will not help you, even a little bit. But oxygen pills will make your wallet lighter with little return. The easiest way to get stronger (GUARANTEED!) is to train hard, eat well, and get very good at recovery. Stay away from the snake oil claims of miracle supplements and stick to the tried and true path of good training.

How To Make Your Own Homemade Protein Shake

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homemade protein shake

Your hard ride is over. It’s time to take get right into your recovery routine. That routine can include a homemade protein shake. Just like homemade sports drinks, a homemade protein shake can provide exactly what you want out of the shake, save you some money, and give you the reward of hacking what seems to be unhackable.

Why a Homemade Protein Shake

A homemade protein shake is a great way to deliver necessary nutrients to your body quickly so you can recover from all the hard work you put in on the bike. Your body needs protein to rebuild muscles and carbohydrates to refuel muscles.

The main difference between a homemade sports drink and a homemade protein shake besides the protein is that the shake does not provide hydration. It is in liquid form so your body can absorb it as quickly as possible. After a hard ride you will also need to drink water to rehydrate.

The Ideal Ratio

You should aim for a ratio of four grams of carbohydrate to one gram of protein in your homemade protein shake. It is a much higher ratio of carbohydrates to protein than general protein shakes because of the aerobic and energy intensive nature of cycling. Most general protein shakes are focused on building lean muscle; a cycling recovery shake should be focused on refueling the muscles along with rebuilding them.

Recipes

You will not need to double or triple these recipes; one dose of your homemade protein shake will get you on the road to recovery.

The Basic

Blend one banana, one cup of milk and one cup of vanilla yogurt. This one is easy because the ingredients are often around the kitchen and you cannot miss with the flavor.

The Vegan

Blend a cup and a half of almond, cashew or soy milk with three tablespoons peanut or almond butter. Add in two tablespoons maple syrup for an additional carbohydrate kick.

The Berry Good

Blend a cup and a half of milk with half a cup of your choice of berries (fresh or frozen), a teaspoon of chia seeds and a teaspoon of spirulina. The spirulina is an acquired taste, but it is very nutritious and  the berries should mask it.

The Exotic

Blend a cup and a half of almond milk with mango, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of turmeric, a teaspoon of maple syrup, a splash of lemon juice and a half cup of vanilla yogurt.

The Heavyweight

Blend a cup and a half of milk with four tablespoons hemp powder, half a teaspoon of spirulina, three tablespoons of chocolate syrup and a teaspoon of chia seeds.

Go Experiment…Again!

Feel free to tweak these recipes to your tastes and dietary needs. It is easy to substitute a milk alternative for cow’s milk, along with substituting various protein powders. It is simple to have a homemade protein shake after training; all it takes is a little planning ahead.

Recovery Shakes For Cycling

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recovery shake

Intervals over, race finished, epic ride complete, or evening hammer fest with your buddies; your legs are screaming. They are broken down and need fuel to return them to their normal state. A quick and convenient way to get that fuel quickly to your muscles are recovery shakes.

Training and Muscle Damage

Heavy training will cause muscle damage. It is imperative to repair that muscle damage, in the form of microscopic tears in the muscle, so you can come back stronger from training. Those microscopic tears is the muscle soreness that you feel after a hard ride. Without proper recovery, training will be for naught.

Why Recovery Shakes?

Recovery shakes deliver the protein and carbohydrates quickly that muscles crave. Protein diluted in a solution is more easily absorbed by the body than solid food that the body needs to fully digest. There is a finite window to replenish the muscles’ protein and glycogen supply to start rebuilding and recovering after a ride or race. It is easy to keep recovery shakes on hand in the form of mix, whether it is at home or on the road so you can always be on top of your recovery regimen.

An added bonus of recovery shakes is if you choose the right ingredients it will taste almost like a milkshake. It will feel like a treat after all the hard work on the bike, but what you are really doing is treating your body right by providing proper nutrition.

The Magic Ratio

Many recovery shakes are not targeted to cyclists. They have a lower carbohydrate to protein ratio, usually around two to one. These products target muscle focused exercise without much of an aerobic element. Their goal is to build muscle as quickly as possible.

Cycling demands a higher ratio of carbohydrates to protein, typically a four to one ratio. The reason is that all of the aerobic and anaerobic work depletes the body’s supply of glycogen, the main fuel for forming ATP, which fires the muscles. A gym workout lifting weights will not have nearly the same impact on glycogen levels as a four hour ride. Recovery shakes contain protein to repair muscle cells damaged from the ride. The body breaks the protein down into amino acids, which it then allocates as needed to rebuild proteins for cell repair.

Types of Protein

There are many different protein-based recovery shakes available. Not only are they different brands, but they have different protein in them that have different properties. Some recovery shakes may have more than one form of protein in them as well.

Whey Isolate

Whey isolate is derived from milk. Twenty percent of the protein in milk is from whey. Isolate has little to no fat or lactose. This has a higher concentration of protein than whey concentrate.

Whey Concentrate

Whey concentrate has a bit of lactose and fat, although not much. It is also derived from milk. This is the most common form of protein you will find in a recovery shake.

Casein or Milk Protein

These terms are interchangeable. Eighty percent of the protein in milk is casein. The body absorbs it more slowly than whey proteins, over the course of hours. It has a higher glutamine content than other proteins, which supports the immune system.

Egg White Protein

Egg white protein is not all that common anymore. It was once believed that eggs were the perfect recovery protein, but that is no longer true with better technology to extract protein from other foods.

Plant Based Proteins

There are many plant based proteins – soy, hemp, pea, rice, etc. There is protein in everything; as long as someone can extract it cost-effectively and it is nutritionally beneficial, it exists somewhere. Plant based proteins are a must for vegans. They are also helpful for those that are lactose intolerant or those with allergies.

Common Recovery Shakes for Cycling

Most companies that make cycling-specific recovery shakes make it with with the right ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Clif, Gu, Vega, Hammer, Endurox and many other have some form of recovery shake tailored to the needs of a cyclist’s recovery. Try out a few to see which one agrees with your palate , stomach, and muscles.

Make the Most of Your Training

To make the most of your training, it is necessary to get the best recovery possible. Doing the right thing in this situation can also be very easy – grab a recovery shake after a ride and let your body take over with the important fuel needed for optimal recovery.

Nutrition for Cyclists – A Basis

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Eating right can be hard at the best of times, especially for those of us who like to exercise as a hobby. With a passion for cycling often comes a need for a balanced diet – and this is even more true when you opt to cycle for long periods of time, or even on a more professional level. Nutrition is a minefield of do’s and don’ts for many areas of exercise, so knowing the right nutrition for cyclists of any ability is essential if you want to get the best out of your ride. Let’s take a look at the right kinds of nutrition to help you to become not just a healthier cyclist – but a faster and stronger rider, too.

Nutrition for Cyclists – Carbohydrates for Fuel

If you are a keen cyclist, you’ll probably know that carbohydrates can be your best friend. While it’s no secret that they are the body’s main energy source while cycling, knowing a weekly and daily requirement for carbohydrates may not be so easy.

Carbohydrates need to support your cycling routines and not hinder them, and 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. Low-glycaemic carbohydrates burn slower than others, so eating foods such as wholegrains, fruit and vegetables will promote the right intake. Add these to each meal, or carry small portions as snacks when you head out for a ride to obtain optimal nutrition for cyclists.

Powerful Protein?

Many sports enthusiasts will tell you that protein is muscle food and therefore not essential nutrition for cyclists but getting a good amount of protein when you ride will work to support your overall health – mainly in terms of immune function and recovery. As protein is responsible for tissue maintenance, it will aid the recovery of any muscle damage that you experience during your ride and this can be particularly important if you are riding on a more professional level.

Try adding beans, lean meats, fish, and dairy (potentially)  into your diet for a no-fuss boost of protein, and as these foods tend to be more filling than sugar-filled carbohydrates, you’ll feel fuller for longer, too!

Vitamins and Minerals

There are two main types of vitamins that you need to ingest for good nutrition for cyclists; fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are stored within the body to be used at a later date while water-soluble vitamins (B vitamins, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and vitamin C) are needed daily to ensure a balanced diet. Fruits and vegetables are a rich source these in general and this is why nutritionists everywhere promote that you eat 5 pieces each day. Opt for a range of colors when you buy fruit and veg for a balanced diet- and in darker shades – to really get a well-rounded amount of each.

Minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc are also necessary for good cycling nutrition, but as these are only needed in small quantities, your intake of 5-a-day should more than suffice.

The Right Amount of Calories

Whether you ride your bike on a personal or professional level, it is important to remember that cycling will require you to increase your calorie intake. This is because you will need to replace the extra calories that you burn whilst riding.

Knowing how many extra calories to ingest can be a problem as simply upping portion size and eating more calorie-rich foods can cause you to consume too many calories. A great way to keep on top of the right amount of calories for your needs is to multiply the distance you travel in miles by 40-50 calories. Try to keep towards the lower limit if you’re a slower or lighter rider and consume towards the top end if you typically cycle faster or are heavier as you will be burning more calories to cover the same distance. This calorie calculator can help to estimate calories burned while riding.

Timing Pre-Ride Nutrition

It is really important to have a good plan for timing pre-ride nutrition for cyclists. Nobody wants to ride hungry or with a belly full of food, so be sure to eat at the right time! Experts suggest that eating a your pre-ride meal at least 90 minutes before a ride is the best way to go, but eating small, regular meals throughout the day and downsizing your three main meals to allow for the right snacks at the right time will help ensure that you are properly fueled, whenever you decide to jump on the bike.

What to Eat Race Day Morning

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 what to eat race day morning
Ask a dozen typical cyclists what to eat race day morning and you’ll get a dozen different answers. However, certain types of nutrition have become the norm for professionals. If you group the answers together you find similarities that proves that what you eat race day morning is important and advantageous to performance.

What is a Race Day Morning Meal

It’s more appropriate to categorize a race day morning meal by what the food consists of in terms of nutrition. A wide range of foods can meet your needs and the list extends beyond bagels and bananas. Miles and hours in the saddle, gender, size, fitness, environmental conditions, and nutritional status leading into the event all play roles in what you need to eat the morning before a race.

What Professionals Eat

To eliminate the guessing that goes into finding the right balance of foods for what to eat race day morning, it might be best to look at some of the favorites per a survey of professional racers.

What to Eat Race Day Morning

The Belkin Team

Belkin nutritionist, Marcel Hesseling advises his racers to eat like this: “To consume the right amount they have to eat a lot of carbohydrate-rich foods but it’s really important to do that with foods they are used to eating to guard against stomach upsets.”

“Because it is really important for their glycogen stores are completely full, they have to choose products with a high carbohydrate density (oatmeal, bread, rice, energy bars/drink, juices, etc).

“It’s important that the riders eat the food that they normally eat,” said Hesseling. “Our cook makes delicious pancakes, oatmeal and fresh bread.”

The SaxoBank / Tinkoff Team

Alberto Contador only eats food prepared by Saxo Bank team chef Henna Grant. Her “what to eat race day morning prep” for racers is summed up like this: “The riders follow a diet very low in milk and milk products, and most drink rice milk.” The reasoning she said, is that “lactose is not highly digestible and therefore more difficult to convert to calories.

“Breakfast consists of a hot porridge, a mix of rye, spelt, and barley. Fruit and nuts are added to the meal as well.” Grant also offers a traditional Danish style muesli made with corn flour, dried carrots and lots of grains soaked overnight in yogurt (one of the few times milk products are used).

Team Trek

Trek Factory Racing’s head chef Kim Rokkjaer and senior sports nutritionist Emma Barracloug is also on board with the porridge and muesli: “First up is an early serving of porridge consisting of  oats, cinnamon, pineapple juice, salt and olive oil. If the riders prefer the muesli, it’s prepared like this; basic muesli (no added sugar), rice milk, mixed berries, honey, natural yogurt.

Emma Barraclough has this to add: “From the moment the riders wake up, their diet is focused on maximizing their carbohydrate stores. The fruit juice and olive oil keep the muesli dairy free and the oil ramps up the calories. Muesli is really popular with the riders. Again it’s a good combination of fast and slow release carbohydrates, with plenty of fruit included. The rice milk and yogurt provides protein.”

BMC Racing Team

Austrian sports nutritionist Judith Haudum, who is responsible for feeding the BMC Racing Team has prepared a typical menu for race day morning.

  • 1 bowl of porridge (150 calories per cup, cooked) with banana (105 calories per banana), and some nuts (529 calories per cup of almonds)
  • 1 big plate of pasta (174 calories per cup)
  • 1 piece of cake (roughly 225 calories)
  • Coffee (1 calorie per cup)
  • Fruit juice (122 calories per serving)

Porridge and Muesli

It might seem that porridge and muesli (a type of porridge) have the most votes for what to eat race day morning. Porridge and muesli both fall into the category by definition of “any grain simmered in liquid to become a hot cereal.” But what works for some cyclists, doesn’t necessarily appeal to others:

Mark Cavendish

British cyclist Mark Cavendish has won the final Tour de France stage four times in a row—at the time of publication, he holds a total of 25 stage wins. This is what he has to say on what to eat race day morning:

“A lot of riders like eating oatmeal for breakfast, but that’s not something that works for me. But rice does, so I’ll have an omelet and rice for breakfast in the morning—it’s such a simple carb to digest, and it has a lot of fluid. I also don’t drink much dairy—a lot of riders say drinking milk before riding increases phlegm in their chest. Instead, I’ll take an alternative, like almond milk or sometimes soy milk.”

Go With Your Gut

The only sure way to know what works for you is to test a variety of strategies and repeat until you find the meal that works for you. Don’t eat anything risky. Don’t eat things that you’re unsure that your stomach can handle. Take advantage of long days in the saddle and use them as test races.

Race Day Constipation — Information Cyclists Don’t Share

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race day constipation

It’s race day morning. You have the right gear. You completed the training and your body is ready. You’re confident that you have done everything to perform at your highest level. But one simple mistake can make all the difference — a bout of race day constipation at this point can spell disaster. All vanity aside, this is a serious issue that doesn’t get talked about enough.

Race Day Constipation

If you have ridden in races or large group rides, you’ve seen it in action. Long lines of cyclists waiting to get into the bathroom at the last minute, desperate for a bowel movement before getting on the bike. Why is this happening now? It doesn’t have to be that way.

Why it Happens

If you’re racing or embarking on a distance ride, you’re often out of your element. At home your routine is consistent and you take normal bodily functions for granted before getting on your bike. But if you’ve been traveling your routine is out of whack. Eating while traveling throws off your diet. Your nerves get frazzled and it can lead to a failure of digestive habits — also known as race day constipation. Professionals agree — if not silently — that a proper morning constitution is essential for a good performance. But how can you ensure it?

Know Your Body

It’s not a complicated equation if you pay attention to your body and what you put into it before your big ride. The basics of regularity are proper fiber and water in the weeks and days leading up to your race.  Getting your body on a regular schedule to avoid constipation that you can rely on the day before and the day of your race or ride is important.

What Science Says

Felice Schnoll-Sussman, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Weill Therapeutic School of Cornell College and a New York City marathon finisher, has a few tips to inspire yourself to go.

“Getting enough fiber is vital in the days and weeks before a race for keeping assimilation customary and avoiding clogging.” Schnoll-Sussman says. “Be that as it may, on race day, expending more fiber than expected can bring about the runs, so don’t eat (or drink) vast sums the morning of, particularly in case you’re not accustomed to it.”

Staying hydrated is additionally key—particularly in case you’re flying on a plane or traveling. “Obstruction happens when the stool is excessively dry, making it impossible to travel through the body effortlessly, so drinking a lot of water can simply move things along,” Schnoll-Sussman says. “Topping off on H20 the days prior to your race and drinking that warm refreshment first thing in the morning, is the most ideal approach to ensure you’re ready to go when you have to.”

How Much Fiber

The amount of fiber you need is tied to the number of calories you eat in a day. For healthy adults, the USDA recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed. So a person eating 2,000 calories a day should strive to get 28 grams of fiber daily.

A Few Proven Winners

If you have been training with other cyclists or have done the miles on your own, you probably already know what your body needs or doesn’t need to keep it regular. Here are a few time tested tips that most cyclists rely on to avoid constipation on race day to ensure you don’t have any issues.

Coffee

Caffeine produces peristalsis and increases levels of cholecystokinin which regulates bowel movements. At least one study confirms that drinking coffee can produce the urge to go and it lasts for about 30 minutes. If you’re not into coffee, some cyclists claim that any hot liquid such as hot water or tea can have the same effect.

Broccoli

Eating broccoli on a regular basis is one way to make sure that you don’t get constipated. And while you should definitely eat a varied diet, broccoli is one of those vegetables that could be consumed on nearly a daily basis for better health.

Avocados and Nuts

Fats are necessary for a healthy metabolism along with proteins and carbohydrates in the proper ratio. If you’re avoiding fat thinking that it will make you fat, think again. If you avoid fat entirely, you’ll actually slow your metabolism along with your bowel movements. Always choose healthy fats from whole foods. Avocados and nuts are perfect examples of healthy fat.

Brown Rice

If you have been avoiding rice because you heard it gives you race day constipation, it’s time to welcome brown rice into your diet. This is the unprocessed version of rice and is a whole grain. Whole grains can help you maintain regularity and avoid bouts of constipation altogether.

Apples

There’s a reason for the “apple a day” saying and part of it is because apples will help keep your digestive system functioning properly. Contradictory as it may sound, apples can also help with cases of diarrhea. This is because they act as bulking agents, helping to move waste through your digestive system if you’re constipated and to firm up the stool if you have diarrhea.

Yogurt

Eating yogurt is one outstanding way to increase the number of good bacteria in your gut that promote healthy bowel movements. Simply eat a cup of yogurt with breakfast and try to eat it with snacks throughout the day for better effects.

Foods to Avoid

Avoid new foods or those that can upset your digestion. This is not always the same for everyone so it’s important to know your body. But generally speaking, don’t overeat or under-eat the day before your ride or race since that can throw off your bowels too. Here’s a few proven race day constipation initiators:

Cheese

This is a big one, mostly because it’s the primary ingredient in the pizza that’s so popular the night before a big ride or race. Cheese is near the top of the list for constipation. The high fat, low fiber content of cheese is a recipe for race day disaster. Eating cheese the night before a race can result in a digestive slow down or complete back up.

Dairy

Milk blocks bowel functions and can cause discomfort, pain, and other problems. Since dairy products are often highly touted by athletes, use at your own discretion. Experiment and take notes weeks or months before your big ride. Yogurt — although a dairy product — contains the friendly bacteria that contradicts the general dairy rule and has less lactose if that upsets you.

Red Meat

High protien, low fiber red meat can be hard to digest in a small amount of time. But red meat can be consumed without digestive back up if eaten with appropriate amounts of fiber. For example, and 20 oz sirloin steak is not a good option by itself, but mongolian BBQ with BROWN rice, vegetables, and noodles will likely cause you no issues.

Painkillers

Pain medications are well known constipation initiators. Avoid them before a race if possible, but only before consulting with your doctor.

Alcohol

As a diuretic, alcohol derives you of precious fluids that you need for healthy bowel movements.

Some Contradictions

Too Much Fiber

Fiber is one of those experimental options. Too much fiber can overwork your system and actually cause back ups. For example; if you’re not accustomed to beans, don’t eat them the night before a race. Experimentation ahead of time is key.

Bananas

Bananas are well known to cyclists. But unripe bananas have green skin with high levels of starch.  This high starch content may be a trigger for constipation. Keep bananas in your fruit bowl until the skin turns a bright yellow with plenty of brown speckles and you should be good to go.

Have a Seat

If you haven’t been following good digestive rules, you may be suffering from race day constipation and waiting for a bowel movement in line with the rest of them. If you’re aware of it ahead of time, there are a few things you can eat to help initiate it. For example; a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, toast and peanut butter, or a small smoothie can help to initiate the flushing sound. Make sure to wake up early enough so you have at least one hour to get something going down there. If you don’t have the immediate urge to do so, the simple act of sitting and relaxing on the toilet can sometimes bring on the urge.

What to Eat Before Cycling

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What to Eat Before Cycling

Riding a bike requires a lot of energy particularly if you are riding for a longer period of time and/or at high intensity. Your body can do this because it converts the basic building blocks of food, carbohydrates, fat, and protein, into energy that your body can utilize. You need to give your body these energy sources at the right time to digest and convert them to energy so you can cruise comfortably down the road or trail. Any food, more or less, is going to have some sort of energy, or calories in it but not all calories are the same. Eating the right foods at the right times will give you the energy you need to complete a short or long ride with the speed you desire.

What to Eat Before Cycling

In any endurance sport you are going to burn a lot of energy to complete your activity. In cycling a lot of this energy comes in the form of carbohydrates as well as fat. In general at lower intensities of exercise, closer to that of walking, your body is going to burn more fat than carbohydrates.  As you ride harder and harder your body switches over to mainly using carbohydrates for energy as they can be converted to energy more quickly. The point at which this occurs depends on you personally and how you have been training as this point can change over time.

Having both carbohydrates and fat in any pre-ride meal is essential along with having a percentage of protein. In general, the focus should be around having slow burning carbohydrates such as oatmeal, whole grain pasta, or rice. Fat and protein can then be added to these basics to form a complete meal prior to your ride.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great, easy pre-ride meal particularly for breakfast. It is slower burning so it can provide sustained energy. Add nuts or nut butters, seeds like flax seed, and fruit, to get a good ratio of carbs to fat to protein along with a tasty, easy to make breakfast.

Rice

Rice is largely the new “best” source of carbohydrates as gluten-free foods become more and more of a norm. Rice is easy on your stomach and converts quickly to energy, if white rice, and a bit longer if brown. Combining rice with protein options such as eggs or chicken, is a good way to include some protein in your meal. With rice, it tends to be more of a dinner option that is often served with vegetables. For a pre-ride meal, skip the vegetables as they don’t provide very much energy and can be more difficult to digest. Save them for dinner where their nutrient density can best be utilized. To get enough fat, throw in some olive oil or butter. Butter is often looked down upon but it can be a good fat option that is also tasty.

Pasta

Pasta is the tried and true tradition of cycling. When people talk of “carbo-loading” or what cyclists eat, pasta is often the first thing that comes to mind. It is for good reason as pasta is packed with carbohydrates and has a bit of protein. Whole grain pasta is a great lower GI (Glycemic Index) food that provides more sustained energy over time. Like rice, adding a protein option will give a good, well rounded meal including protein and fat as well.

Grains and Seeds

A newer trend that cyclist’s flock towards are grains such as quinoa, farro, spelt, wheat berries, and chia seeds to name a few. These grains and seeds pack a punch of higher nutrient density as well as more protein along with the added benefit of differing taste from that of conventional pasta and rice. These can be made any number of ways and due to their higher protein content, a side of protein such as chicken or eggs can be optional.

When to Eat

Eating the right foods before a ride will help your energy levels but to maximize performance as well as comfort on the bike, timing is important. Cycling is less harsh on your stomach in that you could eat a meal and go ride right after, unlike that of running where the jostling of your stomach would make you uncomfortable pretty quick. However, you still don’t want to eat a large meal right before riding. Right around three hours ahead of time is ideal as it gives your body enough time to digest while not yet being hungry for your next meal.

The Morning Ride

The timing of when you eat prior to a ride can be extra tricky with a morning ride because there simply isn’t enough time to eat far in advance. It is a good idea to eat something to keep you fueled but it needs to be on the lighter side. A small bowl of oats with berries and an egg is a great balanced option. Keep it mainly carbohydrate based also, such as a bagel or toast with nut butter and a side of fruit. With less fuel before your ride, you’ll have to make sure you bring something to eat during the ride to keep you fueled properly. Granola bars are a good easy, to-go option.

Eating the right foods at the right time will help your cycling in that you will be able to ride longer and faster while also feeling full of energy. There is no one food or one solution to fueling properly for cycling. Everyone is different and everyone has different tastes so using the above guidelines along with a bit of trial and error will give you the best foods for you to eat prior to riding.

What do you eat before a ride?

Hydration Don’ts: What To Avoid

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If you are a serious cyclist and are going out for bike rides that last over 30 minutes long – or are cycling in a very warm and dry climate, one thing that you will need to be paying close attention to is hydration.

Even if you are just a recreational cyclist, making sure that your hydration stacks up will still help to ensure that you are performing optimally and feeling your best while you are out there on your ride.

So what is there to know? The following list of don’ts when it comes to hydration will help you set the record straight for what you should and should not be doing with your hydrating strategies.

Hydration Donts What to avoid

Don’t Consume Fruit Juice

First, you will want to stay away from fruit juice right before a ride. Some cyclists think this is a great way to get their carbohydrate intake up, but for many people, a cup or two of fruit juice can give any cyclist, well, the runs. If you want to keep your gastrointestinal system happy and avoid an unnecessary and unwanted pit-stop along the way, keep fruit juice out of the picture.

Don’t Wait Until 30 Minute Prior To Hydrate

Be sure that you don’t wait until 30 minutes prior to the ride to hydrate yourself. This is a big mistake that some cyclists make because they simply aren’t prepared.

They’ve been hardly drinking all day and then realize they are seriously dehydrated. In a quest to combat this, they down 2 litres of water.

Not only will this not help you achieve proper hydration but by the time you are doing that ride, you will most certainly be setting yourself up for cramps if you go this route.

Instead, keep a water bottle with you all day and sip on it throughout the day in the hours leading up to that ride.

Hydration needs to be a 24 hour event, not a 30 minute water guzzle.

Don’t Over-Hydrate

Likewise, you also want to be sure that you aren’t over-hydrating either. You can definitely get too much of a good thing and when it comes to plain water, if you take in too much, you will dilute the natural electrolyte concentration in your blood and this can cause serious problems – not just in terms of impairing performance.

So keep hydrated, but don’t overdo it. If your urine is clear, you know you are well hydrated.

Don’t Load Up On Calorie Dense Beverages

Finally, make sure that you are being mindful of calories. Not all beverages are created the same and if you are constantly hydrating with calorie containing beverages, this is going to lead to weight gain over time.

Instead, keep those calorie containing beverages out of the picture unless you are doing a long ride and need some during-ride fuel.

So there you have some key cycling and hydration strategies to remember. How is your hydration stacking up?

Recovery…Beer?

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Recovery…Beer?

recovery beer?I’m probably not the only person who has sat down after a long hard ride and enjoyed a nice cold pint of beer. I’m also probably not the only person who has felt a tad guilty afterwards – the responsible athlete inside reminding me that my recovery would have been helped more by a bottle of Gatorade rather than a nice golden ale. That guilt might be somewhat misplaced though.

Science say yes?

A recent study from the University of Grenada in Spain found that drinking 660 milliliters of beer followed by lots of water was more rehydrating than simply drinking water alone. When you think about it, the idea of beer as a recovery drink isn’t that far fetched. It contains plenty of water, easily digestible carbohydrates, and since it is plant-based, it has many naturally occurring nutrients that traditional sports drinks lack. So what’s the catch?

On the other hand…

The biggest issue is the alcohol – alcohol is a diuretic (causes dehydration) and also impedes protein synthesis, both things that endurance athletes want to avoid right after a hard workout. However, another study published last December found that the dehydrating effects of the alcohol in beer were mediated by changing the electrolyte content. Perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel?

It’s Real!

At least one adventurous company thinks so. Lean Machine, based in Canada, is hoping to solve the dilemma of the post-workout beer, with a brew they call a ‘recovery ale’. Their beverage is high in protein, low in alcohol, and also contains a slew of important nutrients, antioxidants and electrolytes. By packing their beer with all the things that endurance athletes value, and reducing the ABV, they hope to create something that will appeal to the palate of the beer-loving athlete and boost recovery. Doesn’t sound to bad, does it?

 

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