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Nutrition

6 Extra Important Vitamins For Athletes

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Vitamins are essential organic compounds that humans need to consume or produce to continue necessary life functions. They are micro-nutrients meaning that only very small amounts are necessary, although, sometimes even those small amounts are difficult to come by through diet only.

There are six vitamin groups, two of which humans can produce on their own, and four which they must ingest. Because of higher metabolic rates, getting enough vitamins for athletes is critical; there is potential to use up the reserves quicker than the average person. The processes that vitamins perform are extra important for athletes because they not only sustain normal body function, but if those body functions are performing at their peak, they will allow the to recover and perform better.

6 Extra Important Vitamins For Athletes

Vitamin A

The story most closely told about vitamin A is that it helps you see at night. This is true; one sign of a vitamin A deficiency is night blindness. The retina needs vitamin A to see color and in low light conditions. Along with ocular health, vitamin A is an antioxidant, promotes skin health, provides immune support and aids cellular health and multiplication.

Vitamin A is stored in the liver and is fat soluble. Eating the liver of other animals has some of the highest concentrations of vitamin A. It is also available in adequate concentrations in a lot of vegetables, most notably carrots. Because it is fat soluble, it takes a while to flush excess vitamin A from the body making overdosing a possibility if you eat too much liver or take too many supplements.

B Vitamin Group

B vitamins are generally found in large quantities in animal products. Vegans and vegetarians generally need to supplement B vitamins to have adequate supplies. There are a eight different vitamins in the water soluble B group:

  • B1 – Thiamine
  • B2 – Riboflavin
  • B3 – Niacin
  • B5 – Pantothetic Acid
  • B6 – Pyridoxine
  • B7 – Biotin
  • B9 – Folic Acid
  • B12 – Cyanocobalimin

B vitamins are critical for cell metabolism. They make energy production possible at the cellular level. In turn your body can function as a whole. Each B vitamin produces different coenzymes and has a different chemical structure which is why the group separates into eight different sub-vitamins.

Vitamin C6 Extra Important Vitamins For Athletes

Vitamin C is commonly known for its immune support functions. It also aids in energy production and is an antioxidant. Most animals synthesize vitamin C on their own; humans are one of the few animals that needs to ingest it however. It is available in many fruits and vegetables which is why its deficiency, scurvy, was so common on long sea voyages. Without access to fresh fruits and vegetables sailors became deficient. It is water soluble making it more difficult to overdose on. That’s why you will see products like Emergen-C with daily servings of over 1000%.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of two vitamins humans can synthesize; it requires exposure to the sun. This is a complicated balance. Too much ultraviolet exposure is linked to skin cancer, but not enough vitamin D is linked to osteoperosis in adults and rickets in children. Lots of foods are fortified with vitamin D because of limited sun exposure. It is fat soluable, although overdosing would require a lot of supplementation. You would likely have a nasty sunburn well before you would overdose from sun exposure.

Vitamin E

vitamins for athletes

Vitamin E is the last antioxidant and also plays a role in neurological function, muscle growth, and gene expression. It is fat soluable and found commonly in many oils, nuts, and seeds. Too much vitamin E can lead to suppression of vitamin K and clotting problems. Not enough vitamin E can lead to neurological breakdown, reduced immune function and cellular destruction.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is the other vitamin that humans can synthesize on their own. It is necessary for blood clotting and calcium absorption. Deficiency in vitamin K usually comes with other disorders that impair the body’s ability to produce it. In adults, supplementation is not necessary unless there is another disorder.

Vitamins for Athletes

Vitamins in the right amounts help athletes perform at their best. Finding the right balance is necessary so you don’t under or over dose on these compounds that make life and athletic performance possible.

Boulder Salt Company – Salt For Cycling Too?

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boulder salt

In order to live, be healthy, and perform at your athletic peak, your body needs adequate electrolytes and a proper pH balance. There are a lot of products out there with the goal of getting you all the electrolytes you need for sport. There are less products for balancing your pH but a lot of that has to do with your diet. A product that accomplishes both of these needs that we had the pleasure of trying and testing is Boulder Salt. Unless you complete a controlled research study, it is difficult to discern the differences from one product to the next but Boulder Salt not only has the real potential of giving you athletic improvements as well as everyday benefits but also comes with no down sides. At worst, you don’t notice a difference.

First – There are a Number of Ways to Obtain Electrolytes

An electrolyte is a substance that produces an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water. (Citation Link) Electrolytes are what allows your cells to pass voltage over cell membranes to transmit impulses. In short, this is what makes your muscles fire. There are 8 major electrolytes in your body:

  • sodium (Na+)
  • potassium (K+)
  • chloride (Cl–)
  • calcium (Ca2+)
  • magnesium (Mg2+)
  • bicarbonate (HCO3–)
  • phosphate (PO42-)
  • sulfate (SO42-)

You can obtain all of these from normal food items but the issue lies in us not getting the right foods at the right times on a daily basis, particularly when exercising. This is why we have sports drinks for cycling. Depending upon the sports drink, you may be getting the majority of these or you may not be and additionally, you are probably getting some other things as well to color it and make it taste better.

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What is Boulder Salt?

Boulder Salt was developed to improve the taste of tap water. The taste of tap water is determined by the minerals within it so if you take pure water and add an exact ratio of minerals, you can get tap water that tastes as it should. This is particularly rare with the majority of the population on city-treated water. With getting this ideal tasting water came the additional benefit of it containing the majority of the electrolytes that the body needs. Additionally, with this comes the benefit of alkalizing the body, or bringing it to its proper pH balance.

An Alkalized Body

A lot of foods in the modern-day diet cause an acidic effect within the body which has a negative overall impact on health. In fish, if the water they live in is either to acidic or alkaline, they die. Our bodies are no different except for the fact that we can control what are body pH is through the foods and additives we consume. A few of the health benefits of an alkalized body are as follows (Citation Link)

  • Skin more elastic, youthful
  • Deeper more restful sleep
  • Abundant physical energy
  • Suffer from fewer colds, headaches, flu viruses
  • Good digestion
  • Less arthritis
  • Reduction of candida (yeast) overgrowth
  • Won’t support osteoporosis
  • Increased mental acuity, mental alertness
  • Legal natural high

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Field Testing Boulder Salt

When testing any product, particularly for athletic performance, it will be difficult to discern a difference if you already have your system dialed. On the other hand, if you frequently suffer from cramps, don’t have enough endurance, or don’t drink enough normally, trying something such as Boulder Salt is going to give you a clear view of if something works or not. I used Boulder Salt on rides for two weeks from seven hour jaunts in the mountains of Colorado to short, but very intense one and a half hour efforts, all in temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s. On the longer rides, I had the portable packets in my pocket and added them to my bottles whenever I stopped for water. Normally on rides I will drink a standard sports drink mix but Boulder Salt is only electrolytes so I should have seen a slight decline in performance from fewer carbohydrates. I did not on shorter nor longer rides so this was seemingly advantageous.

Taste Of Boulder Salt

Although Boulder Salt was made particularly for improved tap water taste, to me, it did taste a little bit different. Almost a smoother taste like normal salt. Not bad, just different. The taste of water and if it is good or not is largely dependent upon what you are used to. Normal, good tasting water will be what you have on a day-to-day basis whereas anything outside that realm will taste a bit different. If you find you are not a fan of the salt itself in just water, you can easily add it to other drinks such as iced tea which is great on a ride particularly with lemon.

Additional Uses for Boulder Salt

Because Boulder Salt is a substitute for traditional table salt, it can be easily used for it with cooking and on salted-foods. It adds a subtle yet noticeably tastier touch to dishes. At first you will be like “was that taste just from the food or was it the Boulder Salt?” You will put it on half your food to see and you will then likely begin to use it instead of regular salt on your foods. It also contains half the sodium or traditional salt so can be used if you are watching your salt intake for health reasons.

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The Best Nutrient To Help You Recover Faster

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Magnesium - 1

Nothing feels better than a really intense bout of exercise and nothing feels worse than really sore muscles the next day. While some muscle soreness is simply due to intense exercise or a long cycle, a lot of it can be remedied with the wonder nutrient, magnesium.

It’s estimated that between 75-80% of the American population is deficient in magnesium.[1] Some common signs of magnesium deficiency include:

  • Leg cramps
  • Jumping legs
  • Constipation
  • Low energy
  • Sleeping problems
  • Headaches
  • Heart arrhythmias

Why are we so deficient?

For starters, the ratio of calcium to magnesium is important. You can think of calcium as the nutrient that ‘contracts’, and magnesium as the nutrient that ‘relaxes’. You want to have these two in a balance of at least 2:1 calcium to magnesium, but more recently, health experts would argue even 1:1. Given the high levels of osteoporosis, many people supplement with calcium without magnesium, therefore throwing out the balance.

Furthermore, the soil that we’re growing our food in is nowhere near as rich in magnesium as it used to be. Combine that with the fact that many diets are lacking magnesium in general and various drinks & medications can also deplete magnesium, and it’s no wonder we have a problem:

Magnesium Depleting Drinks & Medications:

  • Pop / soda
  • Caffeinated beverages
  • Alcohol
  • Prescription drugs

What can you do?

 First things first, make sure you’re getting enough magnesium from your food. Here are some of the best food sources of magnesium:

  • Leafy greens
  • Raw cacao powder (the less processed form of cocoa powder)
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Almonds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Quinoa
  • Cashews

Here are three magnesium rich recipes:

3 New Salad Recipes - 3
Swiss Chard Salad (click for link)

 

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad (click for link)

 

Raw Brownies - Individual
Raw Brownies (click for link)

Post cycling, throwing some leafy greens like spinach and a tablespoon of almond butter in a shake is a great idea!

Best supplement sources of magnesium:

I often recommend to my clients that they also supplement with magnesium. There are two primary kinds of magnesium: citrate and glycinate. Citrate has a mild laxative effect, which can be good if you also struggle with constipation; while glycinate does not. If you have no issues digestively, the glycinate form would be best.

Dosage varies between 135mg – 1200mg daily, and should be taken post workout and/or before bed.

Interested in eating better? Grab a free one week meal plan, full of magnesium rich recipes. Click here to get your free one week meal plan.

Sources:

[1] http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/31/health/magnesium-deficiency-health/index.html

Mandy King - HEAL - Healthy Eating And Living__small

Mandy King is a Holistic Nutritionist, and the founder of HEAL (Healthy Eating And Living). She works with health conscious people who want to stop feeling tired, fix their digestion and lose the weight, once and for all.  She is a regular on CTV Morning Live, contributes to The Globe & Mail, CBC and The Huffington Post, and leads corporate workshops for major companies including Google, Facebook & PwC.

 

 

 

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.

How To Make Your Own Homemade Sports Drink

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homemade sports drink

Making your own homemade sports drink can have the same benefits of many homemade recipes. You can tailor flavors to your palate, save a little money, make sure you get the right nutritional balance, and have the reward of doing it yourself. Manufacturers make sports drinks seem very complicated and scientific, but they do not need to be.

Why Drink a Sports Drink

There are critical benefits to a sports drink over water. When you exercise, you sweat out minerals along with water. You will need to replace those minerals so your muscles can fire properly. The minerals, also known as electrolytes, provide the conductive material that allow your nervous system to send electrical impulses. Without those impulses, you do not get peak performance from your nervous system that is in charge of firing your muscles. This can result in muscle cramps.

Additionally, sports drinks can provide carbohydrates for your muscles to keep producing ATP, the fuel that makes muscle cells fire. Without the fuel, you will tire, eventual leading to the dreaded bonk. The carbohydrate needs to be in the right concentration to make it the most effective.

Finally, the water in the sports drink helps maintain your blood volume so your red blood cells can flow freely to the muscles that you are working so hard. Once your blood volume drops, your performance on the bike drops. You will have to keep these three variables in mind when making your homemade sports drink.

Current Sports Drink Trends

The biggest trend in sports drinks now is to keep the carbohydrates at the lowest possible concentration that is beneficial to the muscles to avoid osmotic pressure in the digestive system. If the sports drink has too high of a concentration of carbohydrates, the digestive system has to draw fluid from the blood stream to dilute it so you can properly absorb the carbohydrates for use. In effect, your sports drink that is supposed to hydrate you is actually dehydrating you.

Homemade Sports Drink Recipes

You should be able to double, triple, even quadruple each recipe for a homemade sports drink that fits your needs.

The Basic

Remember how you need minerals, carbohydrates, and water? In a pinch, dilute a quarter teaspoon of table salt and a tablespoon of sugar in a cup of water. It might not be tasty but the ingredients are readily available and will get you over the hump.

The Fermenter

Save that pickle juice! It is already loaded with lots of salt and other minerals. You would probably otherwise dump it down the drain anyway. Take a cup of pickle juice and add two tablespoons of honey for additional carbohydrates. Again, this may be an acquired taste but it will pack a powerful punch.

The Lemon Stand

Take a cup of water and an eighth of a cup of lemon juice and mix it with two tablespoons honey and a quarter teaspoon of salt. Add a drop of mint oil for an extra refreshing flavor. Another option instead of table salt that is a more complex mineral mix without a salty taste is Elete Electrolyte Add-in or another similar mineral concentrate.

The Tea Time

Ahead of time, make some ice tea. Then take a cup of the tea, along with two tablespoons honey or maple syrup along with a quarter teaspoon of salt. Use caffeinated tea for an extra pick me up.

The Heavyweight

Flatten twelve ounces of Coke. Then add twenty-four ounces of water to the coke along with a teaspoon of salt. The caffeine and sugar of the coke will pick you up and the salt will replenish your minerals. This is great for the end of a long ride or race when you need that extra little oomph.

Go Experiment

This is not an exhaustive list of making a homemade sports drink. Feel free to tweak them to your tastes and dietary needs. The possibilities are nearly endless and are probably more rewarding than grabbing a sports drink off of a shelf.

Chocolate Milk Vs. Sports Recovery Drink

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chocolate milk vs. sports recovery drink
This video may surprise you especially since so much research and development goes into sports drink. Sometimes simpler is better. Also, here is another study backing up these findings; “Chocolate milk and endurance exercise recovery: protein balance, glycogen, and performance.” One note of caution with chocolate milk however is that you need to make sure that your stomach agrees with dairy. If you have any issues, you will definitely be able to tell if you consume a lot of it, like a glass of chocolate milk, immediately after a hard ride when nothing else is in your stomach. If your stomach is good with dairy, go for it.

 

 

 

 

 

You Can’t Lick Your Elbow: SuperhumanWhich drink is better at helping you recover your strength after a workout: chocolate milk or a sports drink? Watch:

Posted by National Geographic Channel on Saturday, May 21, 2016

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.

Ways To Make Oatmeal – The Endless Option Breakfast For Cyclists

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ways to make oatmeal

It’s often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is especially true for cyclists planning a ride following breakfast. A proper breakfast with the proper amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and taste will have you rolling strong throughout your ride. Don’t eat enough or the wrong things and you’ll be riding at less than your best and potentially bonk. There’s an endless number of ways to make oatmeal and this variety makes it a fantastic option for cyclists as you can add virtually anything you like to get more protein, fat, carbs, or taste. And another big benefit – it’s super easy to make!

Phase 1 – The Oats

Oats are oats in the general sense but what differs them is how much they’ve been cooked and processed. Choosing each largely depends on your time constraints. Despite the differences in processing, each has the same nutritional value but the Glycemic Index value is lower for the less processed versions. This means quick oats will spike your blood sugar greater than rolled oats which is greater than steel cut oats. Rolled oats and steel cut oats are considered low Glycemic Indexed foods which is what you should base your diet around.

Steel Cut Oats

Steel cut oats are the least processed form of oats. The oat groat  has been cut two or three times and is not cooked or processed in any other way. They must be cooked for twenty to thirty minutes prior to eating. Alternatively, the night before you can bring them to a boil for one minute and then let them set over night and just re-heat them in the morning to eat. A great option if you are time crunched.

Old Fashioned or Rolled Oats

These oats take the whole oat groat, steam it, and then press it which is why you get that flattened kernel look. Having already been cooked, these can be heated briefly, one to five minutes, and be ready to eat.

Quick Oats

Quick oats are, you guessed it, quick. They go through the same process as rolled oats but are chopped up finely after being rolled. They cook super quick which is why you find them in pre-packaged oatmeal packets. You should avoid these pre-packaged oatmeal packets if possible as they are often full of added sugar and other ingredients that you shouldn’t have much, if any, of. They are also more expensive if you’re watching your wallet.

Phase 2 – The Protein Additions

Being able to add exactly what you want to your breakfast dish makes for a lot of ways to make oatmeal. There is no “right” way or set recipe. For a well-rounded breakfast, you should try and include some additional protein and fat depending upon how much you’re riding and at what intensity as oats have a lot of carbohydrates . Generally the harder you’re riding, the more carbohydrates you want and less fat. Adding one or a few of the following are great options:

  • Eggs (over-easy or poached are tasty options if you like the runniness in your oats)
  • Peanut Butter
  • Almond Butter
  • Flax Seed (a great addition regardless of other protein additions)
  • Chia Seeds
  • Protein Powder (only use this if you don’t have access to any other additions, the key is as few processed ingredients as possible)
  • Milk (you can cook your oats in milk if desired or added after)
  • Yogurt (a great addition after the oats are cooked)
  • Nuts (you can go and direction you like with this; walnuts, pecans, and almonds are good options)
  • Bacon (if you’re a meat eater you can’t go wrong with bacon)

Phase 3 – The Additional Additions of Ways To Make Oatmeal

To get more micro-nutrients as well as taste out of your oats in addition to your protein additions, you can add practically anything you’d like to your oats. You can go the sweet way or savory direction although the sweet direction is generally easier which is how most people go for breakfast. If you have a bit more time on your hands, give a more savory oatmeal a try.

Sweeter Options

  • Berries (an endless option and always a good way to add anti-oxidants to your breakfast)
  • Bananas (a good option with any breakfast)
  • Other Fruit
  • Pumpkin (a generally un-thought of addition to oatmeal – it’s amazing especially with walnuts, maple syrup, and cinnamon)
  • Salt and Spices (a few good go-to options are: cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice)
  • Honey
  • Maple Syrup
  • Pure Cane Sugar (Avoid adding straight sugar if you can. You should have enough flavor from everything else you put in.)
  • Granola On Top (a good added crunch)

A Few Savory Options

  • Chicken Stock (to cook oats in)
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Shallots
  • Avocado
  • Cheese
  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Eggs
  • Curry Powder

When To Eat

Oatmeal is a breakfast item but because of its ease of making as well as transport, it can be a great option later in the day for a snack or meal particularly if you have a ride to do, say after work. With any meal before a ride, you should try and consume it around three hours before you start riding and have a small snack in the time in-between.

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