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We'll admit right up front - we'd be stupid not to - sport nutrition is one subject we can't simply tell you about and say that we are correct. Know this ahead of time: nutrition for your body is an experiment. You have to try things, give them a chance to work, and if they don't, look at other options. Be open to those options because just when you think something is working, your body will change and you will have to adjust.
Nutrition labels have become easier to use and read. One of the most important things you can do before eating or drinking something is to think about what is in the food and how those ingredients will affect your body in riding and in general health.
For most cyclists who make a point of eating a healthy diet a ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat will work. Fat sounds high? Many cyclists do swear by a more traditional diet of 60-70% carbos, 10-15% protein, and 20-30% fat. So, let's explain.
An extensive diet high in carbos and low in fat can do a couple things to your body. A lot of energy can come from fat if you train your body to use it. However, when you don't consume enough fats you end up with a drop in your blood sugar and your body uses carbos more as fuel. This slows down fat burning.
There are three kind of fat: two unsaturated and one saturated. While we've heard so much bad about saturated fat, most foods have a balance of these three fats. As long as you keep that balance and stay within the 30% range you should have better energy, and combined with the rest of the diet, surprisingly better fat burning.
It's a week before your big race and time to carbo-load. You eat an increasing percentage of carbohydrates until it is 90% of your diet before race day - right? Wrong!! Pre-race or pre-event diet is the myth of the sports world. Don't get the impression that carbos are bad. For a cyclist they are the primary source of energy. But increasing your intake from about 40-50% to 70% is more healthy and safer for your body which just couldn't process a 90% intake. A secret pre-race meal? Everyone has their ideas, but something low in fat and fiber, but normal in carbos and a small amount of protein should work best. And obviously, it's going to be best to restrain from the potato chips and Whopper's for the entire week prior to the event.
Start of with the following: Your body needs four cups of water for every hour you exercise. End of story in the hydration category, now about the food. Food is important too, especially on rides longer than an hour and a half. Personally, I find it easiest to take food in the form of a liquid. Most sports drinks work just about the same no matter what they claim. Stay away from anything carbonated and if you're like me, fill one bottle with the sports drink, and bring water in another. I use the water while riding and save the drink for a rest stop. This keeps me from overloading on sugar during a ride. Energy bars work great too and while the "which brand is better" debate continues, one idea might be to just switch brands every so often so your body doesn't get stuck with the same thing all the time.
Energy gels are a relatively new cross between an energy bar and a sports drink. Studies show these syrup or paste gels perform comparably to bars and drinks and it is suggested you down one packet of gel every 30-45 minutes on a ride. If you're interested in trying these concoctions, take a look at the table below for some useful information.
|
Product |
Nutrients per Package* |
Flavors |
Package Price/Size |
|
Carb-BOOM |
310 calories |
apple-cinnamon, strawberry-banana |
$1.49/ |
|
ClifSHOT |
97-100 calories |
chocolate espresso, chocolate peanut, real berry, vanilla malt |
$1.29/ |
|
Extreme Blast |
80 calories |
cherry cola, coffee, grape, sourberry |
$0.89/ |
|
Gatorade ReLode |
80 calories |
banana, grape, unflavored |
$1.00/ |
|
GU |
100 calories |
chocolate outrage, orange burst, vanilla bean |
$1.25/ |
|
Hammer Gel |
100 calories |
chocolate, vanilla, espresso, raspberry, unflavored |
$0.89/ |
|
Pocket Rocket |
100 calories |
chocolate, lemon-lime, wild berry, orange |
$0.99/ |
|
Power Gel |
110 calories |
lemon-lime, stawberry-banana, vanilla |
$1.29/ |
|
Squeezy |
80 calories |
banana, peach, pineapple, lemon-lime, strawberry, vanilla |
$.90/ |
|
Ultra Gel |
133 calories |
banana creme, strawberry creme, unflavored |
$1.25/ |
|
*Nutrient amounts vary based on
flavor | |||
We all know about fast food and its somewhat flat nutritional value, yet we all eat it. The three of us really don't suggest you use the local McDonald's as your mid-ride snack stop, but in your every day life you can get away with fast food, to a point.
Fast food restaurants are required by law to give you ingredient and nutrition information when you ask for it so don't be afraid to do so. Many places now offer more nutritional or "Lean" solutions on their menu. While we could spend a little time telling what you can eat, it'll be a lot more fun to tell you what not to eat and just how bad it is:
- Long John Silver's Fish Sandwich: 380 calories, 16 grams of fat (37%).
- KFC Extra Tasty Crispy Thigh: 406 calories, 30 grams of fat (66%).
- McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 410 calories, 20 grams of fat (43%).
- Arby's Sausage and Egg Croissant: 519 calories, 39 grams of fat (68%).
- Arby's Bac 'n' Cheddar Deluxe Sandwich: 532 calories, 33 grams of fat (55%).
- Burger King Croissan'wich with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese: 534 calories, 40 grams of fat (68%).
- Hardee's Bacon Cheeseburger: 610 calories, 33 grams of fat (58%).
- Burger King Whopper: 614 calories, 36 grams of fat (53%).
- Wendy's Double Big Classic with Cheese: 820 calories, 51 grams of fat (60%).
- Taco Bell Taco Salad With Shell: 905 calories, 61 grams of fat 60%)
- Burger King Double Whopper with Cheese: 935 calories, 61 grams of fat (59%).
The winner?
- Jack In The Box Ultimate Cheeseburger: 942 calories, 69 grams of fat (that's 66% of you daily allowance of fat). Ugh!
Moral? Next time you're out with your
friends and they kid you about how you always order the
Mickey D's chicken salad, maybe you can live a little, but
don't live a lot!
SOURCE: Bicycling Magazine, December 1994
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