There’s more to being a cyclist than hours of training – the right nutrition is key to getting the best from yourself. We investigate how to eat yourself to a better body
You’ve bought the kit and are putting in the hours. But are you also looking at what you’re putting inside your body? To get fitter, recover faster, become leaner and suffer less injury and illness, what you eat before, during and after a ride is crucial.
Building muscle
Muscle is protein – so you need to eat protein to gain muscle and get stronger. “Animal protein contains all the amino acids we need to synthesise muscle cells for growth and repair,” says physiologist Dr Neil Walsh. “Which is why if you’re protein deficient you may feel weak, struggle to add muscle or be so sore after exercise.”
As a cyclist, you want to carry more muscle than fat. But you also want to be light. So should you be necking protein shakes and raw eggs? “That might work for bodybuilders, but there’s no evidence endurance athletes have an increased requirement for protein,” says Walsh. “So long as you have a diet that meets your energy needs, made up of carbohydrate, protein and some fat, you have all you need.”
A normal, sedentary person needs 1.2g protein per kilo of body weight a day. “But if you’re upping your food intake to match your energy requirements, you’ll get this amount naturally.”
As a cyclist, you want to carry more muscle than fat. But you also want to be light. So should you be necking protein shakes and raw eggs? “That might work for bodybuilders, but there’s no evidence endurance athletes have an increased requirement for protein,” says Walsh. “So long as you have a diet that meets your energy needs, made up of carbohydrate, protein and some fat, you have all you need.”
A normal, sedentary person needs 1.2g protein per kilo of body weight a day. “But if you’re upping your food intake to match your energy requirements, you’ll get this amount naturally.”
Getting lean
There are no great secrets to losing fat. Walsh says you simply have to make sensible food choices and create an energy deficit by taking in less than you’re expending. He cautions against training hard while seriously restricting your diet though.
“If you want to become a better athlete, you can’t ride empty. Not only do you risk nutrient deficiencies, your ability to train will suffer too. To work out your calorie requirements, wear a heart rate monitor when you train and note average calories burned,” he suggests. “Add this to the recommended daily intake for a sedentary person of your gender.”
The current Department of Health guidelines are 2,550 calories for men and 1,940 for women. Walsh advises eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and essential fatty acid such as omega-6 and omega-3 from oily fish and seeds – in other words, foods with high nutrient values and low calorie densities.
The current Department of Health guidelines are 2,550 calories for men and 1,940 for women. Walsh advises eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and essential fatty acid such as omega-6 and omega-3 from oily fish and seeds – in other words, foods with high nutrient values and low calorie densities.
Ensure variety – your meat shouldn’t always be steak, your grains not always wheat. Also avoid processed foods, fast food and ready meals, high-fat and high-sugar foods and alcohol.
Racing hard
“Your ability to race fast depends on your energy and endurance,” says Dr Asker Jeukendrup, cyclist and professor of exercise metabolism. He points out that in longer races, the right food can mean finishing or not.
Your body needs fuel, so you need to increase carbohydrate stores leading up to a race. “Two to three days is fine,” says Jeukendrup, “and carb loading doesn’t mean eat as much as possible. It’s only the carbs you increase.” You’ll need 7g carbs per kilo of bodyweight (525g for a 75kg man, for example). And while nutritionists recommend unrefined carbohydrates (brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain bread) at all other times, pre- race is a time when white is alright.
Your body needs fuel, so you need to increase carbohydrate stores leading up to a race. “Two to three days is fine,” says Jeukendrup, “and carb loading doesn’t mean eat as much as possible. It’s only the carbs you increase.” You’ll need 7g carbs per kilo of bodyweight (525g for a 75kg man, for example). And while nutritionists recommend unrefined carbohydrates (brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain bread) at all other times, pre- race is a time when white is alright.
“You don’t want to challenge your digestion, so avoid fibre – wholegrains or leafy veg – the day before and the morning of a race,” Jeukendrup advises. “Instead, opt for refined carbs with a high glycaemic index (GI), that are absorbed quickly. There’s no one pre-race food. Some people like pasta, then porridge for breakfast. Others don’t sleep if they go to bed full, and are too nervous to eat in the morning. That’s where carb sports drinks come in handy.
“Your morning goal is 100g carbs,” continues Jeukendrup. “Then, if the race is an hour long, aim for 30g during. If it’s two hours, have 60g per hour. Check the label of your sports drink or carb gel. If the race is longer, you’ll need 90g an hour, but get this from a specialised glucose and fructose mix – if you try to consume 90g from a normal glucose product, you’ll get digestive problems, as you can’t absorb more than 60g an hour from glucose alone.”
Some people prefer real food, and can stomach a banana, flapjack, jelly beans or sandwich during a race. “This tactic tends to be harder in the second half of longer races. It’s thought that there’s more blood in the muscles and less in the gut, making digestion difficult,” says Dr Jeukendrup.
Your other energy essential? Hydration. “Limit water loss to two per cent of your bodyweight. Any more and performance suffers. A five per cent loss means a 30 per cent performance drop,” he says. “Drink 1 litre of fluid an hour to replace 1kg in weight,” he says. Water is okay, but try adding diluted fruit juice or an isotonic sports drink.
Your other energy essential? Hydration. “Limit water loss to two per cent of your bodyweight. Any more and performance suffers. A five per cent loss means a 30 per cent performance drop,” he says. “Drink 1 litre of fluid an hour to replace 1kg in weight,” he says. Water is okay, but try adding diluted fruit juice or an isotonic sports drink.
And for extra edge? “Caffeine is proven to increase speed and endurance, so have a coffee an hour before racing, or choose a carb gel with added caffeine.”
Good recovery
“Post workout, your glycogen stores are depleted, your muscles have micro tears that need rebuilding and chemical build- up that needs removing,” says nutritionist Becky Stevenson. “If you fail to recover you won’t have enough fuel to train as well next time and you’ll suffer muscle soreness. This culminates in heavy legs, disrupted sleep, raised levels of stress hormones and suppressed immunity.”
Recovery means refuelling with carbs, protein, fluid and salts. “Carbs raise your blood sugar level so insulin is released. This opens up your muscles to let nutrients in. Carbs replenish glycogen stores in your muscles and proteins repair them. Just protein won’t maximise your hormone environment; just carbs and you’re not protecting the muscle you’ve gained,” she explains.
“Research demonstrates a higher rate of glycogen storage in the two hours following exercise, so eating during this window will maximise the process,” Stevenson says. “This is fine if you’re not going to be training again for a few days. But any sooner and you should aim to refuel within 20 minutes.”
“Research demonstrates a higher rate of glycogen storage in the two hours following exercise, so eating during this window will maximise the process,” Stevenson says. “This is fine if you’re not going to be training again for a few days. But any sooner and you should aim to refuel within 20 minutes.”
Your ideal recovery snack is high carb, with a little protein. “Aim for 1-1.2g carbs per kilo of bodyweight. If you weigh 75kg that’s 90g – about three thick slices of bread. The ideal amount of protein is 10-20g . You’d get this from a low-fat milkshake drink or two to three mini cheeses,” says Stevenson.
And don’t forget rehydration. Stevenson is a fan of isotonic drinks: “We know the body retains more fluid if electrolytes are consumed. Wateralone dilutes body salts, sending a message to your kidneys to excrete fluid to restore the balance. An isotonic drink maintains the correct salt balance, so it won’t send this message.”
And don’t forget rehydration. Stevenson is a fan of isotonic drinks: “We know the body retains more fluid if electrolytes are consumed. Wateralone dilutes body salts, sending a message to your kidneys to excrete fluid to restore the balance. An isotonic drink maintains the correct salt balance, so it won’t send this message.”
Fighting illness
“When you exercise, you put your body under oxidative stress. Free radicals exist naturally in the body, but as you exercise and take in more oxygen, you increase free radical production – and the potential damage that does to cells,” says Stevenson.
Long-term, this leads to chronic disease. Short term, it means increased muscle soreness, fatigue and propensity to illness. The solution is to eat more antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals in the body, and you’ll find loads in fruit and vegetables.
And finally, Dr Neil Walsh has carried out extensive research on how athletes can prevent illness. His findings? Eat enough. “Athletes who don’t match calorie intake to their energy needs have lower immune function. Training hard while losing weight is a recipe for illness,” he says.
As well as eating enough, you need to eat your greens – and reds and yellows and purples. The Government guidelines of five-a-day should be a bare minimum. “Cyclists who are training hard need more like 10 a day, weighted towards vegetables in a rainbow of colours for maximum nutrients,” says Stevenson.
This feature is brought to you by Get Into Cycling from Future Publishing, the publishers of www.bikeradar.com
Eating the right food won't just get you fit, it can also better your mood, boost your brain and keep your heart healthy.
Long-term, this leads to chronic disease. Short term, it means increased muscle soreness, fatigue and propensity to illness. The solution is to eat more antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals in the body, and you’ll find loads in fruit and vegetables.
And finally, Dr Neil Walsh has carried out extensive research on how athletes can prevent illness. His findings? Eat enough. “Athletes who don’t match calorie intake to their energy needs have lower immune function. Training hard while losing weight is a recipe for illness,” he says.
As well as eating enough, you need to eat your greens – and reds and yellows and purples. The Government guidelines of five-a-day should be a bare minimum. “Cyclists who are training hard need more like 10 a day, weighted towards vegetables in a rainbow of colours for maximum nutrients,” says Stevenson.
This feature is brought to you by Get Into Cycling from Future Publishing, the publishers of www.bikeradar.com
Eating the right food won't just get you fit, it can also better your mood, boost your brain and keep your heart healthy.
