Nutrition

Entry Three

First, a post script to Entry Two, and directed to Madge:

Is this providing a structure for the pre- and post-ride meals for your men? Breakfasts of porridge, oatmeal, bagels with peanut butter? Bananas, raisons, figs, dates and other fruit? Eggs. Plenty of yogurts and milk. Post-ride meals of sweet potato salad? Bagels with almond butter? Pastas and beans, of course. And other vegetables. Avocado, nuts and seeds.

I lifted the following from a web site. It's a guideline for a training diet, and although it's a bit late and good common sense, here you go:

A Training Diet for the Endurance Cyclist

• Eat plenty of carbohydrates to replenish depleted carbohydrate stores that occur with intense training.
• Eat enough protein to repair and build muscles.
• Drink enough fluids to prevent cramping and fatigue during exercise. You should be drinking a minimum of 10 eight-ounce glasses of fluid per day. If you drink caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea or soda, you should drink two glasses of water per caffeinated beverage to counteract the water loss.
• Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system strong. You may want to take a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement to ensure you are getting adequate amounts.
• Make sure you eat within the first one to two hours after completing a training session. This is when muscles can most readily store glycogen (carbohydrate), and you will feel much, much better later in the day and the following day. If you don't have any appetite - or are short on time - try drinking a glass of juice or eating an energy bar.
• Keep energy bars with you during your training rides.  They are a great source of protein and carbohydrates and provide a good boost of energy when you start to feel sluggish or fatigued.
• Don't forget to take a day off! Your body needs rest so it can restore glycogen levels. You will return to your training more energized and with less chance of getting injured.

And, in addition to energy bars, here are a few ideas for pre- and post-ride foods as well as what could travel on the bike (again lifted from the web):    

·        Sardines. "They're a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Omega-3s not only fend off ills like heart disease and cancer, but they may also increase fat-burning ability by improving blood flow to working muscles, according to some research.

·       Jerky and Dried Sausage. Because it's cured, such outdoorsman fare is safe at any temperature. A single serving supplies 14 grams of protein and a heaping dose of sodium (500 to 600mg), which may be exactly what you need during a long, sweaty event.

·       Potato Chips. Because they're made from potatoes, chips provide about 15 grams of carbs per serving, and they satisfy two long-distance cravings--salt and fat. Stick to a small bag so you don't overdo the unhealthy saturated fat.

Now, on to fluids and electrolytes:

You know that you must replace the water that you lose through sweat. About 99% of sweat is water, with a number of major electrolytes found in varying amounts, but mostly sodium and chloride and less so, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, amino acids and some of the water-soluble vitamins. Electrolytes are crucial; they conduct the electrical energy of the body and play an important role in muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission. Hydration is the medium that aids electrolyte transport. That's why insufficient intake of fluids or electrolytes increases the risk of muscle cramping and bonking. It can also be the cause of nausea, slower reflexes, irregular heartbeat, drowsiness and dizziness, muscle fatigue and weakness, general fatigue, irritability and depression. 

You don't want any of that. So … ride with two water bottles*. One should be filled with water, one should be filled with an electrolyte replacement (which will be addressed in the next paragraph). At a minimum, those bottles should be re-filled every two hours. Some sports nutritionists recommend drinking one bottle per hour; others suggest a minimum of 4 to 5 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes or 1 to 2 standard water bottles per hour. When above-average heat and humidity are anticipated – and so the amount of sweat is increased - the risks of dehydration are greater of course. Maximize hydration by drinking up to 20 oz. of water 2 hours before exercise, another 8 oz. about 30 minutes before you head out, and then 4 to 8 oz. every 15 minutes on the bike. I don't think you can count on water stations every 20-30 km. along your route. Are you fortunate that you can count on Madge… 

About the electrolyte replacement. It is required for longer rides. The question of what is a good replacement and how much to drink is somewhat confounding if you explore various articles on the web. What we have learned over the years is that ELoad is our best bet - because it comes well-recommended by many, is not offensive taste to our palates, and comes in powder form. We keep several pill bottles of the stuff on our bikes, and dump one into a bottle of water every time we stop to re-fill. On long rides, we try to drink equal amounts from our water bottle as we do from our electrolyte bottle. We'll make sure to bring along ELoad for you, unless you have decided on something else.

OK folks, how are you doing with all this? It's simple. All you need to remember:

• calories in = calories burned
• water in = water out
• electrolytes in = electrolytes out 

* At first, we considered several alternatives to using bottles on our bike frame; we found it tough to reach down for our bottles without slowing down. But nothing seemed better … camel-backs were hot on our backs and leaky, and bottles either in front of our handle bars or behind our seats were a nuisance. It didn't take long to be able to reach for our bottles without looking down. 

This was written on our flight from Montreal to Victoria. I'll try to get another done in the next day or two. But it's competing with being Grammy for three days, so no promises. Besides, I'm pretty sure these entries aren't all that critical. 

Here's to several good training rides, gentlemen. You don't have many of those left. Next week, you should be winding down. Eating, eating. Using lots of salt. Drinking plenty of water. Enjoying desserts.

Bye for now. 

Marlie