Start Your Engines!

Here are some tips from Nancy Clark, a certified sports dietetics & competitive athletes herself:

1. Always eat breakfast!
2. Energy bars are more about convenience than necessity. Go natural.
3. Food is fuel - not "fattening enemy"..So Eat!
4. Gatorade & other sport drinks are designed to be used by cyclists during extended exercise, not as a lunch or snack beverage.
5. Junk food can fit into your sports diet in small amounts. Try 90% quality food and, if desired, 10% foods with marginal nutritional value, e.g. french fries, cookies tec.
6. Never go out on a ride without carrying some sort of emergency food.
7. Protein helps recovery from hard workouts, and it should accompany your recovery meal.
8. Quality nutrition is found in natural food, especially fruits.
   
9. Rest is an important part of exercise programme. Your muscle need time to heal.
10. Cravings for sweets are a sign you've gotten too hungry.
    
11. Dont get too hungry. When you're hungry, you'll likely grab the handliest (but not the healtiest) food around.
12. Being thinner doesn't equate to being a better cyclist if the cost of being thin is skimpy meals and poorly fueled muscles. Focus on being fit and healthy - not just sleek and slim (but starving)
13. Keep track of calories if you want to lose weight. You'll reduce body fat only if you create a calorie deficit. Biking can help with fat loss if it contributes to calorie deficit (but the more you ride, the more you might eat!)
    
14. Urine that is dark coloured and smelly indicates you need to drink more fluid.
15. Eat well & enjoy your energy!
    

Source: Adventure Cyclist/ The Cyclists' Kitchen

Reducing muscle soreness

Question: Should I use L-glutamine to reduce muscle soreness after a hard workout?

Answer: Supplementing with L-glutamine is an expensive way to get an amino acid .... you can get it in any protein-rich food. While L-glutamine might enhance recovery of patients in the hospital who have cancer, AIDS, or bowel problems and are not eating, the chances are that you, as a healthy athlete, can consume a multitude of amino acids (not just L-glutamine) through your diet.

Certainly, the best way to enhance recovery is to fuel up before exercise with a carb-protein snack (recovery can actually start pre-exercise, so the "tools" to recover are already in your system) and then to refuel afterwards, again with some carbs + protein. The carbs provide fuel and the protein heals and builds.

Some popular pre- and/or post-exercise options include yogurt, a little cereal/milk, half a sandwich, or lowfat chocolate milk--all in portions that settles well. You really don't need to buy engineered foods. Simply pay more attention to having the right foods readily available; don't let nutrition be your missing link.

What you eat pre-exercise should last you about 60 to 90 minutes, and then you want to target about 200 to 300 calories per hour. Some athletes choose gels because they are convenient, but you need not spend your money on engineered foods. They are more about convenience than necessity. Other athletes enjoy banana, gummy candy, dried fruit, rice crispie treats, twizzlers ... and carb-based food that tastes good and settles well. Experiment to figure out what foods and fluids work best for your body. By staying well fueled, you will be able to recover more easily.

Source: Active.com/ Nancy Clark RD CSSD/ photo from first-fitnesstraining.blog