Home Outdoor Sports FAQS Fishing Golf swimming Skiing and Skating Cycling Climbing Other Outdoor Sports Camping

Eating to Win: What We Can Learn From Pro Cyclists

About his victory in the Tour de France and racing drug free, Bradley Wiggins (Team Skye) said, "It's all these small little percentages now that make the difference in sport...little things like the warming down, or Dario (Cioni) constantly topping up my hydration all the time...and getting to bed early, you know—having a chef on the Tour so your food is meticulously prepared—the food and that is where all the marginal gains are now, all these small little things now.

"That's what makes the difference now."

What can we learn so that we ride better? I investigated what the Skye, Garmin Sharp and Radio Shack Nissan Trek riders eat and drink.

More: Calculate your Nutritional Needs.

A Lot of Calories

A racer burns 3,500 to 4,000 calories on an average day in the Tour de France and 5,000 to 5,500 on a big day.

Breakfast Is Big

Racers eat a big breakfast so they start off with a full load of fuel and they eat several hours before the race to allow time for the meal to digest. My friend Barb Grealish is the chef for Garmin for domestic stage races. She prepares the biggest vat possible of oatmeal with blueberries and an egg station to fix eggs to order. Riders eat 1-2 bowls of oatmeal and 2-4 eggs. Some riders eat corn-based cereal, which is gluten-free.

More: Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of an Athlete's Day

Racers Drink a Lot

Depending on conditions, racers down 1-3 16 fluid-ounce(0.5 L) bottles every hour. Depending on preferences and stomach issues, a racer drinks water, sports drink and Coke. Most teams use a commercial sports drink. A few outsource custom drink mixes and have them tested for purity to be sure they won't present problems with drug testing.

Racers Eat a Lot

Even though they are racing hard, racers consume 300 or more calories an hour. They eat sports bars and gels provided by the team sponsors. Since they are racing nearly 21 days in a row in the Tour de France, they also eat real food to provide variety and additional calories. During a stage they'll eat boiled potatoes, rice cakes, panini (small sandwiches) and cut-up fruit to provide an assortment of flavors. Providing a lot of variety is the key to getting through three weeks of racing without bonking.

More: 2 Ways to Conquer Cramps on the Bike

Fuel Sources

At race paces, the racers are burning almost exclusively glycogen (from carbohydrates) for energy.

Carbohydrates

Racers eat primarily carbohydrates with a high glycemic index for instant energy.

Glycemic Index (GI)

GI measures how fast a food causes your blood glucose to rise. Glucose has a GI of 100. Here are some examples:

  • Sushi rice, favored by the pros, has a GI of 85.
  • Gatorade has a GI of 89 and GatorLode has a GI of 100.
  • Power Bar and Clif bar have GIs ranging from 50 to 60 depending on flavor; 55 is considered a low GI.
  • Gels generally have a high GI near 100.

We are often told to avoid foods that will give us the sugar rush (i.e., have a high GI) because if we eat them, then we'll have a low blood sugar crash. However, this is not true when exercising, especially when exercising hard. Pro racers stop eating solid food with a lower GI toward the end of a stage and opt for gels and sugary drinks.

More: 4 Ways to Speed Up Your Century Ride

Variety Counts

To keep eating and drinking hour after hour, racers have a lot of choices so that they can find something palatable.

Food Safety

Racers' food is kept cold in the team car. Any perishable protein food (sandwiches, rice cakes with eggs, etc.) should be unrefrigerated no more than one hour if hot (90° F / 32° C) or two hours at room temperature.

More: 12 Training Tips for an Ultra-Distance Ride

Recovery Begins Immediately

Riders start drinking and eating as soon as they get in the team bus; they don't wait until they are back at the hotel. Radioshack riders start with 1.5 L (48 fl. oz. or 3 pints) of a diluted proprietary hydration drink. Pedialyte is the most equivalent commercial drink. They follow this with 1.5 L of a simple sugar drink with 360 calories plus vitamin C. Riders are required to drink at least 1.5 L regardless of weight loss. Most guys consume both drinks, totaling 3 L (3 quarts) weighing 3 kg (6 lbs) of fluid within the first hour. For food, the team provides fresh steamed rice plus some protein, for example, chicken stir-fry or scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit, especially watermelon. Some riders drink a protein drink with 30 grams of protein/ L.

Dinner

In addition to carbohydrates, Grealish prepares large quantities of meat (beef, chicken and fish). She also serves beets, kale and spinach. Some think that the nitrates in these vegetables enhance endurance.

More: Can Beet Juice Instantly Improve Endurance?

As recreational riders, what can we learn from this and apply to our own riding?

Eat Primarily Carbohydrate

Like racers we are burning a mix of glycogen (from carbohydrate) and fat for fuel. Since our bodily stores of glycogen are limited, we should consume mostly carbohydrate during a ride.

Eat Plenty of Calories

Calories consumed per hour are more important than picking foods with a high GI. You should consume up to 300 calories per hour. However, if you start to bonk, go for something with a high GI.

More: Maintain Your Lean, Mean Racing Machine

Eat Unprocessed Foods

Foods with a high GI, like white rice, are highly processed and contain fewer micronutrients than unrefined foods like brown rice. We'll be healthier if we opt for less-refined foods such as fruit and whole grain products.

Recover for the Rest of the Day

For the pros, recovery starts before they even take showers! After a ride we should eat a healthy snack and drink plenty of fluids and then for the rest of the day be sure to drink enough that we are fully rehydrated and eat enough carbohydrate so that our glycogen stores are fully replenished.

Like racers we may get tired of bars and gels. Here are a couple of recipes popular with racers, which provide good nutrition at a lower cost than sports products!

More: Make Your Own Homemade Energy Gel

Panini

These small sandwiches are easy to make and quite tasty! Carry one or two in snack baggies. If it's hot to prevent spoilage you should only carry the panini for about an hour before eating.

  • 1/2 croissant or soft roll (so it's easy to chew) sliced and filled with:
  • a slice of ham or Canadian bacon
  • cream cheese
  • jam

Boiled Potatoes

You can carry and eat these all day. They're also easy to make, tastier than an energy bar and cheaper:

  • Boil 1 lb. (1/2 kg) small new red potatoes, about 15.
  • While warm, roll around in a pan with:
  • 1 cup (90 g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • Salt

Like the pros you can meet your nutritional needs on the bike with a wider variety of tasty foods and be the envy of your riding buddies!

For more on pro nutrition and how to make your own sports drinks, gels and solid food, see my eArticle on RoadBikeRider.com.

More: Determine Your Century Nutrition Plan


Outdoor Sports
Golf Clubs Should Fit You Like A Glove
The Rise And Fall Of Tiger Woods
Great Bass Fishing Tactics
How to Get the Perfect Golf Swing
Phillipson pacemaker rod
safari 243 heavy or medium heavy
year of manufacture
Fishing Articles : Rippin Lips?Tournament Grade Circle Hook
The Top Five Golf Tips For Better Scores
Cycling Tips and Training

Hand Of God

There have been many instances of foul plays in sports and although some players have been pen

Rigging and Presenting Late Summer and Early Fall Soft Plastics

   In the minds of many bass anglers they think of late summer and early fall as the season of the

Jaisalmer: The City of Magnificent Havelis

Jaisalmer, the Golden City in India, is a very popular tourist destination. Every year, millio

Copyright © www.mycheapnfljerseys.com Outdoor sports All Rights Reserved