You Are What You Eat

When we rode in the Isle of Mann I asked our friend Colin Ruxton (Banana Wrap Man) who works for Halton & St Helens Health Improvement Team, if he would submit an article for our riders relating to Nutrition & how diet affects cycling, He agreed & did some research for our group. His article is a guide only, you can ask him questions & we would appreciate your comments, but most of all we thank him for his input & time ......................

Basic Nutrition for Better Bike Riding

One theory about riding your bike is that you get to eat what you want, right? You can definitely consume more calories, but the right eating plan will give you energy, help you feel better, fuel your body more efficiently and help in trying to lose weight, if that is your goal.


The best eating plan for a cyclist is one that includes plenty of low fat, high carbohydrate foods to provide energy and fluids to offer hydration. While ‘carb’ tends to be a four letter word to many dieters, they are certainly not the diet-wrecking evil food that some people might lead you to believe. Carbs are the body’s preferred source of energy for cycling. Since you are constantly burning carbs to fuel your cycling as well as daily activities, you must regularly replace them with a high carbohydrate diet.


The kind of carbs that give all carbs a bad reputation are those made with simple sugars and refined flours. These offer little nutritional value. Fill up with carbohydrates through fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain breads, rice and pasta & round out your diet with lean protein and a small amount of fat.


When you eat is almost as important as what you eat. About an hour before a ride, fuel up with a high carbohydrate snack or small meal. Some ideas might be fresh fruit and whole grain toast or a half whole wheat bagel with peanut butter.


If your ride is longer than 60 minutes, you’ll need to refuel with more carbs. Researchers recommend carbohydrates each 30 minutes you ride beyond the first hour. This might also be a good time to consider a sports drink or energy bar. Eating a high carb snack or meal within 60 minutes after a lengthy ride is important to replenish your body and prepare you for your next ride.


Cyclists must make a conscious effort to drink fluids before, during and after riding to stay hydrated. Becoming dehydrated is one of the worst things that can happen to you and so it is important to be proactive and consume lots of fluids, even before you feel thirsty and enough when you're finished to gradually replenish those lost fluids after a ride.


Biking for Weight Loss

 So, you’re thinking that it’s time to lose a few pounds, but you’re not sure how to get started. How about dusting off that bike in the garage and taking it out for a spin? Bicycling is ideal for weight loss because it burns a lot of calories. Riding at a moderate speed (12 – 14 mph) you will burn approximately 235 calories per half hour.


Consider cycling for weight loss in a variety of ways. How about these options?


# Try having a scheduled daily ride of about an hour.


# Could you ride your bike to and from work or school? If you did this most days of the week and ate a healthy diet, you could easily expect to lose one pound a week.


# Another option is to plan family or group rides a few times a week. Make this a longer ride of a couple hours. Coupled with a healthy diet this would also bring a weight loss of about one pound a week.


# Plan times throughout your week to fit in a bike ride.


These activities will all add up to calories burned and pounds shed. Plus, they are also just a lot of fun and surprisingly easy way to fit in exercise.


When losing weight, this rate of sheding a pound a week or so is about right. Long term success is rarely achieved by crazy crash diets. If you lose more than a pound per week, you are essentially starving yourself, and your body responds accordingly. It tries to save calories wherever possible, and your metabolism will slow and you risk losing muscle tissue. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is by exercising regularly and making healthy food choices.


Remember this: food is fuel for your body. To keep your body running at full speed, you need to plan your meals around whole foods with minimal processing. Things like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats and dairy. The fruits, vegetables and grains will provide needed carbohydrates to fuel your activity, while the lean meats and low fat dairy products will encourage weight loss and provide protein for muscle development. If you are new to healthy eating, search the Internet for healthy recipes or invest in a good cookbook or alternatively talk to your local Health Improvement Team.