THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
The feed zone - Basic eating for basic training
Many cyclists are currently building their aerobic endurance, muscularstrength, and flexibility in anticipation of more specific training inthe coming weeks and months. Just as this training cycle requires you followa specific mix of volume and intensity, your nutritional intake must matchup so that you have the required energy and fluids at the most optimaltimes for your training and recovery.As you continue to build your volume, your energy and carbohydrate requirementsincrease. During this base cycle, you may also be interested in losingweight. This is a good time of year to adopt nutritional habits that resultin gradual weight loss so that you do not have to restrict calories whentraining really picks up in intensity. For each training cycle, you needto consider your nutritional requirements for energy, carbohydrate, protein,fat, and fluid strategies.Energy
While estimating energy needs is both a science and an art, a few generalizationscan be made to assist you in determining your energy needs. If you wantto lose weight, a mild restriction is 300 calories daily for a weight lossof approximately half-a-pound weekly, and 500 calories for one pound weightloss weekly. Greater calorie restrictions can produce more weight loss,but could also compromise your energy levels and recovery.Obviously within this current training cycle you can experience varioustypes of workouts during the week and weekends. Energy requirements formaintenance can be based on training time:12-14 calories per pound: Mild activity with no purposeful trainingor exercise (day off)
15-17 calories per pound: One hour training at moderate intensity
18-24 calories per pound: One to two hours at moderate intensity
25-30 calories per pound: Several hours of training dailyCarbohydrate
Carbohydrate of course along with fat is a steady fuel supply duringany type of low to moderate intensity training. Carbohydrate needs needto match training in order to replace the muscle glycogen that you burnfor fuel.2.25-3.0 grams/lb.: Moderate intensity training for one hour or verylow intensity for several hours3.0-4.5 grams/lb.: Greater than 90 minutes daily at moderate intensity.Consume from the high end of the range for several hours of moderate intensity.
These carbohydrate requirements include both the types of carbohydratesfound in sports drinks and gels and consumed during training, as well asthe whole grains, fruits, and vegetables that make-up a balanced trainingdiet. Timing your carbohydrate intake properly also supports your trainingefforts. In the two hours before longer training sessions consume up to50-75 grams of carbohydrate. Pay attention to recovery nutrition and consume0.5 g/lb. carbohydrate after longer training sessions. You can also addin 10-15 g of protein to your recovery snack. You can consume the samenutritional amounts again in 2 hours after longer training sessions.Protein
Your protein requirements are a reflection of the increased volumeof training and your efforts to build muscular endurance. Aim for 0.5 to0.7 grams/lb. weight- an amount easily obtained in a well-balanced diet.Fat
Healthy fats should round out your calories at no more than 0.5 grams/lb.body weight.Fluid
Meeting your fluid requirements during training is important. Whilesweat losses may not be as striking as in the warmer months, even a smallamount of dehydration can have a negative impact upon your performance.Maintain daily hydration. Your urine should be pale yellow in color ifyou are adequately hydrated. Urine is more concentrated and darker in themorning, and can be darker if you take a multivitamin/mineral supplement.Estimating your sweat losses during this early-season cycle is stillimportant. You can determine how your sweat rate may vary for differentworkouts, whether indoors or outdoors. (see "Thefeed zone - Nutrition Q&A with Monique Ryan - Salt of the Earth")Practice drinking during training to match your sweat losses. If you arelosing more than 2 lb. during a specific training session, you are experiencingsignificant dehydration during training. Your fluid losses can still besignificant during cold weather rides.You can also pre-hydrate with up to 20 ounces of fluid in the two hoursbefore training and top it off with 8-10 ounces of fluid in the 20 minutesbefore training. A sports drink can be consumed immediately before andduring exercise. During steady training lasting longer than 90 minutesconsume 4 to 8 ounces of sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes (or try tomatch sweat losses as closely as possibly) to maintain hydration. You canconsider using a sports drink during shorter duration workouts if it improvesthe amount of fluid that you consume (due to the flavor) and you have notconsumed any fuel in the two hours prior to training. After training rehydrate-consuming 20-24 ounces of fluid per pound of weight loss should restorefluid levels.
| Sample menu for cyclist 90 minute indoor cycle at 6:00 p.m. 165 lb. male 3300 calories, 500 g carbohydrate (61%), 115 g protein (14%), 92 g fat (25%) |
| Breakfast (7:00 am) Oatmeal, cooked, 1 cup Raisins, 2 Tbsp. Dairy or soy milk, 8 ounces Banana, 1 small Juice, 12 ouncesSnack (10:00 am) Yogurt, 6 ounces Apple, 1 medium Almonds, 12Lunch (1:00 pm) Turkey, 4 ounces Bread, whole grain, 2 slices Avocado, 2 slices Orange, 1 medium Bean and rice mix, 1 cup Raw vegetables, 1 cupSnack (3:00 pm) Crackers, whole grain, 10 Hummus, 4 tbsp. Pear, 1 largeBike training- 90 minutes at moderate intensity (6:00 pm) Sports drink, 24 ounces per hour Total of 36 ouncesDinner (8:00 pm) Fish, 4 ounces Sweet potato, 1 large Broccoli, steamed, 1 cup Salad, 2 cups Salad dressing, light, 4 tbsp.Snack (9:30 pm) Yogurt, frozen, low fat, 2/3 cup Frozen berries, 1 cup |
Monique Ryan, MS, RD, is author of "Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition,"and "SportsNutrition for Endurance Athletes," from VeloPress, and the upcoming
