Every winter, our opportunities to ride and workout seem to go down in proportion with the amount of food available to eat. And then summer comes and we begin to bike much more. It is then that we run in to the delicate balance between eating enough to fuel our extra caloric needs, while keeping the intake down to a level where we can shed the winters damage. Heres some tips that can help maintain that balance.
| Biking Nutrition Tips | |
| Provided by Health Net
NUTRITIONAL MISTAKES MADE BY ACTIVE PEOPLE
1. Skipping breakfast. Not eating breakfast is like asking your car to get to work without any fuel in the tank. Experts agree – skipping breakfast just means you’ll be hungrier later, which can make it more difficult to control both your diet and weight.
2. Not eating before a workout. Providing the body with food for energy allows for a better, more productive exercise session. A pre-workout meal consisting of carbs, a little fat and some protein can also help improve endurance and hand-eye coordination.
3. Waiting too long after exercising to eat. One of the best things you can do to prepare for your next workout is eat a small meal that includes both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of your last session. The carbohydrates help replenish muscle glycogen stores and the protein facilitates the repair of damaged muscle tissue.
4. Replacing meals with energy bars or replacement drinks. Sure, they’re convenient, but too often energy bars offer little more nutrition than your average candy bar. Replacement drinks may lack adequate fiber. When it comes to eating nutritiously, there’s really no substitute for healthy foods.
5. Not consuming the right amount of calories for the amount of activity you do (i.e., too many or too few). Your caloric intake should be sufficient to support your active lifestyle, but not so abundant that weight control becomes a challenge.
6. Not drinking the right amount of fluids. Dehydration can be a serious problem, especially if you exercise in hot, humid environments. Drinking fluids before, during and after exercise will help you maintain adequate hydration levels. Just don’t take it to extremes – drinking too much may result in sodium deficiency, which, though rare, can also pose a danger to one’s health.
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