Yeah, that's a trick question, they are all important. I've been sharing on this blog for months the 2004 Porsche Bike X rebuild I intend to ride in the 2017 129-mile Death Ride. And this week I'm posting about all the other important stuff that goes into such a long and strenuous ride. Stuff like stretching, mental preparation and today, nutrition.
For me, proper nutrition is simply eating whole and healthy foods and keeping the calorie count in check. Getting serious with my training gets me focused on my eating too. I have been trying to eat whole foods and avoid processed food - staying away from sugar. For breakfast I have been eating olive oil fried potatoes, eggs and a grapefruit. For lunch lots of chicken and kale salads and blueberry and cottage cheese for after ride snacks. Dinner has been lots of homemade soups since it's been a cold winter.
But nutrition is more than just eating whole foods. The balance of carbs, fats and protein as well as micro nutrients are very important. And this balance during endurance training and riding is critical to one's success in cycling.
Getting to the bottom of what's needed on the dinner table, I again went to YouTube to learn a little more about nutrition for cyclists while I did my afternoon stationary bike training spin. The 50-minute video "Nutrition for Cycling: Fueling Your Human Powered Vehicle" I found to be very informative.
In the video, registered dietitian Heather Schwartz takes an in depth look at the nutrition needs of avid cyclists. Watch it to learn how much, when, and what kinds of fluids your body needs before, during, and after your ride. Find out how to calculate your energy needs to fuel your cycling goals on and off the bike.
Good information. I'll probably watch this again closer to the Death Ride and calculate my fluid and food plan for the long ride.
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