THE MAIN FOODS for
Cycling |
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GLUCIDES
It is what the
muscles prefer for a short and/or intense effort.
The
ordinary glucides with a rapid absorption for an immediate use:
Sugar,
sweets, fruits and fruit juices
The
complex glucides with a slow absorption that enable to regenerate the
sugar stocks of the body:
Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, pulses |
PROTEINS
The body
muscles and tissues need them.
Animal origin:
meat, fish, eggs, milk products
Vegetable origin:
cereals and pulses |
LIPIDS
The energy that
they bring is useful, particularly in the long-time events, when we really
need the reserves.
Lipids from greasy substances:
butter, oil, cream
Lipids from foods:
cooked pork meats, meats, eggs, cakes
Uncooked lipids must be given greater importance and cooked fats as well
as cooked pork meats, cakes and fat meats must be reduced at the most. |
The
problem of the cyclists is to loose the kilos from the interseason and then to
maintain this weight. A dietetic follow enables to avoid to put too much on
weight (the gain of weight must be lower than 3 kilos) and diets that are too
restrictive, which would lead to dificiencies. A healthy feeding enables the
body to be balanced, and in these conditions, it can give its best.
Feeding influences directly the M.A.C. ( maximal aerobic capacity: the
maximum that the glucide reserves will enable to maintain during a regular
effort).
An
effort at 70 % of the maximal VO2 (def: Maximal Volume of consumed oxygen)
exhausts the glucide reserves in 2 or 3 hours. The fats are then used but they
enable to maintain an effort at only 50 % of the max. VO2. Exogenic glucide must
then be added. (def: feeding supply during the effort: solid or liquid) to delay
the reserves exhaustion. But for an effort at 40-50 % of the max. VO2, the main
substratum is fats. To loose fat, we have to ride for a long time to an average
intensity.
Furthermore, the muscular exercise damages muscles. An intake that is well
balanced in protein is also needed in order to be able to restore this as soon
as possible. But all excesses lead to waste formation.
Hydration
Muscular exercise = heat generation
increase of the body heat =
increase of the perspiring
1 litre of evaporated sweat
makes the temperature fall of 8 degrees. |
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Perspiring variation
factor:
-
Intensity and length of the exercise.
- Outside temperature.
- Hygrometry rate.
The
problem is that the more we perspire, the more we dehydrate… |
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Dehydration
consequences:
-
Headaches
- Cramps because of the heat
- Heat stroke
- Increase of the tendinitis risk
- Increase of the heart frequency |
Fall of the effort
capacity in relation to the dehydration rate and the outside temperature.
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Dehydration |
Volume in L (for 70kg) |
18°C |
40°C |
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2% |
1.4 |
-20% |
-40% |
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4% |
2.8 |
-40% |
-60% |
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8% |
5.6 |
Serious
troubles |
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Balance rate of the
dehydration with a thirst feeling.
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Sweat volume |
Ingested water |
Balance rate |
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200 ml |
180 ml |
95% |
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500 ml |
380 ml |
75% |
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750 ml |
400 ml |
55% |
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Recommendations :
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Drinking before being thirsty.
- Weighting oneself after a physical
activity to control the total of the water losses
- Checking the urine colour and volume (the more dark they are, the
more you are dehydrated). |
FEEDING
DURING THE EVENT:
Less than 1 hour :
water
1 to 2 hours :
sweetened water (drink for effort)
2 to 5 hours :
sweetened water + food with glucides
More than 5 hours :
drink with glucides + light meal (sandwich)
Piece of advice :
The food
must be :
- Easy to display
- Easy to swallow
- Easy to digest
Drink
regularly in small quantities even if you are not thirsty :
Some
kinds of food with glucides :
- Pieces of crystallized fruit
- Almond paste
- Condensed sugar tube
- Tartlets
- Semolina pudding
In
the case of events with steps, it is very important to eat well because
all the ingested foods, even if they are not totally digested for the end
of the event, go with the recovery. |
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Vitamins |
Roles |
Sources |
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A |
Growth, sight
and mucous membranes |
Liver, egg
yolk, lactic fat content, green vegetables |
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D |
Assures the
skeletal development |
Liver, egg
yolk, meat, cereals, vegetable oils |
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E |
Protects from
oxidation |
Vegetable
oils, liver, cereals germs |
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B1 |
Essential in
the sugar metabolism |
Liver, milk,
eggs, yeast, cereals germs, vegetables, fruits, fishes |
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B2 |
In the
metabolism of sugars, lipids and proteins |
Liver, milk,
eggs, yeast |
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B3 |
In the
metabolism of sugars, lipids and proteins |
Liver, meat,
fruits, fishes, cereals, vegetables, brewer’s yeast |
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B6 |
In the protein
synthesis |
Liver, meat,
kidneys, green vegetables, fruits, yeast |
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B9 |
In the protein
synthesis |
Liver, meat,
cereals germs, yeast, vegetables (cabbages) |
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B12 |
Anti-anaemic |
Liver,
kidneys, egg yolk, shellfishes |
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C |
Help the body
defences |
Fruits,
vegetables |
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Minerals |
Roles |
Sources |
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Calcium |
Essential
element for bones |
Milk, yogurt,
cheese’ vegetables, fruits, mineral water |
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Sodium |
Role for the
heart and muscles functioning. Regulation of the blood pressure. |
Salt, cooked
pork meat, cheeses, cooked meals |
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Potassium |
Avoids the
water leak of the cells. |
Vegetables,
dried fruits, fruits, meats |
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Iron |
Essential for
the oxygen transport |
Liver, black
pudding, meat, dried vegetables |
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Magnésium |
Permits the
utilization of gylcogen |
Cocoa,
almonds, dried vegetables, sea foods, |
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Zinc |
Increase the
tolerance to glucose |
Meat, cereals,
sea foods, fruits |
Deficiency in
sodium, potassium, magnesium:
cramp
Deficiency in vitamins, iron, zinc:
fatigue
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How to
make your own electrolyte drink
WATER
(500ml)
SUGAR 50 g/L (100 g in cold
weather)
A PINCH OF SALT
A PINCH OF POTASSIUM SALT
A LEMON JUICE
Frédéric TORRES,
physical assistant, State Graduate and postgraduate, Post-graduate diploma
"Engineering of the physical preparation", specialised in cyclist activities,
creator and Sports Manager of Velotraining.net, |
