Well I have recently been to see a dietitian about my riding eating as I have experienced some weird symptoms when riding that suggest - hypoglycemia type stuff.....never been tested and normally I am fine, so I know that it is only an exercise related thing.......
After a long detailed discussion about what I eat and what I don't, it was obvious that I don't eat enough before long rides. Part of the problem here is that I find it difficult to hold down foods that are low GI/take a long time to digest etc....so I avoid eating too much before a ride altogether..then wonder why I feel like crap..I am fine for about an hour or so but longer than that and I suffer..I take Staminade but it is not enough for a longer ride
A second thing is that I don't drink enough...Winter here is cold and so I find it difficult to chug down a lot of water and I LOVE COFFEE!!
So In summary I have to drink more water - ie have a bidon with me and just drink it and drink a glass with each meal to gradually up my fluid intake. Also drink during rides, have some electrolyte replacement then too so you don't wash everything out.
Food - Need to have pre ride snack and it should be higher GI (as I cant hold down the stuff that takes a long time to digest)...so good foods include - Cornflakes, weetbix (although they are medium GI), rice bubbles, white bread, honey cornflake bars, rice bubble bars. AND THEN I NEED AN AFTER RIDE SNACK - I never eat after a ride.
Weight - well my weight is within normal range, but I have to watch it and after my week in Melb I might have to keep a careful eye on what I eat.
In summary I learned to DRINK MORE FLUIDS include herbal teas and chai teas opposed to COFFEE!!!, Drink with meals Refer AIS - Hydration guidelines.
Also eat more BEFORE AND AFTER RIDES and not just rely on what I had in the system.....I thought that I was doing the right thing but it seems that I was not doing myself any favours at all.....
It was an interesting trip and I have also discovered ROLLED OATS - With banana yoghurt and honey - YUM and seriously they stick in your system for a while...although I have to give it an hour between eating them and hitting the road. It is not rocket science but you would not put bad fuel in your car so think about it before you just eat anything, and the best bit is that you can do it on the cheaper side....two slices of bread and some honey in a ziplock bag fits in your pocket and is cheap and easy as is a cereal bar as opposed to the more expensive "sports bars" It might also pay to have blood levels checked to see that your iron levels and other blood levels are within normal limits and if necessary discuss vitamins with your doctor..I take a women's multivitamin each day and I swear my nails are stronger if nothing else.
Just thought I would share my visit to the dietitian as it was a morning well spent! If you have nutrition ideas I would be interested as it is something I am slowly getting right now!
9 comments:
I get yelled at all the time for not eating enough... but I'm not normal weight so I figure I have tons of fat/energy on my body to use. I am also told that I have to fuel better, so my body burns that fat/energy more efficiently. It can be so confusing!
This blogger has some great, great, great, quality food ideas and takes pictures of her food all the time! She's pretty much vegetarian, but her selections are good for anyone seeking out a good carbs/protein sources: http://tryingforatri.com/
That is some really good advice. I usually eat a peanut butter and jam sandwich before I ride in the morning. That really does the trick for me. I also set a goal to drink two huge (1300ml) glasses of water at work during the day. It take some doing but I am usually able to get them down.
Rolled oats are good but high in gluten so I usually eat rolled brown rice porridge as an alternative. I just started reading the Paleo Diet for Athletes (co-authored by Joe Friel) and it's a really interesting read. For example I never realised that taking a Gu within ten minutes of race start was the reason I felt dizzy in the first half of the race. The sugar hit before exercise causes the body to ramp up insulin production to prevent (!) sugar to go into the blood stream too quickly - the opposite of what I thought I was achieving. Little things but big impact! Recommend the read!
(Oh, and to answer your question: I did the test just after I finished the liver detox.)
Thanks for sharing your tips with your fellow cyclist bloggers. Very interesting.
Donna - thanks for the link I found a good cooking blog once (I am into cooking at the moment and seriously loving cooking....just have to get my nutrition right for sport)
Mike - Water is diffficult espcially as it is cold at the moment and I rather drink coffee
Groover - Shane just bought the Joe Friel book for cyclists over 50 and he loves it and I forgot to mention I also eat those tins of creamed rice before races (havent done it for ages...but they are good)
ADTWL - Thanks for the comment - Shane and I raced in our Velo gear today. We love the colors and the gear....The Champs Sys stuff is comfy....
I'm a big fan of PB&J sandwich about 45 mins. before my ride. Be careful if you have trouble with sugar though. I force myself to drink water everyday and even have a note on my desk at work to remind me. Coffee is my best friend!
My favorite breakfast before a long ride day is brown rice with an egg mixed in; it tastes a lot better than it sounds. Sometimes an avocado sandwich before a ride as well.
Buttsy, I'll send you the plans for my pre-ride/race powerhouse pancakes which include organic rolled oats.
-B
Thanks that would be great as I am always reading nutrition stuff....I am actually studying doing a Dietitian course, but so far have only done two subjects, one was chemistry and one was anatomy and we havent looked at food yet...unless you call hydrogen and sulphur foods......chem - stoichiometry now that is NOT FUN - makes doing time trial intervals seem like a holiday - SERIOUSLY
Hey, thanks for your note; you hit the nail on the head! In fact, I just thought last week about taking take the whole reference to having had GB off my blog. I mean, it is a part of me, but I never wanted to be identified with it, so this really range true:
"Don't be the "I had gastric surgery and look where I AM now" Be the "I am a triathlete and look where I am going"....."
I see too many people who have been heavy as I once was sit around thinking "I can't do that" I'm convinced I'm supposed to be showing them they can!
Something being "hard" is not the problem for me. I'm not afraid of hard work or hard training... I'm afraid of failing... or, more specifically, failing because I'm too big -- or worse people think that I fail because I'm too big! That's the story of my life since I was a kid, and it's been more of a challenge to beat that mental game than anything.
Do I want to work to get better? sure! But have I ever failed? Never. As far as I am concerned showing up to the start is the hardest part, and I've never quit a race yet.
I don't think an Oly distances is a pipe dream and by the time I'm 45 I would like to have done a 1/2 IM... then one day a Full IM, Lord willing. :) Oh yeah, I have dreams... and I'll see them through.
Thanks always for your thoughtful notes... You always give me food for thought.
Sorry to hi-jack your comments... I didn't have your direct email address! :)
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