A Brief Overview

Now is a good time to start thinking about what you eat and how it could affect your riding. Skipping meals or going without food for longer than 4-5 hours can lead to overeating at your next meal and does more harm than good.  The way to prevent this is to eat healthy, low-fat snacks mid-morning & afternoon.  It is not necessary to eat large amounts, but enough to keep your energy from dipping to a low level throughout the day Try to get into the habit of eating something (nourishing) for breakfast.  This is the most important meal of the day since you have been fasting all night & your body is running on reserve. I try to make lunch my biggest meal of the day, so I won’t be starving after I do my ride in the evening.  As we stretch out our miles, it will be even more important to be well nourished. The evening meal should be eaten as soon as you can after riding.  If you aren’t able to eat within 20-30 minutes, be sure to have a bar or food item with you to munch on. My favorite meal after a ride is a huge green salad with chopped peppers, albacore tuna, pepper & a low fat or fat free blue cheese dressing.  My reward is a low fat yogurt ice cream bar.  It can be fun to experiment with new foods, so give it a try.  Meals don’t have to be complex to be good for you.  Often, the less cooking you do, the healthier the meal!! While in training, I break down my food into three categories:

• Carbohydrates at 60-70% - Maximizes endurance performance & is the initial fuel source during activity.
• Proteins at 10-15% - Helps build lean mass & aids in recovery from activity.  Extends energy during activity.
• Fat at 20-25% - High fat diets compromise carbohydrate intake & can lead to weight gain. A little goes a long way!