Nutrition for Cyclists: its importance in performance

Nutrition for Cyclists: its importance in performance - The diet in a sport background and high hardness such as cycling, is key to performance. We must pay attention to maintaining a balanced diet and, on the other hand, in the form of feed before, during and after workouts, especially during periods of competition.

Then I'll do a little tour of the nutrients that should never be lacking in the diet of a cyclist and should be composed of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Fats in the diet of a cyclist

Saturated fats

These are the fats that we must avoid at all costs in our diet, as easily adhere to the arteries and tissues. Animal fats are usually type. We exclude from our diet vegetable oils such as coconut and palm.

Hydrogenated fats, Semi-Hydrogenated Trans Fats

These fats are used for the manufacture of bakery products, savory snacks and convenience foods. They are used by its low cost and the product is stored for longer.

Not only increase bad cholesterol, but reduce the good cholesterol while increasing triglycerides.

lnsaturadas fats

These fats are what we add in our diet. They found in vegetable oils type and are usually liquid at room temperature. These fats are divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, but interest are unsaturated.

These fats are very important for a balanced diet and also we will grant a host of benefits if consumed in adequate proportion.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for the organism. This type of fat we add to the dietary intake because the body does not create alone.

These essential fatty acids are Omega 3 and Omega 6. These types of essential fatty acids are very important in sports nutrition.

Carbohydrates, essential in the diet of cyclists

Carbohydrates are important in a sedentary person, however, for sports people, are really important. In a balanced diet, its consumption should be around 55% of the total daily diet.

Normally, they are not given the importance that should give every athlete knows but that in the days before a competition, we charge the tanks.

Then I detail the types of carbohydrates that exist.

Simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are those whose absorption is rapid, ie, they reach the bloodstream quickly causing major insulin peak. They are assimilated by the body directly without digestion. Within these, there are two types:

monosaccharides: among those whohaveglucose(foundingrapes, fruits and honey)and fructose(fruit andhoney).
disaccharides: sucrose, whichiswhat we know assugarand lactosefound inmilk.

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates, unlike animals, are slowly absorbed takes time to break down in the digestive process to become glucose and not cause high peak insulin. We divide them into two groups:

digestible or absorbable: we starches (cereals, rice, potatoes, etc.). Here, unlike the simple, when chewed, they must be broken down by an enzyme called amylase. This enzyme converts starch into glucose into the stomach, where the transformation is momentarily interrupted due to contact with stomach acids. When they reach the intestine continue its decomposition into glucose more slowly until it reaches the liver to be stored as liver glycogen.
nonabsorbable indigestible carbohydrates, celluloses it belongs. They are what we know as fiber. The fiber can be decomposed by no digestive enzymes. When we do not eat fiber, we are causing difficulty in bowel movement (constipation).

As I indicated, carbohydrates are really important for an athlete, but it is clear that are essential to the life of anyone, as they are necessary for the extraction of glucose to be used as fuel for neurons, elements blood, bone marrow and kidney cells.

The proteins necessary for muscle tissue of athletes

Proteins have constructive purpose. Our muscle tissue needs them to grow and develop. Their daily feed ratio has to be around 15%.

In the case of athletes, as there is increased wear, the contribution may be higher.

Proteins are composed of amino acids, and they are divided into:

1) Essential: it is what we need for growth and we can not synthesize, that is, we must add in the diet. Among these are the branched chain amino acids (leucine, valine and isoleucine).

2) Non-essential: they are those that can be synthesized in the body for essential amino acids.

Protein intake should be around 0.8 and around 1 gram per kilo of body weight. Proteins are found in fish, meat, milk, cheese and egg. All these are proteins of animal origin.

We can also extract essential amino acids of vegetable proteins such as soy, wheat germ, royal jelly ...

Excess protein can lead to problems of urea, uric acid and cholesterol. When our metabolism uses protein as an energy source that many waste from consumption occur, such as an excess of ammonia that has to be transformed into urea and eliminated by the kidney.

Vitamins to maintain good physiological conditions

Vitamins are found in food and its function is to maintain good physiological conditions. They are protective of the cellular system and are involved in many metabolic processes.

It is very important to maintain a balanced and varied diet to maintain balance between vitamins, otherwise an abuse or excess thereof may be harmful to properly perform their functions. Foods like alcohol, coffee, drugs in general can destroy vitamins.

It is important to note that if we need to take some kind of vitamin supplementation, take with meals and not with coffee, for example, breakfast.

Many times we feel tired and thought the solution is to take a multivitamin when the secret is overtraining inconsistent with our lifestyle. A few km less or more rest may be sufficient to find better.

Among the vitamins, there are two types:

1) Hidrosolubles: most of the group B and vitamin C. This type of vitamins are soluble in water and is excreted through the urine.

2) Fat-soluble: vitamins A, D, E, F and K. These vitamins are soluble in fat and risk of overdosage with vitamin A and D, especially with the latter.

If we had to highlight important vitamins for athletes these would be the B vitamins and antioxidant: A, C and E.

Vitamin B needs increase with high intensity exercise. This group ranges from B1 to B12. A complex that provides lots of B vitamins is brewer's yeast.

Furthermore, the antioxidant vitamins neutralize free radicals, which are responsible for cellular aging and alterations of cell membranes and are produced as a result of rapid combustion within the cell.