Cycling Diet Tips You Require To Actually Keep In Mind As A Beginner

Congratulations on your decision to become a cyclist. Believe it or not, as a quite young girl, I have been cycling for years. Recalling those days when I was still a beginner, everything would not be so easy without my father’s instruction as an experienced cyclist. His guide walked me through the steps necessary to build my knowledge, fitness, and confidence, and that is why I can quickly become fully operational on the road. Now that I have been a so-called experienced cyclist compared with those beginners, I also want to give some of the advice so as to help you enjoy your cycling better and avoid those unnecessary troubles. And today, I would like to first talk about foods and drink in terms of cycling for beginners, in my point of view, it is undoubted of great importance.

leaning out the meal plan
Well, I am sure that different people have their various reasons for starting cycling. As for me, my reason is quite simple and cycling dietdirect, losing weight. That is right, before cycling, I was actually a pretty fat girl, and I heard that cycling was an effective way to lose weight, so I decided to have a try. So for those who have the same initiative, the first thing I want to say is leaning out your meal plan.

We have all heard about the evils of a high-carbohydrate diet while a low-carb diet is extremely effective for the average sedentary individual. Therefore, many people tend to take it for granted that low-carb diet must be the best choice for those who try to keep slim through exercise. However, it is not always the case. Carb cycling is very simply the idea that we alternate between high-carb and low-carb days depending on our activity level for the day. Usually, low carb intake on non-training or less intense training days. Carb in this day should primarily come from green vegetables. Don’t worry about an exact number of carbs, as long as you are getting green vegetables your intake will be low enough. And high carb intake on intense training days. Carb in this day should come from complex carb sources primarily, but on this day you can also add in some starchy carbs before and after your cycling. For example, your carb cycle may look like this:

♦ Monday – High Carb

♦ Tuesday – Low Carb

♦ Wednesday – High Carb

♦ Thursday – Low Carb

♦ Friday – Low Carb

♦ Saturday – High Carb

♦ Sunday – Low Carb

Anyway, the most important thing is no matter what kind of plans you have made, you must stick to it.

Refuelling and recovering after a workout
As a matter of fact, it is also something in your diet. Healthy eating after your exercise, especially after intense exercise or an event, is important to replace the energy, fluids, salts and carbohydrates that are lost or burned. Therefore, after your cycling, you must eat something to help yourself recover. Well-chosen and well-timed meals and snacks can help your body recover, adapt and perform its best. Including protein in your diet helps your body to stimulate muscle growth. Here are some recovery meal and snack ideas to try:

♣ Greek-style yoghurt with low-fat granolacycling diet

♣ Whole grain cereal or oatmeal with low-fat milk or fortified soy beverage

♣ Whole grain pita with tuna and low-fat mayonnaise

♣ A medium-sized baked potato with lean steak or grilled tofu and a side salad

♣ Grilled or roasted chicken on a whole wheat tortilla with lower-fat cheese and mixed raw vegetables

♣ Brown rice or quinoa with grilled fish and steamed vegetables

♣ Smoothie made with silken tofu or Greek-style yoghurt, soy beverage or low-fat milk, banana, and mixed berries

What to drink after your exercise
After talking about eating, let us discuss something about drinking after your cycling. Just as what I have said above, drink properly can help restore your muscles and ease post-workout soreness. Proper hydration, as well as replacing lost nutrients such as electrolytes, protein and carbohydrates will help you relief muscles stress. Here are some suggestions for your after-cycling drinking.

♠ Juice

Sugar is what fuels the body to move, so replacing it after a strenuous is crucial. Fruits and vegetables naturally contain sugars, so a natural juice with not too much added sugar proves to be a good post-workout drink. And juices are an absolutely excellent choice. Containing carbohydrates, electrolytes and amino acids, juices can help your muscles recover after a workout.

♠ Sports drinkcycling diet

While water is the best form of hydration for the body, it is recommended that workouts lasting 60 minutes or more be accompanied by a sports drink to avoid exhaustion. Most sports drinks contain both electrolytes and carbs to boost your energy levels and help muscles recover more quickly and efficiently. If you are not hungry after your workout, a sports drink will replace lost carbs and keep blood sugar up to avoid feeling faint.

♠ Protein shake

Because muscles are made up of protein, drinking a protein shake after a workout helps stimulate muscle growth. Muscle soreness is caused by protein degradation after tearing the muscles, so ingesting protein after a workout will help muscles recover to a stronger state than before. Nutritionist Danielle La Fata recommends ingesting anywhere from 15 to 30 grammes of protein post workout, depending on the intensity of your session. Protein powders such as maca, soy and whey are readily available at most nutrition stores or even at many gyms.

cycling diet♠ Smoothie

A good post-workout smoothie is a combination of yoghurt and fruit. The natural sugars in fruits will help restore glycogen levels in the muscles and replace lost carbs. Most yoghurts contain protein and fat, both of which will help repair muscles and reduce inflammation. Fruits high in potassium, such as bananas, are a good choice for smoothies as they help prevent muscle cramping and stiffness. Smoothies are becoming more readily available at most coffee shops and even fast food restaurants, but can also be at home in your own blender.

To recap

Ok, here our topic today has approached its end, I really hope my suggestions could help you get on cycling and improve your cycling enjoyment to a larger extent. If you have any further better advice, welcome to leave your message on our website.