Do you aspire to improve your performance as a cyclist? Well, as important as your training is adequate nutrition. A diet focused on performance should contemplate food with great energy and low fat power. Here we propose a list of foods that should never be missing in your pantry or fridge.
What foods are basic in the cyclist diet
Take note. Of the balance in the intake of these foods lies part of the success in your performance on the bicycle. We analyze its main nutrients the best time to take them.
Coffee
Coffee is already an essential supplement of breakfast or, simply, of any time of pause or rest of the cyclist. Caffeine has stimulating effect that delays the appearance of fatigue. Activate the cardiovascular system and improve the perception of effort, allowing to better mobilize energy reserves.
- Main nutrients: caffeine, minerals (calcium and magnesium).
- When to take: before exercise.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a natural source of carbohydrates that will serve to fill your glycogen reserves, the nutrient necessary for muscle movement. Take breakfast accompanied by milk or fruit as a good way to prepare a exit, training or career.
- Main nutrients: carbohydrates, fiber and minerals (magnesium and iron).
- When to take: before, during and after the exercise.
Walnuts
The nuts are nutrient -loaded fruits, easy to assimilate by the body and a very healthy option to obtain energy, both for training itself and after it. In addition, they contain omega 3 fatty acids, a healthy source of fats that will serve to provide your body with slow release energy. Ideal to increase your background and resistance in a healthy way.
- Main nutrients: fatty acids (benign), carbohydrates and proteins.
- When to take: before, during and after the exercise.
Banana
It is possibly the fruit more associated with the athlete, and especially in cycling. It provides a large amount of energy in the form of carbohydrates, in addition to potassium as a mineral capable of delaying the appearance of cramps. On the other hand, it is easy to carry, peel and eat, which makes it one of the fruits that you should always have in your pantry.
- Main nutrients: carbohydrates, minerals (potassium, magnesium, phosphorus).
- When to take: before and during exercise.
Energy bars
Like the banana, the bars are ideal foods to take before and during the cycling route or training, for their ease of carrying and ingesting. In addition, they are easy to digest and the use of their nutrients (in the form of carbohydrates, mainly) there are soon times to take them.
You can buy bars of all kinds and flavors in sports nutrition or cycling stores, as well as prepare your own at home. Cereals, nuts, dehydrated fruit or chocolate are some of the most common elements in the bars, with a high percentage of carbohydrates in their composition.
- Main nutrients: carbohydrates and proteins.
- When to take: before and during exercise.
Citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit)
The advantages of fruits such as orange or lemon for the cyclist are marked by their high percentage in vitamin C. On the one hand, they strengthen the immune system, contributing to improve the recovery capacity after the effort. In addition, they have great antioxidant capacity. Taking them after training or career, they are able to reduce damage or muscle inflammation, improving recovery.
- Main nutrients: vitamins and minerals.
- When to take: after exercise.
Chicken
Within meat, chicken has a low fat content and is high in protein, so it is a very attractive option to include in the cyclist's diet. We recommend ingesting it after training, accompanied by pasta, rice or potatoes, to optimize your recovery.
- Main nutrients: proteins.
- When to take: after exercise.
Pasta
Few foods are as associated with cyclist's day to day as pasta. One of the main energy sources in the form of carbohydrates that guarantee strength, power and resistance in any cycling challenge. On the other hand, it is very easy to cook and combine with other basic diet foods such as meat or fish. And within the pasta, we recommend you opt for integrals, for better digestion for its high fiber content.
- Main nutrients: carbohydrates and fiber.
- When to take: before and after exercise.
Rice
Rice, like most cereals, is a basic food in the cyclist's pantry. It is very practical as a primary energy source, due to its high content of carbohydrates and proteins. Thus, it guarantees good muscle performance and increases energy reserves to support better long days on the bicycle. On the other hand, it contains vitamin B and essential minerals such as iron or fiber, which reinforce the immune system and facilitate rapid digestion.
- Main nutrients: carbohydrates and proteins.
- When to take: before, during and after the exercise.
Tomato
A basic vegetable of the Mediterranean diet that should not be missing in your fridge. Its main nutrient contribution comes from the side of carbohydrates, to which its high percentage in water (93.6%), vitamin B, fiber and sodium is added. This composition makes its digestion relatively simple and promoting an excellent immunological balance, essential to support high training loads. Include it in salads, stews or crush it and bite it as a juice or beaten.
- Main nutrients: carbohydrates and vitamins.
- When to take: before and after exercise.
Eggs
Finally, you should not forget to have this basic food in hundreds of diets around the world, focused mainly on the recovery phase. The egg is one of the food of animal origin with the greatest amount of protein, around 13% per unit, in addition to a large number of vitamins and minerals, such as zinc or iron.
However, it is a food still subject to controversy over its use for its marked percentage in cholesterol, around 237 mg, in addition to its somewhat slower digestion. Therefore, many sports nutritionists do not consider it a basic food in the athlete's diet, recommending it only for specific moments, limiting its weekly intake. We recommend you include it in your nutritional plan and cook it in a healthy way: cooked (for salads, for example), scalf or grilled. Thus, the egg can be one of the best natural recuperators you can find.
- Main nutrients: proteins and minerals.
- When to take: after exercise.
The nuts are nutrient -loaded fruits, easy to assimilate by the body and a very healthy option to obtain energy, both for training itself and after it. In addition, they contain omega 3 fatty acids, a healthy source of fats that will serve to provide your body with slow release energy. Ideal to increase your background and resistance in a healthy way.
You can buy bars of all kinds and flavors in sports nutrition or cycling stores, as well as prepare your own at home. Cereals, nuts, dehydrated fruit or chocolate are some of the most common elements in the bars, with a high percentage of carbohydrates in their composition.
