Why dieting causes you to loose power
posted on May 15th, 2012 in Cycling, Cycling Tips by Stephen
I hear many times from athletes that they can not get too low in weight because they loose power. But if the main factor in cycling is power to weight ratio – and that ratio increases if you lost weight then how can you also loose power?
I think that there is a point of minimum bodyfat where someone would loose strength or reserves. However, if that is the case, then what about all the Pro racers that come out of stage races with less than 5% bodyfat.
My hypothesis is that when people are dieting and do not eat as much for meals ‘reducing calories’ then when they go out for a long or hard training then they do not have enough nutrients in their body and they do not ingest enough calories too keep them going. Once the body runs out of nutrient supplies then it doesn’t function optimally – they loose energy (power).
Now take the same ‘reduced calories’ and factor in the high intensity of training and/or racing and the body is in a depleted state WHEN beginning an event – and since it is difficult for most people to ingest enough nutrition during an event, they eventually ‘loose power’.
Something I tell my clients is to ‘feed your training’. In other words you must eat according to what you are planning to do. If you are going to hang out on the couch then you can/should consume less food. But especially consume less food that the body would use immediately for energy. This is a good time to consume foods that the body would use as building blocks or repair.
When you have a long training day or race day, now is the time to ingest more foods that the body can and will use for energy.
This past weekend I was leading a group ride – I got up 30 minutes earlier just so that I could prepare some Belgium waffles with maple syrup. Less than 2 hours later we were all on the bikes and riding a few miles over to a 3 mile climb – I had a great day, which started out with a meal that was going to fuel my activity.
This morning I was in a meeting for a couple hours and have been working on some research and getting some ideas on paper. For breakfast this AM I had an omellete with chicken, salsa and guacamole. Foods that I wouldn’t get a burst of energy from, but food that will keep a steady stream of nutrients with out an insulin spike.
Want to really find out all the details of nutrition and proper dieting, check out my Ebook
Remember: Feed your training.
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Does Protein intake improve cycling
posted on May 8th, 2012 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Strength Training by Stephen
An interesting Does protein intake improve cycling“>article + discussion.
I’m a fan of eating a higher protein diet after hard rides for muscle recovery and repair.
This does not negate the need for simple sugars and carbs immediately after a ride – then my next meal will usually be more focused on protein. BUT keep in mind that I am a protein metabolic type. Meaning that I do well eating meat, steaks, chicken, fish, beans. Some people don’t feel as well on a diet like this, but eating ‘more’ than usual would be helpful.
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How to get six pack abs
posted on August 11th, 2011 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Strength Training by Stephen
There is a lot of promotions and products out there that promise many things….. but you want to really know what it takes to find your abs?
Here is a quick ‘abbreviated’ guide that if followed will put you on the right track!
A) Proper nutrition
B) Proper Exercise
C) Proper flexibility
A) Nutrition. You can NOT out train a bad diet. This is KEY!
Eating guidelines is something that many people seem to struggle with. It can be very confusing due to all the mis-information and Advertising that companies do. Companies do advertising in order to increase sales, and increasing profits is the true bottom line.
Nearly every cell in your body reproduces about every 6 months, it can only reproduce based on the nutrients that are provided!! So, you truly are what you eat.
This 10+ page document outlines how I made some easy changes and lost 20 pounds of fat in less than 2 months! It was easier than I thought it would be. Trust me, I have a thing about going hungry and the whole time, I didn’t. I was surprised that this way of eating allowed me to satisfy my hunger, and actually eat less snacks.
B) Exercise. You must Move! If you want to loose fat, you must move. If you want to loose fat quickly, then you must sweat while you move! If you don’t want to sweat, then you must have lots of time to move slowly.
Tip: Get a Heart Rate monitor!
Quick fat loss = you must push your heart rate up doing exercises, then allow the heart rate to drop….intervals will ideally vary! Intensity and using the highest number of muscle groups is KEY! That is another reason functional training is so popular!
Want six-pack abs? then you have to remember it is the visibility of the abdominal musculature, not the strength of the muscles that matters.
C) Flexibility. In order to prevent injury, perform optimally, and reduce aches and pains, the muscle must be with in proper length tension relationship.
In fact here is an ebook on how to do myofascial release, which is more effective because it is just like a massage and better than stretching.
So, is doing abs a waste of time? Yes and No.
Yes, it is a waste of time if you want a six pack and that is all you are doing to attain that goal – everyone has abs, you just can’t see them – so you have to start there first!
No, because done correctly, ab work is great for your core.
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StrongerCyclist.com is the site of Stephen Carhart, personal trainer, author, and cyclist.