As a means of supporting you in your preparations for the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle, Enable Ireland has linked up with Kerry Recreation & Sports Partnership, who will share information over the coming weeks.
First, I would like to bring your attention to BIKE WEEK, which takes place June 13th – 21st. For those who live in Kerry, there will be bike maintenance and nutrition based information workshops taking place as follows: -
Killarney – June 15th – Randles Court Hotel – 7:30pm
Tralee – June 17th Meadowlands Hotel – 7:30pm
To date the bike maintenance workshops have received very positive feedback. There will be a practical demonstration on how to fix a puncture as well as clean the bike! And former international cyclist Paul Griffin will share his basic and very practical knowledge with respect to food & fluid intake for the Ring. In addition he will share his home made bike fit formula along with providing instrumental advice! So if you have 90mins to spare I would highly recommend attendance.
Nutrition
So to this weeks topic – nutrition - I will preface by saying that I am not a qualified dietician; however I am willing to share my experiences and knowledge gained, as a means of positively assisting your cycling experience.
Cyclists can cover large mileage over any given week, with a traditionally ‘long’ ride over the weekend. Although the energy expenditure isn’t as high as running; it is important to ensure that cyclists consume enough energy through out the day and over the week to sustain the volume of training required.
Drink Plenty!! - It is recommended to drink 500-1000ml of fluid an hour while riding, which equates to minimum 1 bike water bottle per hour. And bear in mind this is only a rough guide. The amount consumed will vary depending on intensity, duration and weather conditions. The longer, harder the work out and hotter the conditions, the more one ought to drink, and vice versa. So drinking when riding is very important so as to replace the water you sweat and breathe out.
For longer training rides and during the Ring of Kerry cycle event, it is important to use drinks to help refuel. By that I mean a drink that is 5-7% carbohydrate based. This is known as an isotonic drink. Some people prefer a hypotonic drink, which is a drink of less than 5% carbohydrate concentration. The bottom line is to drink a drink that contains the same concentration of dissolved particles as your body fluids, so they will be absorbed faster. Also choose a drink that contains electrolytes, particularly sodium, as this will speed up the delivery of the fluids to your body parts.
It is vital to go for a drink flavour that you enjoy the taste of, as you will be more inclined to drink it! So add an orange of blackcurrant flavour – your choice. Unless you have a weak bladder, drink plenty before you go out on the bike, so that you start off fully hydrated, and continue drinking afterwards. Little and often will aid recovery. If your training ride is over an hour make it a carbohydrate drink, and if under the hour, flavoured water will suffice. The most important thing is to remain hydrated, as being dehydrated compromises recovery.
Also it is very important to refuel within half an hour to an hour after cycling so as to replace the nutrients used up during the ride. Ideally these drinks would be of a protein base, so that the body can fast track the nutrients towards muscle repair. So as to eat within this recovery window, make sure you are prepared, by having a drink on the ready when you arrive back at base, be it a bottle to hand in the car, or at the front door. If you like milk, the flavoured milk shakes work a treat.
Next publication we will be focusing on food intake. In the meantime….Happy & Safe Cycling!
