Art’s Cyclery Blog

This is the fourth installment in a 4-part series about nutrition from our resident expert, Jenna Kowalski. Jenna is a Cat 2 cyclist and graduated from Cal Poly with a B.S. in Nutrition.

1. Carbohydrate consumption triggers insulin secretion

2. Protein provides a source for rebuilding tissues

If you remember from my first blog post, the primary function of insulin is to allow entry of glucose into cells, or tissues (an analogy I used to describe the process to a co-worker: insulin acts as a key; as you would need a key to enter a castle, glucose needs insulin to enter cells). Insulin also functions in alternate mechanisms to aid the recovery process. The presence of insulin stimulates protein synthesis (creation of new protein for tissue building) and inhibits protein degradation (breakdown of protein).

Fluid is an all-natural recovery drink with the optimal ration of carbohydrates to protein. Fluid also has L-Glutamine, an amino acid which has been shown to support the immune system, decrease muscle soreness and inflammation.

So what does this mean for you? While you were out pinning it for a few hours during your race or training ride, your body was busy breaking down proteins and tissues to be recycled as fuel. This process will continue UNLESS you eat! So, you eat or drink your recovery snack, which is digested into glucose and proteins. The glucose triggers the secretion of insulin, and insulin tells your body to stop breaking down and start rebuilding (using the protein you just consumed), ultimately resulting in less fatigue and the ability to maintain performance throughout the training week or race weekend.

Now that you have made it through your hammer ride, it’s important to acquire a recovery snack or meal ASAP. And by ASAP, I mean within 30 minutes of ride completion. This 30 minute window is essential to achieve the most benefit of the recovery process previously described. And conveniently, many recovery nutrition products are made for this reason. Recovery drink mixes (i.e. Fluid, Endurox, GU Brew Recovery, Hammer Recoverite) are a great option as they provide a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate and protein, as well as other *antioxidants, and amino acids to aid the recovery process.

Clif Shot Roks provide 20 grams of protein per package.

Other convenient choices include bars or Roks made by Clif Bar - Check out our Nutrition section on artscyclery.com for more options! And what about chocolate milk? Chocolate milk is an excellent recovery drink. With an optimal ratio of carbohydrate and protein, it does the job. Chocolate soymilk is another alternative, but if you have the choice, go for the milk (milk provides both a quick and slow release type of protein, allowing for longer lasting recovery; soy only provides quick). However, chocolate milk and soymilk do not provide the added goodies which most recovery products advertise (added vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.).

Within two hours post ride or race it is important to eat a regular meal with carbohydrates, protein, and fat to replenish caloric losses and glycogen stores. The carbohydrates consumed post ride are converted to glycogen at a higher rate during the first two hours post ride, so take advantage! This glycogen replenishment is especially important if a hard workout or race is planned for the next day. AND if you have a comfy spot to relax, put on some compression tights, elevate your legs, and enjoy the rest of your day

*Many recovery nutrition products advertise added ingredients such as L-glutamine, an amino acid, which has been shown to support the immune system, decrease muscle soreness and inflammation; electrolytes replenish those lost through sweat, and are needed for proper nerve transmission, muscle function, and fluid balance; antioxidants, like vitamin C and E, reduce tissue damage due to free radicals (fancy name for destructive oxygen molecules).

Evan Nutrition

This is the third installment in a 4-part series about nutrition from our resident expert, Jenna Kowalski. Jenna is a Cat 2 cyclist and graduated from Cal Poly with a B.S. in Nutrition.

As a nutrition major and cyclist I have had a few years to learn how to fuel myself on and off the bike. Off the bike, no problem, I love eating. On the bike is a different story. I read about on the bike nutrition, I give advice about on the bike nutrition, and it has still taken me at least 3 races and a handful of training rides to realize the consequences of poor on the bike nutrition/not eating = BONKING!

Bonking, or hitting the wall due to a lack of fuel is totally preventable. By fueling ourselves on the ride or during the race, we can ensure that though we may become fatigued, we have the energy to make it home or through the finish line. As I mentioned in the previous blog, those riding less than 2 hours can maintain their efforts on the bike without on-the-bike nutrition, as long as they have had a sufficient meal ahead of time. But to those who plan to ride for greater than 2 hours, on the bike nutrition becomes essential.

Nutrition on the bike is a very personal thing. We all have our different preferences for electrolyte drinks, gels, chews, bars etc. It is important to determine what you like and what works best for you especially if you plan to race. Try out a couple of different products, find what works best for you, and stick with it. It is never a good idea to try something new on a race day…trust me, I have learned from experience. One hour into a race, it is not an enjoyable experience to find that eating a certain product gives you stomach upset or cramps.

Cytomax is made with a blend of complex carbohydrates and electrolytes for an optimal energy supply.

The nutrition you choose may depend on the length and intensity of the ride. Electrolyte replacement/endurance beverages (i.e. Cytomax, Hammer Heed, GU Brew, Clif Shot) are great for riding/racing because they provide quick energy (liquid doesn’t require digestion) and replace electrolytes - that are necessary for muscular function - lost through sweating. And honestly, it’s often refreshing to drink something other than water. Electrolyte drinks should be consumed 15 minutes into riding, and about 6-8oz should be consumed every 15 minutes thereafter. This is especially important while riding in the heat, as it is very easy to become dehydrated. And remember, drink before you are thirsty.

Gu Roctane is a super-charged gel, adding more essential amino acids and citrates compared to regular Gu to help you ride longer and harder.

Gels and chews are an excellent option for ride/race nutrition. They provide quick sugar to maintain blood glucose levels. Gels (i.e. Gu, Clif Shot, Hammer Gels, etc.) are great choice because they are easy and quick to consume. Chews such as Gu Chomps and Clif Shot Bloks provide the same benefit, they just require a bit more effort to eat! Gels and chews should be consumed roughly every 45 minutes.

Solid food and bars (i.e. Clif Bar, Bonk Breaker, Hammer Bar, PB&J sando, etc.) are helpful for rides 3-4 hours or longer. At this point it can be difficult to consume adequate calories with gels and drinks alone, and it is often a nice break from the gooey, sweet products. Bars provide a great source of calories through complex carbohydrates, protein and fat. The complex nutrients take longer to digest and result in a gradual rise in blood glucose to keep you fueled through the ride. An alternative to solid food or bars, if you are looking for extra calories, is an endurance drink mix that combines simple and complex carbohydrates and protein. Drink powders such as Hammer Perpetuem and Prolong provide 200-300 calories per serving, and allow you to easily consume calories without the hassle of unwrapping a package or chewing.

Bonk Breaker bars are moist and tasty! They taste so yummy it's hard to believe they're all natural and full of healthy energy.

By providing your body with nutrition on the bike you are able to maintain adequate blood glucose levels to fuel your body as your glycogen stores become depleted. It is absolutely necessary to provide glucose to your cells to maintain riding capacity. And while you may think, ‘I have ample fat stores, won’t that fuel me through my ride?’ Our fat stores are a large percentage of energy used for cycling, BUT in order to utilize those fat stores, we must have glucose present! No glucose = no fat burning. So overall, we must eat to ride and eat while riding to burn fat!

Finally, on the bike nutrition helps with recovery – which will be discussed next time. By maintaining our blood glucose we don’t have to rely on breaking down our body’s proteins as a fuel source, and less cell degradation = better recovery.

If you want to get super specific, it is recommended that you consume .6 grams per kg body weight per hour. So, .6xkg wt.per/hour = g/hr. (Example: 70 kg rider, 6×70kg = 42g/hr. During a 3 hr race = 5 gels)

Tips to successful race-time eating:

• Practice eating! On training rides, practice eating like you would during a race. While it may sound silly, eating on the bike during a race can be a bit tricky. When you are breathing hard, sometimes eating a bar or chew is a difficult task.
• Have food ready to eat! By opening packages ahead of time, you eliminate fumbling with the package and can easily access your food.
• Eat when others eat! By eating at the same time as the other racers, there may be less chance of someone attacking…I have also learned this from experience.

Next time: Recovery Nutrition

Jenna Kammer Kowalski

Evan Nutrition

The importance of breakfast is a widely publicized topic among families and school-aged children – it increases attention span, improves grades, etc. But breakfast is not just important for school children, it is important for all of us, certainly us cyclists. During a night of sleep, which is technically an 8 hour fast, hormones trigger the use of our liver glycogen to maintain blood glucose  levels. By morning, our liver glycogen levels are low and breakfast  allows us to replenish those stores and fuel the body for the day ahead (particularly the bike ride).

A healthy breakfast is key to a successful workout

A great way to start the morning is with a plentiful breakfast including primarily carbohydrates, some protein and fat (yes fat is OK! - but too much before a ride will take longer to digest) – my personal favorite, a bowl of oatmeal with apples, peanut butter, and little granola on top, add a couple of eggs if you’re a bigger guy. If you like to ride in the morning, and have the time, it is wise to eat 2-3 hours prior to riding; give yourself time to digest, or risk stomach upset (the body directs blood flow away from stomach, leading to lack of digestion which creates potential stomach issues) or losing your meal rather unpleasantly…

This 2-3 hour window is also important for racers. For those planning to race, eat a substantial, typical (eat what your body is used too, pre-race is not the time to experiment with new foods! Save that for training rides) meal - primarily carbohydrate - 3 hours pre-race (morning or afternoon race), and a carbohydrate snack 30 min to 1 hour pre-race (i.e. bar, gel, chews - preferred snack of choice). Example: Breakfast - 1 c oatmeal w/ honey or brown sugar, 1 TB peanut butter, banana, 1 c non-fat milk, 1 egg (I enjoy hardboiled); Snack: Rice cake w/ 1/2 - 1 TB PB and honey. *Meal size also is dependent on rider size, but caloric intake is a bit more complicated, bigger riders (I am 5′1, 115 lbs) may want to add toast, bagel, or another serving of oatmeal and an additional egg. 

On a day-to-day basis, not all of us might want to wake up at 5am to eat breakfast just so we can get a quick ride in at 7 or 8, and then jam to work or school. If you are planning to fit in a 2+ hour ride, or are racing, give yourself plenty of time to fuel your body in the morning. However, if you are going for a quick 1-2 hr ride in the morning, you may find that you can get by without eating, or if anything a quick bowl of cereal, bagel, or sports drink (quick to digest food) will do. Because our muscles store glucose (muscle glycogen), we are able to rely on our muscle glycogen stores for fuel during those short morning rides. But after approximately 1.5hrs, those stores may become depleted, and our capacity for performing diminishes. At this point, you will require on-the-bike nutrition.

For those lunch time, or afternoon riders, have your big breakfast in the morning (lunch if you are riding later afternoon), and a small carbohydrate snack, i.e. Clif bar, and you will be good to go for that 1 hour hammer ride. For anything over 2 hours, on-the-bike nutrition becomes important. So what kind of on-the-bike nutrition you ask?

Stayed tuned for part 3 of Jammer’s nutrition series, and all will be revealed

Evan Nutrition

Hello Art’s Fans! Jenna “Jammer” Kowalski here. I recently graduated with my B.S. in Nutrition from Cal Poly, and I thought I would share some of the 5 years of knowledge crammed into my brain before it flies out. This is the first installment of a four-part series to offer you an overview of the importance of nutrition for cyclists. I’m a Cat 2 cyclist and race for Team Now MS out of Southern California. If you have comments, want specifics, or need more detail on the metabolic processes (my favorite topic…no joke), let me know!

Nutrition is a continually growing and changing science. Everybody has their own idea as to what’s healthy and what’s not. And while nutrition may not be an exact science, it has proven to be an important one. Especially for cyclists. As far as cyclists are concerned, we feed our bodies in order to perform to our greatest potential - although, I do know a few individuals who ride solely to justify that gooey cinnamon roll and ’skinny’ latte on the weekly coffee ride.

In the most basic of terms, the food we eat (ex. Pasta – a carbohydrate) is digested to its most simple components (carbohydrates become glucose) and converted into energy which fuels our body. Our body utilizes this fuel based upon our individual needs, and when  exercise is added to the equation, the demand for fuel increases. When our body runs out of fuel, we are unable to continue performing at the same level (~50%). During a race or difficult ride, we have all experienced this feeling of ‘bonking’ or ‘hitting the wall.’ We prevent these situations by providing our body with proper nutrition. Proper nutrition pre-race (ride), during, and post (recovery) are essential to maximize performance on the bike.

The body’s preferred fuel is glucose. Glucose is obtained by consuming primarily carbohydrates (bread, pasta, oats, rice, sugar), but can also be made in the body by converting our body’s protein (muscle tissue, etc.). Glucose is stored in the liver and in the muscle, and  is known as glycogen. Glycogen from the liver can be broken down and used as blood glucose to fuel our tissues, while muscle glycogen is used only by the muscle in which it is stored. During aerobic exercise, our body relies on both blood glucose and muscle glycogen to fuel working tissues. Anaerobic bouts rely primarily on muscle glycogen, and an intense workout may deplete our muscle glycogen stores. Training enables us to maximize our muscle glycogen stores, BUT, in an unfed state, as our glycogen stores diminish, our capacity for exercise decreases as well.

Proper nutrition enables us to maintain our blood glucose and replenish glycogen stores, and it all begins with a good breakfast…

Next time: Pre-race/ride nutrition

Evan Nutrition