Most people know that what you eat affects how you perform. It would stand to reason, then, that someone training to partake in an everesting event would need to eat in a way that supports that type of gruelling activity.
It doesn’t help that the world of fitness and nutrition is full of myths and half-truths, making a trip to a professional non-negotiable if you want to extract the best performance from your body.
Johannesburg dietitian Ashleigh Solomon explained why we should eat a certain way, what her views are on things such as low-carb, high fat and dispelled some pervasive nutrition myths.
Q: If I were training for a long, hard, cycling endurance event with gruelling climbs, how should I be eating?
A: An athlete needs to focus on fuelling the body. You need to ask yourself: “What do I need to give my body to achieve my sporting goals?”
Nutrition is fuel for your body. Without petrol your car cannot drive and without customised nutrition your body cannot achieve your training and sporting goals.
What is important to remember is that your body needs to get fuel from somewhere. If it does not come from food, your body uses its reserves and muscles as an energy source. The aim of nutrition is to give your body what it needs, but if you do not provide for your body, it will work against itself by using its reserves as its energy source.
Before training it is important to fuel your body with a pre-workout meal. One to four hours before training it is recommended you have 1g/kg body weight to 4g/kg of body weight of carbohydrates.
Let’s put this into a practice. A 70kg cyclist should consume 7g to 28g of carbohydrates before exercise. If you have your pre-workout meal two to four hours before your cycle, you can have a low-GI carbohydrate source. However, if you are eating an hour or less before training, stick to higher-GI carbohydrate options due to their quicker energy release.
If your cycle is longer than one hour it is necessary to continue to fuel your muscles and restore your energy levels during the cycle. It is recommended you have a high-GI carbohydrate during your workout. It is important to keep it low in fat and fibre to reduce the risk of abdominal discomfort. Some options I give my clients are a minimum of two dates, five gummy worms, a rusk, chocolate-covered rice cracker or a 125ml energy drink. Another alternative is to do a mouth rinse with a sugar-based beverage such as flat Coca-Cola.
Research suggests if you cycle for longer than two and a half to three hours, aim for 90g carbohydrates per hour.
After a long power-climbing activity, one needs to recover, repair and restore what was lost during the workout. The repair and recovery process is optimised by a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 3-4:1, with 6g of essential amino acids.
There is also a lot of evidence to support the use of dairy after training. I recommend my clients have either one glass of milk with two bananas. Other options are Super M medium-fat milk, First Choice Recovery milk or Steri-Stumpy High Protein, all taken in with two fruits.
Q: Are carbs important? What about people who eat low-carb, high-fat diets?
A: This is a very common question and there are many conflicting statements made on social media about carbohydrates. They are essential in sporting success.
Carbohydrates are stored in the muscle in the form of glycogen. When carbohydrates are consumed, glycogen levels are high; when they are omitted, glycogen stores are low.
Glycogen is stored in your muscle, therefore when stores of it are low, your muscle is directly affected. When carbohydrate stores are low the body will use your glycogen store and convert it into protein. Research shows that individuals who follow a low-carb diet have excess nitrogen losses (nitrogen is a component of protein in the muscles). Low-carbohydrate diets therefore contribute to muscle breakdown.
So yes, carbs are important.
Q: How do you advise cyclists who do lots of sprints and climbs to eat?
A: Each individual is different and so each cyclist or athlete has a different body composition and therefore different nutritional needs. There is no fixed diet for all athletes and this is why it is so important to see a professional.
In a general sense my advice would be the following:
- Focus on your pre-workout meals.
- Focus on fuelling your body during training if you are training for longer than an hour.
- Ensure you consume enough protein and carbohydrates (in the right amount) after training to appropriately fuel, restore and repair any losses from your cycle or training session.
- It is important to focus on your overall nutrition throughout the day by making sure you consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the correct portion sizes for your body’s needs and goals.
- As a general guideline an endurance athlete such as a cyclist should consume around 1.4g/kg of body weight of protein and around 8g/kg of body weight of carbohydrates. These values can change based on individual needs and goals.
- It is important to focus on adequate micronutrient and fluid intake because lack of fluid can greatly affect your cycling performance.
Q: There are so many myths and misconceptions out there. Which ones do you think our readers should know about in the context of nutrition?
1 Excess amounts of protein are needed to increase muscle mass.
There is no scientific evidence to support the use of excessive protein intake. Excess protein is oxidised rather than used for muscle building. Normally a range of 0.45g/kg of body weight is suggested per meal.
2 It is essential to take supplements to be a good athlete.
There is no scientific evidence to support the use of supplements, unless you are deficient in something.
3 It is best to train on an empty stomach.
One needs to fuel their body before training to enhance performance and prevent muscle breakdown and deterioration.
4 Water intake has no effect on performance.
In endurance training research shows that when an athlete was 2% dehydrated performance decreased by more than 30%.
In strength training research shows that when an athlete was 2% dehydrated performance decreased by more than 20%.
Q: Anything else you want to add about diet and exercise, especially related to power output.
A: The more energy you put into your body the more your body has to give back to you. The better your fuel, the better your performance.
Solomon has an interest in sport nutrition, weight loss and IBS. She practises from Virgin Active Rosebank and online, where she is found on Instagram @ashthedietitian and at ashthedietitian.co.za.
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