Foldable Bikes Party: Fuel for cycling

Thursday, 20 October 2016

Fuel for cycling

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This is a sponsored post in association with A1 Coaching.

Throughout this series of articles, becoming a more efficient athlete has been the main goal; by maximising the time one has available in the most effective way possible. Your approach to nutrition can be viewed in the same way.

It seems that every day there’s a new diet that is the solution to all your problems. Like we have achieved with our training and recovery principles, we’ve cut out the nonsense and can provide an approach to nutrition for endurance-based athletes that actually works.

Click here for free access to A1 Coaching’s winter training video series

Nutrition for endurance athletes

Endurance sports, such as cycling, require the body to produce energy for a long period of time. Energy is supplied by the food we consume and digest. The protein, carbohydrates and fats (macronutrients) we consume are broken down to supply energy.

Each of these macronutrients are broken down and used in different ways, within the body, in order to supply energy; meaning that different macronutrients are required for different tasks.

Carbohydrates and protein

Traditionally, carbohydrates have been emphasised as the primary source of energy for endurance based athletes. However, carbohydrates are actually more suitable to provide energy for short periods of time as they can be broken down and provide energy very quickly in the body, in comparison to fats and protein.

Fat has been found to be a more efficient source of energy for cyclists