A NUTRITIONIST’S GUIDE ON SURVIVING CHRISTMAS

Nutritionist guide for christmas

Christmas and New Year are widely associated with indulgence. As the year comes to an end, the social events with family, friends & colleagues build up, in conjunction with meet-ups often centered on and around food & drink.

EFFECTIVE FUELLING TECHNIQUES FOR WINTER TRAINING FOR CYCLISTS

Fueling techniques during winter for cyclists

You should consume a combination of carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates to replenish the stores in your muscles and protein to aid the recovery of muscle damage. The sooner the better as our bodies have a 30 minute ‘anabolic window’ post training.

TIPS FOR GRAVEL RACING

Matteo Cigala second place at the 2023 Gravel World Championships in Pieve di Soligo

My way of doing gravel combines the two: escaping from the routine, discover new trails, being close to nature and the freedom from traffic while competing against some of the best gravel riders in the world.

GETTING STARTED WITH GRAVEL

A guide for getting started in gravel racing?

Expensive tires are worth the money in this discipline. The difference between good and bad tires means having an amazing time out there vs having a bad day. Choose appropriate width, casing type, tread and pressure for your riding requirements and make sure they are tubeless.

HOMEMADE SPORTS DRINKS

Homemade Sports Drinks for cycling. Some tips.

Sports drinks are advertised to replenish glucose, fluids, and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium) lost during strenuous exercise as well as to enhance endurance.

WHY IS HYDRATION VITAL TO OPTIMISE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE?

Water is vital for cycling performance

The replacement of carbohydrates is essential to bring energy to the body, being the main fuel source during exercise.
They are also the main tool to delay the onset of fatigue & the use of muscle glycogen.
When talking about replacing electrolytes : Sodium is the electrolyte superstar when added to drinks during exercise. It can stimulate the delivery of water to the small intestine and help maintain the volume of extracellular fluid.

HOW TO TRAIN TO BECOME A BETTER SPRINTER

Start with a lighter gear that allows you to accelerate fast and be more explosive. There is no point in starting with the 53×11 and grinding the gear while losing meters from your competitors.
As you pick up the speed, cadence will rise, and that’s the time to change one gear down at a time to keep your suitable cadence and produce more power output.
As we are all different, it is important to keep a cadence that works best for you.

HOW TO MAXIMSE YOUR RECOVERY

Matteo Cigala Recovery tips for cyclists

Foam roller is a great self-way to release muscles after a hard training session and make them feel fresh for tomorrow’s ride.
Massage help loosens tight spots, flush toxic chemicals and keep your fibres